1.
Why UN doesn’t supervise the problem of hostage taking in Georgia
Why
UN doesn’t supervise the problem of hostage taking in Georgia
According
to statistics in 1968-82 about 1000 people were taken hostage in 73
countries of the world. And since the end of 90s in the whole world
20000-30000 people have been taken hostages yearly. In countries like
Russia, Fillipines, Brazil, Columbia and Mexico kidnapping is considered
a profitable business. In those countries in the territories not supervised
by the government, about 200-300 people are kidnapped every year.
It’s interesting what the situation in Georgia is. There are
two conflicting zones promoting favourable conditions for the kidnappers.
As well the bands from central streets of crowded places kidnap people.
What’s the main reason for kidnapping people in Georgia and
whether or not there is a way out? An expert on the issues of kidnapping
Rimma Geleneva talks to us about this and other interesting issues.
-
According to you, what’s the main cause of kidnapping of people
in Georgia?
- One of the reasons for kidnapping in Georgia is the existing extreme
economic situation, unemployment, ineffective work of law enforcement
structures and so on. Unfortunately, like in many other countries,
in Georgia kidnapping is one of the widespread means of solving economic
conflicts, illegal enrichment and illegal political and social benefit
during the last 10 years. This problem is still unresolved.
The factor which promotes the rise of kidnapping is the existence
of such territories inside the country where the control of official
government does not reach. The criminal bands hide in these territories,
which in most cases together with the representatives of law enforcement
bodies of not recognized republics plan and realize kidnapping for
extorting money. In spite of the fact that the hostilities are ceased
and peacemaking forces and the observing mission of UN have been brought
into the conflicting zone the violation of rights of civilians does
not end up to now. Almost every day we have facts of violence, robbery,
exploitation, hostage taking, disappearance and detention. And on
those problems within the project “Yellow Tulips” supported
by HCA GNC a report had been made up. If during the past years the
kidnapping was mainly due to political reasons, then now it is different
and became one of the profits of the criminal. Since 2004, more than
50 people have been kidnapped in Abkhazia. It is not a full statistics
as far as in most cases the victims do not inform about the happening
and they try themselves to get out their relative or family member
from the kidnappers. It is a difficult situation in South Ossetia
where the civilians live in permanent horror. In connection with the
escalation of the conflict of 2004 in Ossetia, according to non-official
data, about 80 people from the Georgian side and about 40 people from
the Ossetian side have been kidnapped. In general 200 people in the
zones of military conflicts of Georgia and bordering territories have
been taken hostage.
- You have mentioned the peacemaking forces of Russia and observing
mission of UN. What actions are done by them to exterminate the problem?
- The peacemaking forces of CIS and the observers of UN mission factually
cannot have control over the situation. Moreover, in most cases the
peacemakers promote the formation of illegal armed groups and kidnapping
of people. They either cannot or do not use their potential opportunities
to defend the population. What concerns the UN mission, they have
transferred a safety issue of the population on the second plan and
they have concentrated their resources on search of forms of legal
coexistence of the resisting parties. I think, the definition of the
status of Abkhazia must take place parallel to the work out and realization
of mechanisms of population security. By the way, the UN observers
became victims of kidnapping though the solution of the problem remains
less important.
- How actively the government and international and local NGOs of
Georgia work on these issues?
- Relevant state structures and NGOs not so actively react on the
facts of human kidnapping. The debates on these problems are not followed
by practical actions. Reduction of cases of kidnap is possible in
the event that the governmental structures, a civil society will cooperate
for eradication of the reasons promoting occurrence of the given problem.
Correspondent
of the newspaper “Kviris Panorama” Besik Djakhaya
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