Slow Genocide

An interesting Rosbalt report - even though Rosbalt is not always the most objective of news sources, the following shows that current events in Chechnya are being closely watched in the Soviet Union's former colonies:


Russia perpetrates slow genocide in Chechnya, says a former Estonian ambassador in Moscow

Rosbalt, 17/5/2004

"Russian President Vladimir Putin perpetrates purposeful genocide of the Chechen people in Chechnya using the struggle against terrorism as a cover," said Mart Helme, a former Estonian ambassador in Moscow. Being a wise politician, Mr Putin understands the genocide should not be committed in haste, it should be done gradually, the struggle
against terrorism being used as a cover, Mr Helme wrote in the Eesti P'evaleht newspaper.

"However it doesn't change the essence of things, therefore the world community must state with all due responsibility that the Chechen people will be eliminated within the next ten years if there will be no external interference," said the ex-smbassador. "Genocide means not only the killing and eviction of Chechens from their houses but the import of the problem to other regions of Russia, first of all to Dagestan and Ingushetia," Mart Helme added.

Mart Helme was Estonian ambassador in Moscow from 1995 to 2000. Now he is nominated to be a deputy of the European Parliament for the Estonian party People's Union.


Kavkaz Center also has a report of an open address by 28 representatives of the Estonian intelligentsia and cultural workers, condemning the attitude of the Western states towards Russia’s actions in Chechnya:


"While condemning the terrorist act against the collaborator president and against the commander of the invaders’ forces, the West is thus approving of Russia’s colonial ambitions concerning the Chechen state and giving a green light to continue violence against Chechen peaceful civilians", the address says.

"…there is a deep feeling of protest when thinking that the fate of a traitor and a war criminal is causing more emotions among the international community than the fate of the entire nation does, when the nation is being oppressed and brought to the verge of extermination. It confirms once again that no lessons are taken from the history and that democratic values turn out to be a fiction most of the time. As a small nation, the Estonians, who have experienced the heavy hand of foreign rule, cannot remain indifferent to the sufferings that Chechens are experiencing."

The authors called on all people of good will to support the Chechen people in their attempts to build a safe future for themselves.

"This is the least thing we can do. The fact that tragic lot befell some war criminals before they faced the trial in the Hague should not be the reason to continue the genocide", the statement stresses.

However, as one commentator has pointed out: "Speaking about the open letter of the culture people, there are no real stars among them... Several of them are virtually unknown in Estonia.Some are editors of newspapers, some are university lecturers, some are kind of writers or poets, but mostly they are 3rd echelon people. These protests are clearly marginal and the title of the story of KC is therefore erroneous. Unfortunately no prominent public figure of Estonia has said anything about Chechnya recently."

For myself, I recognize only the name of the poet Elo Viiding among the signatories. However, for me the fact that she should have decided to sign the document is proof enough that this is a serious protest, and one that should be taken seriously.