Say No To The War In Chechnya

http://2004.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2004/77n/n77n-s02.shtml


SAY A DECISIVE NO TO THE WAR IN CHECHNYA! (my tr.)


Dear fellow citizens, guests and residents of Moscow!

The war with Chechnya, which was begun 10 years ago, has come to Russia. There is no front line here, no street battles or rocket fire. We are perishing in blown-up apartment houses and aircraft, we and our children are being taken as hostages in theatres and schools. <…>

Our society is sinking into an atmosphere of fear and despair. The government and the president demonstrate their total inability to resolve the Russian-Chechen conflict and their complete lack of interest in the security of ordinary Russian citizens. <…>

Under the pretext of the fight against international terrorism, the liquidation of freedom of speech, people’s power and federalism is proceeding at a rapid pace, and the destruction of the democratic foundations of the constitutional order is in full swing.

The times require that our society show decisiveness to the authorities and present clear demands to them.

We say NO to the policy of President Putin, who cannot or will not seek a peaceful path of political settlement of the conflict in the Chechen Republic, cannot or will not strengthen the democratic institutions and defend the conditions for political freedom. <…>

We call on you to attend a meeting on Pushkin Square in Moscow at 16.00 on 23 October, in order to say a decisive “No to the war in Chechnya! No to the policy of President Putin!’

Vladimir BUKOVSKY, Vladimir KARA-MURZA, Boris NADEZHDIN, Boris NEMTSOV, Vladimir RYZHKOV, Artemy TROITSKY, Anna POLITKOVSKAYA, Irina KHAKAMADA, Viktor SHENDEROVICH

“Novaya gazeta” No. 77
18.10.2004