Kommersant, Russia
Aug 6 2012
Aleksandr Tkachev Points Caucasians in the Direction of the Caucasus.
Governor’s Legislative Initiative Could Lead to Inter-ethnic Clashes
by Musa Muradov and (in Krasnodar) Anna Petrova
The furore provoked by Krasnodar Kray head Aleksandr Tkachev’s
statement of his intention to force natives of the Caucasus out of the
kray through the efforts of Cossack militias is gathering steam. The
militias will begin to operate from 1 September this year, and 650
million roubles will be allocated from the kray budget for their
upkeep. Representatives of Caucasus diasporas believe that Mr
Tkachev’s initiative could lead to inter-ethnic clashes, and are
calling on the federal authorities to fire the “overreaching”
functionary. Lawyers note that the initiative contravenes the
Constitution, while the Russian Federation Public Chamber intends to
appeal to the General Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the
governor’s remarks on the grounds of inflaming inter-ethnic
dissension.
Mr Tkachev made the statement that caused the noisy furore in the
collegiate organ of the kray’s MVD [Ministry of Internal Affairs] Main
Directorate 3 August. Addressing police officers, the Krasnodar Kray
head complained that in neighbouring Stravropol Kray, in his opinion,
land is “very easily” occupied by other peoples, especially peoples of
Caucasus nationalities, and that already “the Russian part of the
population there feels uncomfortable.” “I thought and pondered that we
still had time,” the governor continued, “that there was a filter
between the Caucasus and the Kuban – Stravropol Kray – , but now I see
that there is no such filter. You and I are next.”
In the governor’s words, the possibilities of the police with regard
to scotching the activity of the “unwanted guests” are substantial;
however, “restrictions also exist – democracy and the heightened
attitude to human rights, civil society.” The solution, in the opinion
of the head of the region, could be the extensive engagement of
Cossack militias in the battle against illegal immigration. “When the
Cossacks are side by side with representatives of law and order, you
(the police officers – Kommersant) will feel more assured. What you
cannot do, a Cossack can. To a certain degree – on the everyday level,
the subconscious level, and the conceptual level,” he stated.
The kray administration informed Kommersant that the professional
Cossack structures to protect law and order will number up to 1,000
men; a militiaman’s pay will amount to around R25,000, and the duties
of Cossack patrols, which will serve alongside MVD officers, will
include checking documents and delivering detainees to the internal
affairs organs. Patrol service will be carried out without weapons.
For the maintenance of the Cossack militias, R650 million will be
allocated from the kray budget every year.
After the head of the kray’s speech his press service had to give
explanations on the subject of the governor’s words, which had
allegedly been distorted by a number of mass media outlets: According
to the administration’s version, the nationalities topic was touched
on in the Kuban governor’s speech solely as a recommendation to the
police to strengthen control over immigration processes. As for
Cossack militias, they are being created, according to a statement on
the administration’s official website, “to prevent inter-ethnic
conflicts and to maintain peace in the region.” The Cossack militias
will begin operating from 1 September this year.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Caucasus diasporas are convinced
that Mr Tkachev’s initiative could lead to inter-ethnic clashes, and
are calling on the federal authorities to fire the “overreaching”
functionary. “This is a provocative statement that encroaches upon the
interests of inhabitants of the Caucasus region, and really could lead
to inter-ethnic clashes,” Aliy Totorkulov, chairman of the presidium
of the Russian Congress of Caucasus Peoples (RKNK), told Kommersant
yesterday. In his words, Mr Tkachev’s initiative could, above all,
backfire against natives of Dagestan, Ingushetia, and
Karachayevo-Cherkessia who have come to build the Olympic facilities.
“He (Tkachev – Kommersant) evidently fears that some of these people
could remain in Krasnodar Kray,” Mr Totorkulov conjectured. In his
opinion, for such a provocative statement the governor “should at the
very least lose his post.” “I think that the prosecutor’s office
should also take an interest in Tkachev’s statement,” the RKNK’s
spokesman concluded.
“Mr Tkachev’s statement comes under the operation of Article 282 of
the Russian Federation Criminal Code (incitement of hatred or enmity
towards a group of persons on ethnic lines – Kommersant), and also
contravenes Article 19 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantees
equality of rights and freedoms, including freedom of movement and
choice of place of residence,” Musa Pliyev, an attorney with the
Moscow College of Advocates, told Kommersant.
Mr Tkachev had to explain himself too. “What, are you really accusing
me of nationalism? My first deputy is an Adyghe, I have an adviser who
is a Crimean Tatar, and my friends include Armenians and Greeks. I
have led for 12 years a region in which there are 120 nationalities,
and I understand better than many how brittle this peace is,” he
stated.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Russian Federation Public Chamber
have already stated their intention to appeal to the General
Prosecutor’s Office to investigate Governor Tkachev’s remark on the
grounds of inflaming inter-ethnic dissension. “We are appealing to the
General Prosecutor’s Office with the proposal that it should verify
the legality of the Kuban authorities’ decision. I will also raise
this question at the first fall session of the President’s Council for
Inter-ethnic Relations,” Public Chamber member Aleksandr Sokolov
stated yesterday, stressing that “the Public Chamber will adopt an
official statement on this in the near future.”
In the opinion of political scientist Aleksey Malashenko, the
Krasnodar Kray governor made the controversial statement out of
desperation. “After the flooding in Krymsk, Tkachev’s career was
hanging by a thread, and now he needs to somehow strengthen his
position; this is why he played the nationalities card,” Mr Malashenko
told Kommersant yesterday.
[translated from Russian]