- A search for a political solution to the conflict.The withdrawal of military forces from populated areas of the Chechen Republic.Free and unfettered media access to the republicThe permanent presence of international monitors to ensure that human rights norms regarding the treatment of civilians are observed.Coordination of all actions by humanitarian organizations working in Chechnya and Ingushetia.Development of the most optimal and effective mechanism of distributing humanitarian aid.Immediate efforts to restore housing in Grozny and the supply of building materials to the residents of rural areas. Immediate financial help for civilians, including material compensation for home and property loss.Organization of aid to the civilians of the Chechen Republic, not only by humanitarian organizations but also by the governments of the international community.
APPEAL TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY FROM THE LAM CENTER FOR PLURALISM
APPEAL TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY FROM THE LAM CENTER FOR PLURALISM
GROZNY/NAZRAN, October 15, 2000 -The military action in the Chechen Republic has led not only to mass killings of innocent civilians, but also to the complete destruction of the agricultural and economic infrastructure and the overall material base for existence of the population.On the threshold of the second winter of the second war, many Chechen residents find themselves without homes, without proper clothing, and without any means of existence. They have been deprived both of life's basic necessities, and of all civil rights and freedoms. The Russian military authorities continue to bomb civilian villages and illegally and arbitrarily detention of innocent people. The so-called zachistki ["cleansing operations" ] of Chechen villages amount to nothing more than extortion and pillaging by the Russian forces.Every day, land mines claim the lives of more innocent civilians, including women and children.Those who have lived through both wars are experiencing a stark rise in many health problems resulting from physical and psychological crisis; there is a severe deterioration of the physical and mental health of the entire population.For displaced persons temporarily living in camps on the territory of Ingushetia, the situation has significantly worsened. Measures taken by the Russian Federation's temporary emergency administration and by various humanitarian organizations have proven insufficient and ineffective in relieving this suffering.If this situation is allowed to continue, there will be a humanitarian catastrophe in Ingushetia resembling that which exists in Chechnya.To prevent such a catastrophe, we believe that there must be: