16 April 2003
U.S. Joins Call for End of Human Rights Violations in Chechnya
(Amb. Southwick explanation of vote at U.N. Commission on Human
Rights) (530)
The United States said it would vote in favor of a U.N. Commission on
Human Rights draft resolution that calls on Russia to stop and prevent
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in
Chechnya.
Ambassador Michael Southwick, a member of the U.S. delegation to the
59th Session of the Commission on Human Rights meeting in Geneva, said
April 16 in an explanation of vote that the people of Chechnya have
been subjected to "unendurable suffering" as a consequence of war. He
added that the United States also wished to highlight that portion of
the resolution that "strongly condemns" terrorist acts carried out by
Chechen groups.
Following is the text of Southwick's statement:
(begin text)
Explanation of Vote
Item 9: L.13/Rev. 1 Situation of Human Rights in the Republic of
Chechnya
The United States will vote in favor of this resolution because of our
deep concern over continuing human rights violations by Russian armed
forces and security services in Chechnya. The resolution lays out
violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law
observed in Chechnya. They are very serious and must be addressed by
the government of Russia if we are ever going to see a political
resolution of this long and painful conflict. The people of Chechnya
have been subjected to unendurable suffering as a consequence of this
war.
However we wish to highlight other aspects of the resolution. It
strongly condemns terrorist acts and assassinations of local officials
in Chechnya, as well as the hostage taking in a Moscow theater and the
suicide truck bombing of Grozny's main government building last year.
These acts were carried out by certain Chechen groups fighting for the
separation of the Republic of Chechnya from the Russian Federation.
The United States government has designated three Chechen combatant
organizations as terrorist organizations, and the UN 1267 Committee
has designated them as terrorist groups for their ties to the Taliban
and al-Qa'ida. My government has also called on the Chechen
authorities and insurgents to renounce terrorist acts. We have also
demanded that the leadership of the Chechen separatist movement
repudiate, in word and in deed, all ties to Chechen and international
terrorists. But as far as we are able determine, the Chechen
separatist leadership has not done so.
Finally, my government wishes to emphasize its hope that -- as the
resolution also states -- the March 23 constitutional referendum in
Chechnya will enable a political process to take hold that produces a
lasting reconciliation in the area. My government finds encouragement
in several promises made publicly by senior Russian government
officials to alleviate the situation in Chechnya, including the
promise of an amnesty, enforcement of observance of human rights,
reduction in number of checkpoints, an agreement delimiting
competencies between local authorities and Moscow, an increased flow
of reconstruction funds into Chechnya, compensation for destruction of
dwellings, and efforts to facilitate the voluntary return of
Internally Displaced Persons to Chechnya. We hope this political
process will bring an end to the violation of human rights in that
troubled region of the Russian Federation.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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