Elisabeth Shaver
September 2 2009
1:45 pm
There has been a long history of war and bloodshed between Russia and Chechnya. The first Chechnyan war took place in 1994 when Chechnya tried to secede from the Russian Federation. The second war took place in 1999 when Chechen militants launched an attack against Russian villages, killing civilians. Five years ago Chechen militant took a school in Beslan hostage. Three days and 334 hostage deaths later, Russian troops regained the building. This author of this article writes that even five years later, the unrest and tension between the Chechens and Russia are still great, and he fears that it is a matter of time before there is bloodshed once again. This conflict is much more than two people groups not getting along; it is one people group wanting to be free from a government that has controlled them since the 19th century. The people of Chechyna want their own government once again. Russia does not want to let Chechnya secede because vital oil and gas lines, as well as routes to the Black and Caspian Seas run through Chechnya. The history of war between these two groups has me wondering what validates a larger country controlling a smaller one. Though Chechyna is a vital part of the Russian Federation because of the resources it brings, does it not also have the right to become it’s own country, especially if the people of that country want independence? I also wonder why the Chechen militants want independence so badly. Is the rule of Russia so bad or are their motives to be free based on their ethnocentrism? It seems that both sides see the other as “less than”. Russia has kept control over Checyna because of their resources; what the people actually desire is not taken into consideration. Chechen militants in their fight for independence have killed Russian civilians, making Russian life less valuable than their desire to be their own people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8229443.stm
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