29 Sept 2000
Dear friend of peace,
This letter is to invite you to attend an important meeting on the subject of Chechnya, to be held in Paris on 15-16 October, 2000, following the International Peace Bureau's Triennial Conference.
A background paper is enclosed.
Venue :
The meeting will be held at Les Alternatives, 40 rue de Malte, 75011 Paris (nearest metro: R
Schedule :
Sunday Oct 15 : 15h30 - 18h30. General discussion of the situation and introduction of the main agenda item.
Followed by an informal dinner for those wish in a nearby restaurant*.
Monday Oct 16 : 09h00 - 12h00, Discussion of the main agenda point.
Followed by an informal lunch for those who wish in a nearby restaurant*.
*at your own expense.
Please confirm as soon as possible your availability to attend. Replies please to IPB office. If you cannot come, we would of course welcome your comments and suggestions on the proposal in advance.
We look forward to meeting you in Paris.
Yours sincerely
Akhiad Idigov, Chair, Foreign Relations Committee of the Chechen Parliament
Colin Archer. Secretary-General, International Peace Bureau, 41 rue de Z
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND PAPER FOR A MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF PEACE IN CHECHNYA AND OF AKHIAD IDIGOV
PARIS, OCTOBER 15-16, 2000
One can assess the current Chechen situation by taking into consideration two major observations :
1/ One, related to the situation de facto including concrete facts and their secondary effects.
Concrete facts, such as : the continuing war with its trail of violence and calamities, the permanent bombing of the population and the destruction of infrastructures forcing thousands of people to wander in the country and/or to swell the various refugee camps inside and outside the country , the persistence of filtration camps, the total absence of the international humanitarian assistance (refugees, human rights, relief supplies, tracing of disappeared, both Chechen as well as Russian youth), etc.
Concrete facts accompanied by series of secondary effects such as the silence of those countries of the West which are in position to impose a fair and honourable peace but do not, the loss of credit and interest in the Chechen cause because of the attitude of some of some of its leaders, the danger of seeing the Russian federation sinking more and more into xenophobia (towards Caucasus and other minorities) and ultra-nationalism, which lead nowhere, etc.
2/ The other, related to the reality of the Chechen leaders. Most of them are extremist, manipulated and unable to organise and lead the country they want build.
The analysis of these observations leads us to two main points :
1/ No substantial humanitarian action is visible,
2/ The sole democratic Chechen leader, Akhiad Idigov, is helpless in relation to the actions of the extremists who may take over the leadership of a population already disappointed by the silence of the international community and harassed by permanent bombings and exhaustion.
The answers we can give to these points are obvious and need rapid implementation.
1/ The Humanitarian Institutions are mainly established in Geneva : High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR), Office for Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRCRC), etc. Any action towards them needs a follow up, this follow up can only be effectively operated from a Chechen Humanitarian Office established in Geneva.
2/ Akhiad Idigov had already shown he is a democratic leader by his action as Chairman of the Chechen Parliament : he participated actively to the drafting and the adoption of a democratic and tolerant constitution when the Sharia was proposed; he delivered peaceful and balanced statements to the Commission for Human rights. Penalised by the language barrier, the restriction of his movements, the lack of financial support and the absence of a permanent office from where he can work efficiently, the only person in a position to negotiate and to open a democratic path in Chechnya, seems to be abandoned and unproductive.
Some persons, sensitive to a fair peace in Chechnya, have decided to organise a meeting gathering the different support committees and friends of Akhiad Idigov to discuss, assess and decide how they can help and act to concretise these two answers.
The agenda and the goals will be focused on three items :
1/ The general situation (humanitarian, political, administrative, military, actions for stabilisation and reconstruction, contacts with the Russian government and parliament, etc) prevailing in Chechnya, around it and beyond, will be tackled, as well as other matters.
2/ The freedom of travel of Akhiad Idigov in Europe and North America, by the obtaining multiple entry visas (as far as he respects the regulations in force).
3/ To find the means for Akhiad Idigov to remain present, active and efficient on the Chechen and Russian scene through an Information Office to be opened in Geneva, in charge of the contacts and actions towards the European and international humanitarian institutions.
The meeting will aim to achieve a number of decisions such as the appointment of a co-ordinator (organisation or person) for the follow up, the designation of fund raising teams and/or groups, the appointment of a lobbying team or group to the immigration administrations, the establishment of a work schedule including deadlines for particular actions, etc.
The organisation of this meeting will be done on the fringe of the triennial meeting of the International Peace Bureau whose venue will be in Paris from Thursday 12 October to Sunday 15 October 2000. It will be held just after, Sunday 15 in the afternoon and Monday 16 morning.
The participating organisations and individuals to this meeting will be invited by Akhiad Idigov. Each committee will identify the number and the level of its representatives.
Each participant will be at the charge of his committee or organisation, or at his own charge.
This background paper received the full agreement of Akhiad Idigov for implementation. Answers and regrets are requested as early as possible. Thank you.
The organizers are very grateful to all of you for participating (even if not attending) in this step towards peace, democracy and the protection of civil populations.
