Open appeal of the all-Russian national committee For Termination of War and Establishing Peace in Chechen Republic to President of the Russian Federation V. Putin and President of Chechen Republic Ichkeriya A. Maskhadov
Mister President of the Russian Federation!
Mister President of the Chechen Republic Ichkeriya!
It is for one and a half that military actions are going in Chechnya. The war has turned on this stage into partisan one and for a year there is not any considerable change in the situation. Deal end clearly marked itself with no promise of success to both fighting sides, but every day die, become invalids, loose their dwelling dozens of people, and moral and material damage become incredible, hatred and auger overfill the hearts.
Neither of the war parties can reach the fulfillment of its military goals, there is no sign of social and political stabilization in Chechen Republic.
The military actions in Chechnya (whatever they are called officially) more and more become the war with Chechen nation itself.
It is already obvious that military – police settlement of the Chechen crisis doesn’t exist, but certain circles from both sides are clearly prepared to defer this war for many years and though may be not consciously support each other.
As outrageous punitive policy of the federal troops so avanturism, fanaticism create vicious circle of violence which brings death, destruction, incredible suffering to hundreds of thousands of people, and moral degradation – to millions. And as usual bandits, marauders and sadists from both sides are using the possibility to conceal their crimes with noble ideas.
The enormous harm from this dirty criminal war is to be expiated for decades, though tens of thousands of perished will never be brought back. This is the second military conflict between the federal troops and Chechen forces in the last 7 years. It is necessary to break vicious circle of violence. To show the state wisdom and political perspicacity.
All the global experience tells us that such conflicts are to be solved only through the peace talks. It is necessary to proceed to the peaceful political settlement, to start official talks about termination of the military actions and normalizing of the situation in Chechnya.
We appeal to the President of the Russian Federation!
Mister Putin, in the nave of the high interests of our country, in the name of saving lives of dozens of thousands of people – make the courageous step-begin peace talks with President of the Chechen Republic A. Maschadov. He is the only legitimate political leader of the Chechen forces. Therefore it is expressly he who must be the partner of the federal side in the talks about peace settlement . And only his admittance will make illegal those forces in Chechnya, which will reject to accept the peace process.
Peace talks must consider the mechanism of ceasing fire and solving humanitarian problems.
Fundamental disagreements including procedure of defining the status of Chechnya could be solved only through the following talk’s process with participant of the representatives of all the social-political spectrum of the Chechnya without preconditions.
From our point of view, political future of the Chechen Republic has right to define only its own people.
The best and most democratic way for that referendum under international control.
All population of Chechen - independently from their ethnical origin , and necessarily including those who have left Republic since 1991-should take part in the referendum.
We are certain that in the process of peace settlement defimitely should be involved international observers.
This is not diminishing of the prestige of the Russian state but the real way to increase the chances of political settlement of this utter complicated conflict.
Mister President of Russia! Today so much depends on you, as a matter of fact the destiny of our country for many years to come. Make the first step towards peace - announce ceasing of fire and beginning of talks with President Maschadov.
We appeal to the President of the Chechen Republic Ichkerya!
Mister Maschadov! You expressed repeatedly your readiness for peace talks without preconditions with the federal leadership.
Deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergey Kovalev, Boris Nadezhdin, Yury Rybakov, Sergey Jushenkov;
Well-known writers Victor Astafiev, Andrey Bitov, Arkady Vaksberg, Victor Erofeev, Felix Svedov, Alexander Tkachenko; the member of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation, the ambassador of the Russian Federation Yury Ryzhov; professor of philosophy Lev Gudkov; professor of history Igor Yakovenko; human rights activists: Elena Bonner, the head of the Sakharov’s Foundation; Ruslan Badalov, the head of the Chechen National Committee for Salvation; Oleg Orlov, Chief of the Board of the Human Rights Centre “Memorial”; Lev. Ponomarev, Executive Director of the All-Russian Movement “For Human Rights”; Yury Samodurov, Director of the Public Centre and Museum named after Andrey Sakharov; Vyacheslav Pajdoverov, the Deputy of the State Assembly of the Republic of Mariy El and the Director of the Human Rights Centre of the Mariy El Republic, Zulejkhan Bagalova people’s artist of Chechn – Ingushetia, director of Center of the study and popularization of Chechen Culture, Lecha Ilyasov, the candidate of philological, the member of ‘LAM’ .