The Chairman of the youth public organization "United Alania" Mikhail Kochiev spoke in an interview with the IA "Res" about the ongoing negative statements of the Georgian authorities against South Ossetia, as well as the methods of work of the International Criminal Court.
- On March 24, the public organizations of South Ossetia "Adaemy Nyfs" and "United Alania" made a joint statement, which referred to the attempts of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) to carry out an unofficial collection of biased information on the tragic events of August 2008 on the territory of the Republic. What is the further fate of this document? Do you hope for some kind of reaction from international organizations?
- Unfortunately, at present the possibilities of public patriotically oriented organizations in South Ossetia are severely limited. However, we intend, at least, to draw the attention of our authorities and citizens to the existing problem. To declare to the international community, on behalf of the South Ossetian public, on the inadmissibility of falsifying facts and rewriting the reasons and course of hostilities in August 2008. To clearly state our position that 080808 is not an accident, but the third genocide of South Ossetians in the last hundred years by the nationalist authorities of modern Georgia.
Following the publication of our statement, we emailed it to the International Criminal Court, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN). We are not under any illusion. It is clear that in the context of the global crisis of the entire system of international relations, the capabilities of these structures are severely limited. However, people in trouble are left to themselves
If, in response to the prejudiced and biased position of such structures as the ICC, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the OSCE / ODIHR, the US State Department, we remain silent and pretend that nothing is happening, then we will slowly be forced to believe that we are the aggressor that we attacked ourselves, that the recognition of the RSO by Russia is illegal, that the Georgian-Ossetian conflict continues and NATO peacekeepers must be brought in here.
- The foreign policy of the state is the prerogative of President and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RSO. there is also the Office of the Commissioner for Post-Conflict Settlement, which deals with the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia. Do your organizations interact in any way with these structures?
- We in no way claim to be a subject of the foreign policy activity of our state. As you rightly pointed out, this is the exclusive prerogative of the President and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this situation, we simply express our opinion, react to external stimuli that hit our most sore spots hard.
As for our position, it is extremely simple and should be well understood by international organizations. It can be very briefly expressed in three words “Ossetian Lives Matter” - “Ossetian lives are important”!
Moreover, twice and three times Ossetian lives should be important for countries and international organizations, that do not recognize the sovereignty and independence of our state, but at the same time oppose any forms of oppression and in support of the value of the life of every person on earth.
Otherwise, it turns out some kind of triple discrimination based on ethnicity - we do not recognize your state, because we do not want to, we do not recognize your rights either, because we do not want to, plus you yourselves are to blame for everything!
If it is so, then what are the claims to the same Russia, which defended our rights, saved our lives, and recognized the statehood!? Again, double standards and the search for a black cat in a dark room?
As for interaction with the foreign policy bloc of our state, the ball is on its side. If our capabilities are of any interest, then we are ready to implement them within the framework of the state policy or the foreign policy vision of the leadership of South Ossetia.
- Do you think there will be any reaction to your statements from the ICC, OSCE and UN?
- I would like to hope that it will be. In principle, both before 2008 and after there were examples of constructive interaction between our public organizations, at least with various structures of the OSCE and the EU. In narrow circles, are widely known individual OSCE staff members and even the European diplomats, who had the courage to admit the correctness of our position. Openly declare that, yes, “Ossetian Lives Matter”!
After all, politics is politics, but facts are stubborn things. You can talk about "occupation" as much as you like, but on August 8, 2008, it was Georgia of 3 million, using Grad multiple launch rocket systems and cluster bombs against South Ossetia, 30 thousand, and shooting civilians from tanks destroyed 1% of our population. The suppression of these and other facts, as well as the direct justification of these steps, create the basis for a relapse. That is why we cannot keep silent!
