Russia turns screw on Georgians

BBC ^ | 10-05-2006 | BBC

[sergey1973]

Russia has ordered a crackdown on Georgian-owned businesses and tighter visa measures as part of the nations' escalating diplomatic dispute.

[sergey1973]

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[Rb ver. 2.0]

What is Russia wanting?

[sergey1973]

I think it's now clearly inadequate reaction of Putin regime. This conflict should be settled now. Russian officers are returned back to Russia, but Putin regime needs this conflict to boil for some time. This is very irresponsible policy.

[Gay State Conservative]

What is Russia wanting?

I think the problem is that Putin,ever the KGB agent,is pi$$ed off because Georgia has expressed a desire to join NATO.

[bd476]

Russian Aggression Ping!

[bd476]

Sergey1973 wrote: "I think it's now clearly inadequate reaction of Putin regime. This conflict should be settled now. Russian officers are returned back to Russia, but Putin regime needs this conflict to boil for some time. This is very irresponsible policy."

Good points. I agree, Sergey.

[GarySpFc]

That is clearly part of the problem, and both parties are at fault. However the Georgian president stuck his thumb in Russia's eye by parading the arrested Russians on television and making a display. Georgian elections are today, and this was done to distract fron the problems the Rose Revolution has created. An American living in Georgia has wrote a very good article about their problems two months ago. See: Georgia at the Crossroads…Again, by Adam Wolf

A few of the paragraphs are shown below:

Well, over two years have gone by since what is now more and more often referred to as the “so called” Rose Revolution. Once again, Georgia finds itself at the crossroads. The levels of discontent within society are reaching alarming proportions; poverty and inflation are on the rise; the precipice between civil society and the authorities is growing; the state of human rights is deteriorating and the international community, at least the member states of the European Union are beginning to realize and to admit that the overall picture is not as “Rosy” as all had hoped.

Erroneous Assumptions and Unfortunate Distortions

At the time of the Rose Revolution most observers made what seemed to be a logical assumption. A government rooted in civil society would inevitably try to put into practice the values and standards that NGO activists and human rights defenders typically fight for. These include: respect for human rights, inclusiveness, empowerment, democracy, rule of law... This was a logical assumption to make but one, which quickly proved to be erroneous. As early on as one month after the parliamentary elections, which gave President Saakashvili’s National Movement overwhelming control of the legislature the government devised and implemented a series of constitutional amendments, which dramatically curtailed the powers and prerogatives of Parliament for the benefit of the Presidency. To give one example: Parliament’s control over government expenditure has been reduced to a dangerous minimum. If the legislature consistently refuses to approve the government’s budget the president has the right to dissolve it.

This and other far-reaching amendments were introduced and approved by the legislature quickly and behind closed doors in February of 2004. There were no public consultations, no discussions, and no room for alternative thinking or dissent. This was the first signal that the process might not be going in the right direction. Civil society’s reaction was muted at the time, for there was a shared feeling that the new government had to be given a chance. These constitutional amendments were nevertheless the first palpable example of the new “revolutionary logic”, which was quickly setting in. Things had to move quickly, and in order to be able to act the government was willing to cut corners - and to sacrifice certain basic democratic principles one of them being holding public consultations on such fundamental issues as the amending of the country’s constitution. The authorities felt they did not need to consult civil society for they had nothing to learn from it. They were civil society only in power. Moreover so much needed to be done, time was of the essence and a strong hand was required.

It quickly became obvious that the new regime was in such a hurry to perform or rather to project the image of successful performance that it lost its way. In this current situation of growing tensions both inside Georgia and between Georgia and Russia such a lack of focused direction might have far reaching consequences.

From the very beginning the fight against corruption was seen by the government as central to its mandate. In an effort to round up crooked oligarchs and corrupt officials, the authorities quickly sacrificed some of the values that are central to democratic societies such as the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial. After the “revolution” high profile suspects known to everyone and resented by large segments of Georgian society were rounded up in spectacular raids that were often televised. Typically the suspects were arrested and put into pre-trial detention. After having been beaten up and/or tortured they would be given the opportunity to bargain their way out of jail by “returning” to the State what they had acquired through illegal means.

