STATEMENT OF THE PARLIAMENT
OF
The recent tragedy
in Gali District one again demonstrated that the
Abkhaz separatists still resort the genocide and ethnic cleansing on the
territory occupied by them. This policy,
i.e. the crime against mankind, is aimed at forcible changing of historically
established demographic reality, expelling of Georgians from the centuries-old
integral part of Georgia Abkhazia, involving of Georgians in a wide-scale
war, destructing of
Its
widely known and confirmed by the International Organizations, that since 1994
cease-fire and detaching the CIS peace-keeping forces in Abkhazia, the Abkhaz
separatists resorted the series of punitive measures
in Gali District against the local Georgian
population. More than 1500 people have
become the victims of atrocities, more than 1000
houses have been given to arson. The
population had to create the armed groups in order to protect their dignity,
life and property from the gangs of separatists. The group of combatants established in Gali District was the respond to the permanent aggression
of separatists.
Since
May 20 of the current year about 400 armed separatists have been attacking the Gali District for another punitive
purposes but they found strong resistance of defensive groups. The peaceful population,
exasperated with established situation, stand against another attempt of
ethnic cleansing and had to protect themselves with guns. The local residents were backed by guerrilla
groups, composed of people driven out from different parts of Abkhazia.
The
armed clash resulted in casualties from both sides. Embittered by the resistance, the separatists
detached to Gali District additional armed group
composed of 1000 people, as well as heavy weapon and artillery.
The
Russian Peace-keeping forces, present in the region under the auspices of the
CIS, did nothing to put an end to the military confrontation, moreover, in some
cases they were helping separatists to conduct punitive operation against
peaceful dwellers.
The
conduct of peace-keepers during the 20-26 May events in Gali
District, was a gross violation of bilateral and
multilateral agreements, total ignorance of Decisions by the Council of CIS
Heads of States and of the UN Security Council.
The
Parliament of Georgia declares, that together with separatist leaders, also the
CIS Peacekeeping Forces, which facilitated massacre of peaceful residents and
annihilation of villages, shall be responsible for the tragedy in Gali District. The
Parliament of Georgia pins its hopes on the International organizations that
they will give appropriate assessment to this fact, as violation of
peacekeeping mission is the subject of worldwide concern.
The parliament
of
The
Parliament of Georgia puts a special emphasis on selflessness of detachment,
composed of dwellers of Gali District and other parts
of Abkhazia, whose heroic effort made possible survive
thousands of people. The resistance of
combatants of defensive detachments prevented from large-scale victims and
destructions.
The
Parliament of Georgia expresses to the families its deepest sympathy at the
tragic loss and reveres the memory of fallen peaceful citizens.
The
Parliament of Georgia calls for all International Organizations to assist the
population, expelled from Gali District women,
children and elders, who once again lost their dwellings.
27 May, 1998,
(Bulletin of the Parliament of Georgia, Tbilisi,
1997, # # 23-24, 30 June 1998, p. 4)