Georgia seeks UN protection order against Russia

Matt Brown- 9/11/08

On the night of September 8th, 2008 Georgia appealed to the highest court in the UN to stop alleged human rights violations by Russia. The EU also spoke of a boycott of Russian gas imports. Georgia reiterated the fact that Russia has taken over the separatist region of South Ossetia. The French President, the President of the European Commission, and the EU foreign policy chief flew to Moscow to put pressure on Russia to withdraw troops from Georgia in order to better cultivate peace. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has been under fire from American representatives because of his blatant disregard of Russia’s truce with Georgia. Georgia sees the left over Russian troops in South Ossetia as an occupying force. Georgia also claims that ethnic Georgians in breakaway regions have been “subjected to physical violence causing civilian deaths, terror and a mass exodus.” Georgia sent an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ states) that states, "The manifest objective of this discriminatory campaign is the mass-expulsion of the ethnic Georgian population from South Ossetia, Abkhazia and other neighboring areas of Georgia.” The ICJ has no ability to enforce its measures.

I am not sure who is to blame here for the violence. Neither Russia nor Georgia is fit to control these people. If Russia is starting some sort of ethnic cleansing then obviously both countries have implemented policies that are causing violent deaths. I still stick by my original statement that Russia should never have stuck its nose in Georgia’s business. This situation is not getting any better. In fact, it is deteriorating faster and faster. A lot of the things that are happening remind me of the beginnings of WWII and WWI. The main causes of both World Wars were miscommunication, economic hardship, and, once again, ethnic cleansing. This situation is getting worse, and though the phrase goes, “it gets worse before it gets better.” I do not think this situation will get better if we allow things to get worse.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24314546-2703,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Court_of_Justice