March 09, 2005
A Present For International Womans Day
Eastern Europe Contributing Editor Rimvydas Kriukelis has passed on his latest impressions on how the internet is being used by Chechen officials:
About one month ago the Chechen moderate opposition leader Aslan Maskhadov, who was elected President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in 1997, introduced an order on the ceasefire suspending all offensive military operations against Russian targets, invited Russia to open the peace talks, and asked for the international community support for that process (more: Prague Watchdog, Chechen Republic Of Ichkeria Ministry Of Foreign Affairs).
Putin’s administration did not make official reply to Maskhadov’s offer. Moreover, yesterday, 8th of March, A. Maskhadov has been killed by elite units of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) during the operation in Tolstoi-Yurt, north of Grozny (more: RIA Novosti).
Various points of view immediately were reflected in different Internet sites after that fact was firstly announced by Russian officials. Most of the websites present information in two of three foreign languages.
Vice-Premier of pro-Russian Chechen Government Ramzan Kadyrov cynically commented the death of A. Maschadov as a “present” for the International Woman’s Day which in the post-Soviet countries usually is celebrated giving flowers to women.
”By killing Maskhadov, the Kremlin has killed the last illusion in those Chechens who no matter what still believed in the so-called “international law” and civilized forms of communication with today’s regime in Moscow”, said Movladi Udugov, Chief of External Subcommittee of Informational Council of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (more: Kavkaz Center).
It seems that the Internet is becoming more and more used not only by official Russian “propaganda”, but also by other confronting sides. The use of Internet is making more complicated for officials to block a spread of unwished information, and it is not efficient anymore only to present the “dry” facts.
Many of Internet links representing different opinions about recent events in Chechen Republic of Ichkeria can be found in the website Human Rights Violations in Chechnya which provides information, news and updates on the human rights violations in Chechnya.
Posted by Buzz Webster at March 9, 2005 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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