It is a well known fact that the incidence of torture in Georgia has not decreased since the Rose Revolution. To the contrary, impunity among law enforcement officials is on the rise and numerous reports of international organisations and NGOs attest to this. This heavy handed approach was and continues to be popular with broad sections of the population. Life in Georgia is hard, and as a result there are many who are more than pleased to see the “bloodsuckers” get their just deserts. Such an approach of course does little to strengthen the rule of law in a country, which for over two hundred years has only known the dictatorship of tsar and proletariat.

The strengthening of the rule of law will only succeed if Georgian society makes a concerted effort to both depersonalize power and build effective state institutions. This is an enormous challenge for in Georgian tradition respect is owed not to institutions but to the strong leader who can put order into Georgia’s endemic chaos. This is a country where the memory of Stalin continues to be revered by many.

In Georgia there is much talk of democracy and institution building and the government is no doubt well intentioned. Nevertheless the fact remains that ministers, secretaries of state and senior officials are hired, fired or shuffled around at an alarming rate. All appointees are consistently under 35 years of age, and there seems to be a near conspiratorial effort to make sure that no one with any measure of institutional memory is kept in decision making positions. This ongoing revolutionary instability makes it impossible to coordinate the reform effort meaningfully or to give it a sense of shared direction. This also makes it hard for the international donor community to provide effective technical assistance to Georgia’s reform and institution building efforts. The apparent inability or unwillingness of the authorities to respect the separation of powers and competencies at all levels prevents this process of institution building from taking on any meaningful momentum.

Institutions Under Pressure

It is a well known fact that in Georgia today one of the central pillars of democracy i.e. the independent judiciary is being subjected to intolerable pressure by the authorities. So many judges have been done away with through threats and forced retirement that it is no longer realistic to speak of the citizen’s right to justice. The backlog of cases waiting to be heard is astronomical. All the indications are that the objective of this unfortunate process is to make way for young inexperienced and malleable judges who will be appointed to do the government’s bidding quickly.

The growing backlog of cases impacts directly on the nation’s penitentiaries, which are experiencing tremendous strain. As a rule all indicted persons are sent into pre-trial detention. This tendency prevalent throughout the CIS has recently been compounded by President Saakashvili’s latest declarations about there being zero tolerance for petty crime and his declared wish to see all criminals, irrespective of their crime, locked up in jail. Georgia’s penitentiary infrastructure is incapable of absorbing so many detainees. The result is that innumerable people who await their day in court are being held in cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions of detention. These conditions coupled with the impunity of senior penitentiary officials are what lead to the prison revolts of March 27th which brought death and injury to so many. The unwillingness of the authorities to launch a public and independent enquiry into these events in spite of domestic and international pressure illustrates the limits of this government’s transparency and the fragility of its democratic credentials.

The government’s pressure on the judiciary will undoubtedly discourage any meaningful foreign and domestic investment, which Georgia so desperately needs to get the economy on its feet. The issue of secure title to property will continue to be problematic until the Georgian authorities demonstrate convincingly that they take the independence of the judiciary seriously. Very little wealth is being generated in Georgia at this time as the export of scrap metal continues, after so many years, to be one of Georgia’s primary sources of income. Without a vibrant economy there will be no decrease in unemployment and poverty will continue to grow breeding instability and human insecurity.

Georgia continues to be a place where both personality and the influence of individuals take precedence over rules, regulations and institutions. It is of course no simple matter to undo centuries of corrupt authoritarianism imbedded in Georgia’s national psyche. There is no doubt that the task of striking the right balance between all these competing pressures in a period of transition is enormous. This having been said it is up to the political elite in power to show leadership in this regard. If the government does not give the example how can Georgians expect anything to change?

[bd476]

Tradition Smiles on Vladimir Putin

[Proud_USA_Republican]

USSR

[GarySpFc]

You appear to be horribly confused, because Stalin and Beria were GEORGIANS.

[LIConFem]

He doesn't look all that aggressive to me...

