Fwd: Abkhazian Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 15
Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 11:09:30 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Abkhazian Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 15
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>
Fwd: Abkhazian Newsletter, Vol. 2, No. 15
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 09:52:44 +0200
To: "Abkhazian Newsletter":;
From: Slava Chirikba <[email protected]>
ABKHAZIAN NEWSLETTER, Vol. 2, No. 15
__________________________________________________________________
******************************************************************
A B K H A Z I A N N E W S L E T T E R
A P S N Y T'V Y I A D Y R R A K V A
Vol. 2, No. 15
31 May 1999
Prepared by
The International Documentation and Information Centre for Abkhazia
(IDICA)
Aduneizhvlarbzhjarat'vyi Apsny Arshahatganc'arei Adyrratarei Rygvta
(AAAAR)
The Netherlands
******************************************************************
CONTENTS :
* News from Abkhazia:
***Parliamentary Deputy On A Secret Russian-Georgian Agreement.
***Russian Border Control Troops To Leave Abkhazia Soon.
***Another Explosion In The Abkhaz Capital
***Harvard Conflict Management Group To Prepare A Georgian-Abkhaz
Meeting.
* UNPO Statement for the "Hague Appeal for Peace" Conference.
* News from Georgia:
***From: Annotated Daily Headlines Of The Georgian Press.
***From: Remarks Of Eduard Shevardnadze, President Of Georgia, To The
Washington Summit Of The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, April 25,
1999.
* New Publications on Abkhazia and the Caucasus (1997 onwards).
* Internet Resources on Abkhazia.
* Abkhazian Stamps on the Internet.
******************************************************************
NEWS FROM ABKHAZIA
ApsnyPress, 19 May 1999
PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTY ON A SECRET RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN AGREEMENT
"A statement made by the Foreign Minister of Chechnya, Mr. I. Idigov,
about the existence of a secret agreement between Russia and Georgia
on coordination of their actions towards Abkhazia and Chechnya, does
have real grounds," Gennady Margania told "ApsnyPress" on May 19. Mr.
Margania is a member of the Defense and Security Committee of the
Parliament of Abkhazia. According to him, that secret agreement was
signed as early back as 1996. At that time, Georgia took on the
obligation to respond to the continuing Russian blockade of Abkhazia
by imposing similar sanctions at its border with Chechnya. "It appears
likely that this agreement was renewed during the recent meetings
between Georgian and Russian delegations," says Mr. Margania.
"This is why Russia does not lift economic sanctions against Abkhazia,
while Georgia, on its part, continues to block the highway connecting
[the Chechen capital] Grozny with Tbilisi.
***
RUSSIAN BORDER CONTROL TROOPS TO LEAVE ABKHAZIA SOON
By telephone from the Head of the Press Service of the Republic of
Abkhazia in Moscow Tanya Gulia, 28 May 1999.
Georgia and Russia signed an agreement on the withdrawal of Russian
border control troops from Georgia. In accordance with the schedule of
the withdrawal, at the first stage the Russian troops, which were
controlling the Georgian-Turkish border, will leave Adjaria, and will
be replaced by the Georgian border guards. After Adjaria, the next
turn will be for Abkhazia. The withdrawal of Russian border control
troops from Abkhazia has already begun. At the present moment the
question of the transfer of their immovable property, on which the
Abkhazian government put its claims, is being discussed. It is
expected that all the immovable property will be transferred to the
Abkhaz jurisdiction, while the movable property will be given over to
the CIS peacekeeping force. The withdrawal of Russian border control
troops from Abkhazia will soon be completed. Abkhazia's sea borders
will be protected by the Abkhazian marine guard. All statements made
by the Georgian side to the effect that its border control ships will
be in charge of the Abkhazian sector of the sea border, were rejected
by the leadership of Abkhazia, according to which no Georgian ships
will be allowed into the territorial waters of Abkhazia.
***
ANOTHER EXPLOSION IN THE ABKHAZ CAPITAL
By telephone from the Head of the Press Service of the Republic of
Abkhazia in Moscow Tanya Gulia, 28 May 1999.
At the beginning of May this year the situation in the Gal region of
Abkhazia started to deteriorate. Thus, the helicopter of the CIS
peacekeepers was fired at from the Georgian side of the border.
