Dear
Friends,
This
statement RE: Chechnya was prepared by WILPF International.
It has been sent to the Russian Government,and copied to the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mr. Kofi Annan,UN secretary general,
the Security Council and the European governments.
WILPF
International
The
Women´s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), founded
in1915 in protest of the killing and destruction caused by the war raging
in Europe, remains the only international women's organization with the
sole aim of achieving world peace, freedom, economic and social justice,
respect for fundamental human rights, and disarmament. WILPF has sections
in more than forty countries representing all continents. For more than
84 years WILPF members have been working for the prevention of war, and
for the political solutions to all conflicts. WILPF has consultative status
with the United Nations and with several of its Specialized Agencies.
We
recall with deep sadness the devastating two-year war in Chechnya (1994-96),
when more than 100,000 Chechens and an unknown number of Russian soldiers
were killed, and the territory's infrastructure destroyed.
We
are horrified by the Russian government's new, all-out military actions
on the ground and from the air against the Chechen population, killing
innocent people, destroying homes and causing more than 200,000 refugees
as they flee from the bombardments.
The
war against the Chechen people, including the arbitrary arrests of Chechens
in Russia proper will not resolve the conflict and will only further destabilize
the entire Caucasus region.
We
are encouraged by the governments' agreement to allow an OSCE delegation
to visit the area and urge the Russian government to use the good offices
of the OSCE in helping to resolve the conflict.
We
therefore urgently appeal to the Russian Government to
- cease forthwith all military actions in Chechnya and enter into meaningful
talks with representatives of the Chechen people, including women, to
seek a political solution to the conflict, if necessary involving the
OSCE as a mediator in resolving differences;
-
to provide urgent assistance to the refugees;
-
to urgently begin the process of reconstruction and stabilization of peace
based on respect for human rights and justice.
Sincerely,
Bruna
Nota
WILPF
International President