;o)

[RusIvan]

Russian officers are returned back to Russia, but Putin regime needs this conflict to boil for some time. This is very irresponsible policy.==

Georgia provoked Russia now reaps her fruits. Russia just wants to get her reciprocals and punish Georgia for the provocation.

I think it is all legitimate.

[RusIvan]

I think the problem is that Putin,ever the KGB agent,is pi$$ed off because Georgia has expressed a desire to join NATO.==

Not right. It is because Georgia took hostages from russian miliary personals. It is very hostile act which could bring the war.
Now Georgia returned officers so war is unlikely. But Georgia anyways will suffer economical sanctions for her hostage takings.
Accually I think Russia will find the way to take some georgian military in camps. It is reciprocals.

[RusIvan]

Russian Aggression Ping! ==

What "agrression"? Russia just expels gerogian businesses form HER sovereign territory. She has all rights to do such things. It was GEORGIA who started whole thing so Georgia is responsible for consequances.

[Freelance Warrior]

I think it's now clearly inadequate reaction of Putin regime. This conflict should be settled now. Russian officers are returned back to Russia, but Putin regime needs this conflict to boil for some time. This is very irresponsible policy.

1.The recent spy story is just a part of a larger-scale conflict, which began just after the USSR had collapsed.

2.Illegal aliens remain illegal aliens whether they're Georgian or not. A bad thing the Russian authorities started taking measures because of international policy issues and directed them at Georgians only. A good thing they've realised they have anything to do about ethnic crime and illegals.

3. Georgians are free to join the NATO if they wish, but they must understand that means breaking their relations with the country that NATO is against of, regarding:

- working in Russia,

- exporting their goods to Russia,

- receiving anything at subsidised prices from Russia.

4. Anybody knows that casinos in Russia are controlled by gangsters, some of Georgian origin, some of other origins.

5. "Putin's regime" is quite popular no matter you like it or not. His opponents' influence equals the one of the Communist Party of the USA at the time.

[sergey1973]

2.Illegal aliens remain illegal aliens whether they're Georgian or not. A bad thing the Russian authorities started taking measures because of international policy issues and directed them at Georgians only. A good thing they've realised they have anything to do about ethnic crime and illegals.

This is valid point. However, the negative measures are targeting legal residents of Russia too.

3. Georgians are free to join the NATO if they wish, but they must understand that means breaking their relations with the country that NATO is against of, regarding: - working in Russia, - exporting their goods to Russia, - receiving anything at subsidised prices from Russia.

So far I didn't hear that NATO is against Russia. It does not support Chechen Separatists Islamists. It took former Soviet Republics and Soviet Bloc Countries into its fold, but it was decision by these countries to join. Nobody forced them too. Russia is also free to join NATO by fulfilling certain conditions to entry.

[Freelance Warrior]

2.is is valid point. However, the negative measures are targeting legal residents of Russia too.

They'll be troubled of course, but nothing more. Many Geirgians have Russian citizenship now.

3.So far I didn't hear that NATO is against Russia. It does not support Chechen Separatists Islamists. It took former Soviet Republics and Soviet Bloc Countries into its fold, but it was decision by these countries to join. Nobody forced them too. Russia is also free to join NATO by fulfilling certain conditions to entry.

Russia is still aimed at with NATO nukes and would be dragged to a puppetlike state if it hadn't adequete counter-measures.

No place for Russia in NATO until Russia develops enough to match the average level of today's industrialised countries. Now Russia has contradicting interests, natural in its position.

[MarMema]

I think the problem is that Putin,ever the KGB agent,is pi$$ed off because Georgia has expressed a desire to join NATO.

And you would be esactly correct!

Russians have been very harsh on Georgia for the last six months, stopping sales of wine and mineral water from Georgia which are both YUMMY, btw, and very popular in Russia. Now they have to sell them on the blackmarket in Russia.

The Georgians arrested eleven Georgians and four Russians over the spy incident. They clearly believed it to be happening.

Yet Russia portrays it as all about them, and responds like a very punitive four year old to a developing nation.

A Georgian young man was murdered in Moscow last night.

[propertius]

The logic of the Muzhik, eh?