http://www.news.com.au/ Chechen refugees plead for help From YURI BAGROV of AP 11nov99 SLEPTSOVSKAYA, Russia: Angry, frightened Chechen refugees pleaded for help today as international officials toured a tent city where thousands of people huddled in freezing cold and snow. "They are killing us both morally and physically," one woman shouted as the delegation from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe got a firsthand look at their situation. The OSCE officials said conditions in the Russian region of Ingushetia were grim. Up to 200,000 people have fled the fighting in neighbouring Chechnya since September, many of them now living in tents in Ingushetia. The plight of the refugees, who were already short of food and adequate shelter, deteriorated further with the onset of snow and freezing nights. International aid groups are providing very little help. "We can't pretend to know every detail, but what we have seen during our brief visit is a significant humanitarian problem," said delegation leader Kim Traavik, a Norwegian diplomat. He said Chechnya could no longer be considered only an internal Russian problem. The delegation, which will try to assess what can be done to help the refugees, was frequently surrounded by anxious, sometimes angry people. Many refugees urged journalists to turn their way. "Film us. Look at our torn shoes. We have nothing," one woman shouted. "I can tell you you're not forgotten," Traavik told the crowd. Russian forces, meanwhile, continued to bomb Chechnya, with jets attacking rebel positions in the southern mountains and around some towns. The military said its jets flew more than 60 sorties today, according to the ITAR-Tass News Agency, and an Associated Press reporter in Chechnya heard heavy bombing. The Russian military claimed to have destroyed eight rebel strongholds, a telephone exchange, a command post and seven vehicles, as well as mining almost 20km of roads. There was no way to confirm the claims, which are often thought to be exaggerated. As the fighting raged, Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov issued a plea to the international community to intervene to stop the war, saying the Chechen people were facing destruction. "As president of Chechnya, responsible before Allah and the people, I appeal to the world community ... to combine efforts in preventing the elimination of Chechnya's people," he said. But Russian leaders have rejected talks, saying they must first wipe out Chechen militants blamed for several attacks on Russia in recent months. The Russian military says it is hitting only military targets, but hundreds of civilians have been killed and wounded. Maskhadov claims that 4126 Chechens have been killed and more than 8500 wounded. The OSCE delegation acknowledged that it could offer little in the way of political help. "Russia considers this to be an internal affair. In these circumstances, we can't play a political role ... We are focusing on humanitarian issues," Traavik said. Russian officials tried to spruce up the refugee camp before the delegation arrived. Firewood appeared along with a diesel generator to provide power, and the camp was cleaned the night before. Refugees complained they had not received hot food on Tuesday and many said there was no fuel for the ovens in their tents. Local officials have tried to help, but Ingushetia is very poor. The federal government says it can provide for the refugees and has not appealed for international assistance. The Foreign Ministry warned the United Nations against treating the plight of the refugees as a political issue. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees had earlier expressed concern over "the mounting toll of Russia's military actions on Chechnya's civilian population". ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