Several terrorist acts have been committed recently, such as an
assault on peaceful civilians, including the returning refugees. This,
however, failed to hamper the process of the repatriation. 35,000
Georgian returnees have already been registered by the Abkhaz
authorities. On 14 May 1999, at 23:15 o'clock, in the centre of Sukhum
an explosion was detonated near the building of the Abkhazian
parliament. Beside some minor damage to the building, no casualties
were reported. It has been the third explosion in Sukhum since the
beginning of this year. Two previous explosions took place near the
buildings of Abkhazia's Academy of Sciences and the Abkhaz State
television. According to observers, these terrorist acts were
connected with the deterioration of the situation in the Gal region.
***
ApsnyPress, 19 May 1999
HARVARD CONFLICT MANAGEMENT GROUP TO PREPARE A GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ MEETING
On May 19, the Speaker of the Abkhaz Parliament, Mr. Sokrat
Djindjolia, met with the Conflict Management Group of Harvard
University which arrived to Abkhazia the day before. The goal of the
Group's visit to Abkhazia is the preparation of the Georgian-Abkhaz
meeting, which will be part of the Program "Conflicts in the Former
Soviet Union (FSU)". As the Group's Leader, Mr. Artur Martirosyan,
told "ApsnyPress", this program receives funding from several
prominent US organizations, including the Carnegie Foundation.
Mr. Martirosyan also said that the Abkhaz representatives participated
in [another conflict-resolution project] "The Hague Initiative" in
January 1995. However, the meeting that is being prepared now will
have a totally different scope. "Whereas in the Hague in 1995, several
delegations were meeting simultaneously, now we are only considering
the possibility of setting up of a bilateral process. It is also
possible that similar projects will later be carried out in
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorny Karabakh, and that this project will
be combined with some others. If this becomes the case, we will
consider the possibility of organizing a meeting on a more general
level. However, for the time being we will restrict our attention to
bilateral meetings only," said Mr. Martirosyan.
Touching upon the process of the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz
conflict, Mr. Djindjolia noted that there had not been any substantive
rogress in the negotiation process. A work is being continued on the
"Peace Agreement" and "Protocol On The Return of Refugees To The Gal
Region And On Measures On The Restoration Of Economy", which should be
signed by the Presidents of Georgia and Abkhazia.
Mr. Martirosyan informed the Abkhaz Parliament Speaker that the
meeting is currently being planned for the end of June or the
beginning of July this year. He also noted that due to the upcoming
elections in both Georgia and Abkhazia, the circumstances for the
meeting are not quite favorable. But, according to him, there is a
serious interest in Georgia for the convening of such a meeting.
********************************************************************
"A VOICE TO ALL"
From:
UNPO STATEMENT FOR THE "HAGUE APPEAL FOR PEACE" CONFERENCE,
THE HAGUE, MAY 11-15, 1999
Dr. Parris H. CHANG,
President, UNPO Steering Committee
In February 1991, in the Peace Palace, in The Hague, representatives
of Taiwan, Tibet, East Turkestan, Aboriginals in Australia, Kurdistan,
Latvia, Estonia, Palau, Tatarstan, Cordillera, Armenia, Georgia, the
Greek Minority in Albania, the Crimean Tatars and West Papua, all of
them Nations and Peoples without presentation in the United Nations
and other international fora, forged a new worldwide organization
called Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). This
unique organization is called by the media "a United Nations for the
forgotten peoples", or "a United Nations for the dispossessed". UNPO
promotes Non-Violence.
Indeed, the UNPO has been the conscience and the advocate for the
underdogs and small peoples in the world, Captive Nations, Indigenous
Peoples, Minorities, the unrecognized and the Unrepresented, and has
helped their struggle for human rights, self-determination and other
dreams. As their rights, freedoms and concerns have been suppressed as
"domestic affairs" of states, largely unknown to world media and/or
ignored by the international organizations, the UNPO, which has now
more than 50 members, informs and publicizes their grievances and
demands, and takes up their cause to the international organization
and the court of world opinion. Like the worldwide concerned citizens
who come to The Hague Appeal for Peace, the UNPO members believe that
peace is a human right, and we should do our utmost to prevent violent
conflicts and promote peace.
