DATE=12/28/94

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-19179

TITLE=WESTERN RESPONSE TO CHECHNYA

BYLINE= ED WARNER

DATELINE= WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: THE UNITED STATES AND THE WEST IN GENERAL HAVE NOT

CONDEMNED THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF CHECHNYA ON THE GROUNDS THAT

DESPITE THE RESORT TO FORCE, IT IS AN INTERNAL MATTER. VOA'S ED

WARNER REPORTS THAT CRITICS OF THIS POLICY, INCLUDING SOME IN

RUSSIA, SAY SUCH A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS ALWAYS AN

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN.

TEXT: U.S. OFFICIALS STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING RUSSIA

TOGETHER AGAINST THE THREAT OF SEPARATIST FORCES THAT MIGHT

ULTIMATELY MAKE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. FOR THAT REASON, THEY DO

NOT CONDEMN THE RUSSIAN SUPPRESSION OF THE BREAKAWAY REPUBLIC OF

CHECHNYA.

BUT A LEADING HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN MOSCOW, SERGEI KOVALYOV,

SAYS THE WEST SHOULD PRESSURE RUSSIA TO USE PEACEFUL METHODS TO

SOLVE THE PROBLEM. "MASSIVE AND GRAVE VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN

RIGHTS," HE SAYS, "CAN NEVER BE AN INTERNAL AFFAIR OF ANY COUNTRY

AT ALL."

YET IT IS AN INTERNAL MATTER, INSISTS DANIEL GOURE, DEPUTY

DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL-MILITARY STUDIES AT THE CENTER FOR

STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN WASHINGTON. PRESIDENT

YELTSIN HAS MADE A PROFOUND MISTAKE, HE ADDS, BUT IT IS HIS TO

RECTIFY. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH RUSSIA'S

ACTIONS ONLY OUTSIDE ITS BORDERS:

// GOURE ACTUALITY //

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE RUSSIA IS RUSSIA'S BUSINESS, AND WE

CAN'T CONTROL IT. WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE RUSSIA -- TO

INCLUDE THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS -- IS VERY MUCH OUR

BUSINESS BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR

NOT THE WORLD IS PEACEFUL IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS. OUR

ISSUE IS WITH RUSSIAN EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR -- WHETHER IT

THREATENS ITS NEIGHBORS, WHETHER IT SUPPORTS GUERRILLA

OPERATIONS OR COUPS AND REVOLUTIONS IN SOVEREIGN

COUNTRIES LIKE GEORGIA AND WHETHER IT PROVIDES AID AND

COMFORT AND FINANCING AND ARMAMENTS TO PEOPLE THAT WE

CAN NOT GET ALONG WITH, LIKE THE IRANIANS.

// END ACT //

THE TROUBLE IS, SAYS MR. GOURE, THE WEST HAS NOT PAID ENOUGH

ATTENTION TO RUSSIAN ACTIONS BEYOND ITS BORDERS:

// GOURE ACTUALITY //

WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN CHECHNYA, BY THE WAY, IS THE

PRODUCT OF WHAT HAS GONE ON IN GEORGIA, ARMENIA,

TAJIKISTAN AND ELSEWHERE. IT'S NOT "SUI GENERIS" (IN

ISOLATION). AND THEREFORE, IN A SENSE WE HAVE ALREADY

CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISTAKE IN CHECHNYA BY OUR SUPPORTIVE

POLICY FOR RUSSIAN -- THERE IS NO OTHER WORD FOR IT --

AGGRESSION TO ITS NEIGHBORS IN THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL

ASIA.

// END ACT //

SOME CRITICS WONDER WHY THE WEST REACTED SO STRONGLY TO THE

CHINESE CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTORS IN TIANANMEN SQUARE IN 1989 BUT

SO COOLY TO THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF CHECHNYA. MR. GOURE SAYS

THERE'S A CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LONGSTANDING ETHNIC

STRUGGLE IN THE CAUCASUS AND THE SUPPRESSION OF BUDDING DEMOCRACY

IN CHINA:

// GOURE ACTUALITY //

IT WAS ESSENTIALLY TRULY A WAR OF CHINESE ON CHINESE AND

THEREFORE MUCH MORE FRIGHTENING AND MUCH MORE

SIGNIFICANT IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH

BEIJING. CHECHNYA, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WILL NOT

DETERMINE THE COURSE OF RUSSIAN POLITICS. IT CERTAINLY

WON'T DETERMINE THE COURSE OF U.S. RUSSIAN RELATIONS.

TIANANMEN SQUARE WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN U-S - CHINESE RELATIONS AND REALLY SET THE

COURSE OF CHINESE MODERNIZATION BACK HALF A DECADE.

// END ACT //

PAUL GOBEL OF THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE SAYS

THE BLOODSHED IN TIANANMEN SQUARE HAD A GREATER IMPACT ON WORLD

OPINION:

// GOBEL ACTUALITY //

IT TOOK PLACE IN A CAPITAL CITY. IT TOOK PLACE WITH THE

WHOLE WORLD WATCHING ON C-N-N (TELEVISION). CHECHNYA IS

FAR AWAY. IT'S A PLACE MOST PEOPLE KNOW VERY LITTLE

ABOUT. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT INTELLECTUALS OR STUDENTS

OR EVEN NOTABLY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS. THESE PEOPLE ARE

NATIONALISTS. AND BEING NOT ONLY NATIONALISTS BUT

MUSLIMS, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME KIND OF SUPPORT

GROUPS IN THE WEST THAT EVEN CHINESE REFORMERS DID.

// END ACT //

// OPT // MR. GOURE SAYS THE CHECHENS' INVOLVEMENT IN ORGANIZED

CRIME MAKES THEM SEEM LESS SYMPATHETIC THAN THE CHINESE

REFORMERS. PAUL GOBEL THINKS THIS IS EXAGGERATED:

// OPT // // GOBEL ACTUALITY //

IF IN THE UNITED STATES WERE ANYONE TO SAY THAT ALL

ITALIANS WERE MAFIOSI JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SICILIANS

IN THE MAFIA, NO RESPECTABLE NEWSPAPER WOULD BE ABLE TO

PRINT THAT. THAT THERE ARE CHECHENS IN SOME OF THE

ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND

MORE GENERALLY IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. THAT ALL CHECHENS ARE

MAFIOSI, HOWEVER, IS A SLANDER AGAINST THE CHECHENS AND

JUST AS UNFAIR AS WOULD BE AN ASSERTION OF THE SAME KIND

ABOUT ITALIANS AND THE MAFIA IN THE UNITED STATES.

// END ACT // END OPT //

DAN GOURE AND PAUL GOBEL SAY THAT EVEN IF THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS

LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INVASION OF CHECHNYA, MANY RUSSIANS

ARE DEEPLY WORRIED ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THIS VIOLENCE ON THEIR

DEMOCRACY. (SIGNED)

NEB/EW/EJS

28-Dec-94 10:52 AM EST (1552 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America