Chechnya: a town disappears

While the Russian army has bombarded most of Chechnya into submission, is some cases by depopulating entire towns, the war is far from over, as CHRIS HUNTER reports.

<*> The Chechen town of Samashki, which previously had a population of 65,000 people, has been completely destroyed by troops of the Russian United Forces, according to reports from inhabitants who managed to flee to neighbouring Sernovodsk. They report that hundreds of women and children were killed by Russian troops. The attacks began the night of 7-8 April. The town is near the border with Ingushtia.

Refugees report having seen women, children and old people being run over by tanks and others shot. Many village inhabitants hid in the cellars of their houses. Russian soldiers, after destroying houses, reportedly bombed the cellars too, killing those inside.

On 26 March, inhabitants of the village had given a warm welcome to participants of the Mother's March for Life and Compassion. Local women greeted their guests with bread and salt. A meeting was organised in the village centre where elders and a Chechen commander pledged support for the march.

On 7 April Russian television reported that a group of Chechen elders from Samashki had been shot down by Chechen fighters loyal to General Dudayev. Observers from the Russian Presidential Human Rights Commission headed by Sergei Kovalyov saw the incident happen and said that in fact Russian Interior Ministry troops opened fire on the elders.

The elders from Samashki had walked to the Russian military check point to ask the Russian forces not to destroy their town. Russian troops shot the elders when they were walking back to the village, then blamed it on Chechen rebel fighters.

Very little objective information is now getting through to the Russian public, in contrast to the beginning of the war. Many people believe the official reports and therefore support the destruction of Samashki, believing that Chechen fighters who shot their own elders are now being punished. The Russian public is not aware of reports that hundreds, possibly thousands, of peaceful inhabitants of the village have been killed. The Federal Government today reported "a few civilian casualties" in Samashki. Reports in the Russian media in the last few days have claimed that the war in Chechnya is now completely over.

"And people still talk about democracy in Russia" said Ussman, a Chechen and assistant to a deputy of the Russia's Choice faction in the State Duma. "Who does?" I asked, surprised. "The Americans, and other foreigners" he replied.

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Presidents Bill Clinton and Francois Mitterand, prime minister John Major, and chancellor Helmut Kohl are planning to visit Moscow on 9 May, when military parades marking 50 years since victory over the Nazis will take place. The Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, Omega, and members of the Quakers and Nipponzan Myohoji have appealed to the leaders not to come, as their presence will be an endorsement of the actions of the Russian army in Chechnya. Send letters of protest to these leaders or to the US, French, UK, and German embassies in your country.