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Children Main Victims of Russian Landmines in Chechnya
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A Chechen refugee child |
MOSCOW,
June 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Up to 5,000 Chechen
children were injured by anti-personnel mines in Chechnya since Russia
launched its full scale war there nearly three years ago, the senior
UN envoy for children said Monday.
Olara
Otunnu, the UN Secretary General's special envoy for Children and
Armed Conflict, said: "In the course of the conflict... between
7,000 and 10,000 people have become victims of landmine detonations,
children accounting for more than half of them," reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
UN
agencies are to assign 35 million dollars to war victims in Chechnya
this year, he said.
Russian
authorities, however, "bear the main responsibility for the
rehabilitation of children hurt in armed conflicts, while the
international community can only supplement efforts of the Russian
administration," he added.
Otunnu
said that more than 150,000 people, 60 percent of them women and
children, were displaced as a result of the fighting in Chechnya.
According
to statistics released by Russia last July, around 400 school-aged
children were killed since October 1999, when Russia launched an
incursion to crush independence claiming rebels in the North Caucasus
Muslim republic.
More
than 1,000 children were injured and 2,000 orphaned since the outbreak
of conflict, and 6,000 children and adolescents have become homeless,
the statistics said.
Otunni
said he would tour Chechnya next week to meet with some of the
thousands of young people displaced by the conflict there.
He
said he planned to spend three days in Chechnya and the neighboring
republic of Ingushetia where many Chechens found refuge.
The
use of landmines in the Chechen conflict would be a priority issue, he
said, stressing that he would "explore all possibilities to
ensure maximum possible protection" to children and mothers.
He
is to go on to the Georgian breakaway region of Ossetia, which borders
Chechnya, before returning to Moscow to hold talks with officials
there.
Human
rights groups repeatedly criticized Moscow for failing to investigate
its dismal record in Chechnya.
Meanwhile,
UN Russia envoy Frederick Layons said the United Nations plans to
increase humanitarian aid to Chechnya by 35 million dollars (37
million euros), adding to the 200 million dollars it has doled out
since the beginning of the conflict.
Chechnya
declared independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But, in a move that looked as though Russia wished to show the world
it could also do what the United States did to Iraq, it attacked
Chechnya. The 1994-96 war left 80,000 casualties. The Russian assault
devastated the capital Grozny and other parts of Chechnya. However,
the Chechens defeated Russia revealing how poor Russian military
capabilities were.
Earlier
in 1999, the Islamic uprising in the neighboring Dagestan region of
Russia resulted in accusations by Moscow that Chechen government
forces supported a Dagestan rebellion. While this was denied, Chechen
fighters (who are not controlled by the central government) did
support the Islamic uprising in Dagestan. This incursion led to a
conflict with Russian forces that defeated the Chechens.
Following
the Chechen defeat in Dagestan, Moscow suffered bomb blasts believed
to be by various independence activists (although never proven). This
has also led to a rise in Russia of racist sentiments against people
mainly from the Caucasus regions.
Russia
is now engaged in a full-scale war with Chechnya. There have been many
reports of bombing raids by Russian forces and over 200,000 people are
said to have fled from Chechnya. Grozny and other parts of Chechnya
are being pounded and destroyed.
Once
more, the civilian population is caught in the middle. Civilian
casualties have been high and there has been an international outcry
at the brutal Russian crackdown and indiscriminate bombing and
targeting of civilians.
Human
Rights groups are concerned by Russian forces’ rampage, since
issuing an ultimatum for citizens in Grozny to evacuate. The Russian
troops have been looting and burning homes and buildings, even
executing those who resist.
On
April 20, 2000, Chechen President Ashlan Mashkadov made a ceasefire
offer. However, Russian demands have been stern, which triggered more
suicide attacks and increased warfare by the Chechen combatants,
indicating that the conflict is far from over.
As
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in April 2001, “the U.N.
Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution on Chechnya that
condemned serious human rights violations by Russian forces, and
raised concern about forced disappearances, torture, and summary
executions.
“Sponsored
by the E.U., and with strong U.S. backing, the resolution called for
U.N. special reporters to investigate these abuses in the war-torn
republic and for credible criminal investigations by domestic agencies
into all human rights and humanitarian law violations.
Russia
rejected a similar resolution adopted by the commission, and refused
to comply with its requirements. It has vowed to do the same this
year."
In
May 2001, HRW also reported that Russian authorities covered
evidence of extra-judicial executions.
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