The UNPO has since its founding been a strong champion for Abkhazia,
Chechenia, East Timor, Tibet and Taiwan in their struggle for freedom
and independence respectively from Georgian, Russian, Indonesian and
Chinese colonial and repressive rule.<....>
Through the UNPO efforts, now the UN Commission on Human Rights
annually provides a forum for captive nations (e.g. Tibet, East
Timor), minorities and indigenous peoples to air their grievances and
call on the world organization to protect and advance their
fundamental rights. Likewise, the UNPO has focused world attention on
brutal suppression of human rights by Georgia, China, Russia,
Indonesia and Nigeria over the Abkhazian, Tibetan, Chechen, East Timor
and Ogoni peoples respectively. <...>
We urge the UN and other international organizations to accept the
principle that the rights of the Minorities and Indigenous peoples and
human rights in general are not merely internal affairs of States in
question, but also of legitimate and compelling international concern.
The UN must strengthen its human rights machinery to cope with abuses
and violations of human rights covenants, and should not turn a blind
eye on human rights abuses of such major powers as China and Russia
and of the Third World countries like Burma, India, Indonesia, Nigeria
and Yugoslavia.
*****************************************************************
NEWS FROM GEORGIA
From:
Annotated Daily Headlines Of The Georgian Press. Compiled by the
Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD).
----
(Omitted to save the space - see MINELRES archive.
Boris)
----
***
From:
REMARKS OF EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE, PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA to the Washington
Summit of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, April 25, 1999,
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
<...>
I sincerely congratulate the North Atlantic Alliance, its old and new
members, on this jubilee.<...>
The developments in Kosovo have again, with particular drama,
confirmed what other unsettled, "frozen" conflicts, including the
Abkhaz conflict, have long been indicating. A complete overhaul in
existing security mechanisms that were formed in a different epoch for
different purposes, is imperative. The attempts to adapt the changing
contemporary world to existing charters, perceptions and traditions
are outright wrong. Rather, we should act the other way round - that
is adjust currently available instruments to the emerging new reality
and develop the ability to respond appropriately to new threats.
Without strong guarantees for security and diplomacy backed by force -
including the actual enforcement of peace - the world will not be
healed of the epidemic of conflict. A new bold approach must terminate
the current syndrome of total impunity with which crimes against
humanity are perpetrated. <...>
This co-operation ensures a secure and friendly environment in which
NATO can operate, while strengthening the independence and democracy
of EAPC member states remains the best way to check extremism,
revanchism and aggressive nationalism in these regions.<...>
At the core of our partnership must be a humanistic, moral high ground
approach and a common world view - rather than considerations of
geopolitics and balance of power alone. The pain experienced by any
one state, no matter how large or small, must become a shared concern
for the entire Euro-Atlantic family. This is precisely what the new
mission of the alliance ought to be.
In this regard, I cannot fail to cite Abkhazia - which at the
threshold of the 21st Century still remains such an open wound for
Georgia. I strongly believe that the time has come for the Euro
Atlantic Community, already rich in experience, to invigorate the
joint effort to achieve a settlement in this conflict.<...>
*****************************************************************
NEW PUBLICATIONS ON ABKHAZIA AND THE CAUCASUS (1997 onwards)
Grigorij LEZHAVA, Mezhdu Gruziej i Rossiej. Istoricheskie korni i
sovremennye faktory abxazo-gruzinskogo konflikta (XIX-XX vv.) [Between
Georgia and Russia. Historical Roots and Contemporary Factors of the
Abkhaz-Georgian Conflict (XIX-XX centuries)]. Otvetstvennyj redaktor
M.N.Guboglo [Ed. by M.N. Guboglo]. Moskva, 1997, 380 pp. [with annexes
and index]
***
Nikolaj PLOTNIKOV. SNG Ili NATO [CIS Or NATO]. [Intervies with the
Chief of the Border Control Department of Georgia Valery Chkheidze].
In: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Military Review, 21-27 May, 1999.
***
STANOVLENIE GOSUDARSTVENNOSTI ADYGEI. Ocherki i dokumenty
etnopoliticheskoj istorii (1990-1995 gg.). Tom I. [The Establishment
of the Statehood of Adygea. Sketches and Documents of the
Ethnopolitical History (1990-1995)] Moskva: Russian Academy of
Sciences, 1997, 412 pp.
***
NATSIONAL'NAJA POLITIKA V IMPERATORSKOJ ROSSII. Tsivilizovannye
okrainy (Finliandija, Pol'sha, Bessarabia, Ukraina, Zakavkaz'e,
Sredniaja Azija). Sostavitel' i redakor Ju.I. Semenov. [Nationalities
Policy in Imperial Russia. Civilized Outskirts (Finland, Poland,
Bessarabia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia, Central Asia). Ed. by Ju.I.
Semenov] Moskva: Russian Academy of Sciences, 1997, 414 pp.
*****************************************************************
INTERNET RESOURCES ON ABKHAZIA
http://www.abkhazia.org
http://www.quaker.org/yfgm
http://hypatia.ss.uci.edu/gpacs/abkhazia
http://itre.ncsu.edu/gz/abkhazia
http://www.eki.ee/books/readbook/abkhaz.shtml
http://elycion.geology.ualberta.ca/~stoner/fotw/flags/ge-abkha.html
http://www.mediaport.org/~osseet/Caucasus.html
http://www.qsl.net/yb0rmi/abkhazia.htm
http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/cippage/_BALYANAK/kurzgeschichte.htm [
_ stands for a tilde]
http://elycion.geology.ualberta.ca/_stoner/fotw/flags/ge-abkha.html [
_ stands for a tilde]
http://www.ozemail.com.au/_karachay/letabk.html [ _ stands for a
tilde]
http://193.135.136.30/tripart/unog/current.htm
http://193.135.136.30/tripart/hr/geo/office.htm
http://www.un.org/Docs/SG/SG-Rpt/ch4d-10.htm
http://www.channel1.com/users/apsny/review.htm
http://www.omri.cz/Publications/AB/AB.970226-557.html
http://fashion.hobby.ru/abkhazia/abkhazia.htm
http://fashion.hobby.ru/abkhazia/war/war.htm
http://cityguide.lycos.com/europe/nomideast/GEOAbkhaziaRegion.html
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/rusabkh.htm
http://www.osceprag.cz/inst/oscepa/abkhazia.htm
http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF1804/Meier/Meier.html
http://secretary.state.gov/www/br...gs/statements/1998/ps980521b.html
wysiwyg://94/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9479/abkhaz.html
wysiwyg://17/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/8598/abkhazia.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/2190/abhazya.htm
http://www.unhcr.ch/refworld/country/writenet/writur.htm
http://www.un.org/plweb-cgi/idoc....rg..80+un+un+scres+scres++georgia
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Enterprises/2493/cauclink.html
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/4670/
http://www.vub.ac.be/POLI/publi/Georgians/home.htm
***
ABKHAZIAN STAMPS ON THE INTERNET
http://www.crl.com/_rcsutton/bigstamp.html [ _ stands for a tilde]
http://www.wired.com/wired/3.08/departments/eword.html
http://www.mygale.org/03/stamp/English/ecountry.html
http://doors.com/door_mem/other/
http://www.linns/com/reference/admins/admins_a.asp
http://www.scout.net/_STAMPS/abkhazia.htm [ _ stands for a tilde]
http://www.webmad.com/gsm/news.htm
http://home.att.net/_cardan01/Anim.html [ _ stands for a tilde]
htpp://xp6.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp...8.14708&HIT_NUM=24&hitnum=1&NTL=1
htpp://xp6.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp...CONTEXT=863444928.14708&hitnum=24
htpp://xp6.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp...8.14708&HIT_NUM=24&hitnum=2&NTL=1
___________________________________________________________________
*******************************************************************
To SUBSCRIBE: send an e-mail to <[email protected]> with
the word "SUBSCRIBE" as the subject of the message.
To UNSUBSCRIBE: send an e-mail to <[email protected]> with
the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" as the subject of the message.
You can ask for back issues of the Abkhazian Newsletter.
Your own contributions and/or comments are welcome!
--
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe
Submissions: [email protected]
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected]
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================