[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5551-S5552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PLACING CHECHNYA ON THE AGENDA OF THE G-7 SUMMIT

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I rise today to once again draw 
attention to the continuing war in Chechnya and to urge the 
Administration to include Chechnya high on the agenda at next months G-
7 summit.
  Colleagues, last Wednesday I met with Mr. II-yas AK-ma-dov who was 
here to present a peace proposal on behalf of the Chechen people. This 
peace proposal calls for the immediate introduction of a formal cease-
fire, the formation of an international commission to investigate 
allegations of war crimes on both sides of the conflict, and the start 
of political negotiations through the mediation of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mr. Ak-ma-dov relayed to me his 
serious concern at the desperation of the people in Chechnya, and noted 
that many of the recent suicide attacks we have heard about are a 
direct result of that desperation.
  Mr. President, colleagues, we must seize every opportunity, including 
the upcoming G-7 summit, to continue to relay our serious concerns with 
the intransigence of the Russian Federation to acknowledge the concerns 
of the international community. The G-7 summit, which became the G-8 
with the inclusion of the Russian Federation, is an association of 
democratic societies with advanced economies. Although Russia is not 
yet a liberal democracy or an advanced economy, it was invited to take 
part in this summit in encourage its democratic evolution. Today as I 
watch Russia continue to deny international human rights monitors 
access to Chechnya in defiance of the international community, I must 
question that evoluation.
  In February this body passed Rsolution 262 which called on President 
Putin to allow international monitors immediate, full, and unimpeded 
access into and around Chechnya to report on the situation there and to 
investigate alleged atrocities and war crimes. In March, the Council of 
Europe Parliamentary Assembly suspended the voting rights of Russia due 
to the large number of reports of human rights violations in Chechnya. 
And Mr. President, at the 56th Session of the U.N. Commission on Human 
Rights last April, the Commission harshly criticized the Russian 
military's behavior in Chechnya. The Commission approved a Resolution 
calling on the Russian government to establish a commission of inquiry 
into human rights abuses in Chechnya and mandating visits to Chechnya 
by U.N. special envoys on torture, political killings, and violence 
against women. Yet, despite all this condemnation, Russia continues to 
ignore our requests.

  The war in Chechnya from 1994-1996 left over 80,000 civilians dead. 
The number of deaths of innocent civilians rises daily as the current 
war continues. This is due not only to fighting, but to the inability 
of international organizations to easily distribute much needed 
humanitarian aid. A recent report from the U.N. High Commission on 
Refugees noted that elderly and sick people in the capital Grozny have 
difficulty reaching soup kitchens which are scattered throughout the 
city due to continued fighting. Russia has closed investigations into 
alleged human rights abuses by Russian soldiers citing a lack of 
evidence, and none of the U.N. mandated special envoys to Chechnya have 
been given access to the area. Just three weeks ago customs officials 
in Moscow confiscated an Amnesty International report on human rights 
violations in Chechnya.
  Mr. President, this body and the international community has 
consistently spoken out demanding the Russian government allow into 
Chechnya international human rights monitors. It is important that we 
not turn silent now.
  In her address to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in March, 
Secretary Albright said that no nation should feel threatened by the 
Commission's work since its task is to support the right of people 
everywhere to control their own destinies, and that the Commission asks 
only that its members play by global rules. Mr. President, colleagues, 
the United States must seize the opportunity of next month's G-7 summit 
in Japan to once again demand that Russia play by these rules. Our 
leadership within the G-7 and in the international community deserves 
no less. The people of Chechnya deserve no less.
  Mr. President, I had a chance to meet with the Foreign Minister from 
Chechnya last week. I promised him that, as a Senator, I would speak 
out on the floor about what is happening in Chechnya. Just to 
summarize, the Foreign Minister came here with a proposal. It is a 
proposal that really calls for a cease-fire, calls for a political 
settlement, calls for international observers to be there.
  What I want to say on the floor of the Senate is that this is a 
brutal war. Many innocent people have been killed. Certainly, some of 
the Chechans are responsible for the murder of Russians; but, overall, 
what we have seen is a tremendous loss of life, the decimation of a 
country. I have sent letters to Putin. I have spoken out about this. I 
think it is a human rights question. I call upon our Government, in 
particular, to be much more actively involved in trying to bring about 
some resolution to this conflict.
  There are entirely too many innocent people paying the price. 
Entirely too many innocent people are losing their lives. I think it is 
a role for our Government to push for some kind of a peaceful 
settlement. I know we need to negotiate with Putin and be in contact 
with the Russian Government and work with them. I am all for that. I am 
not at all interested in rekindling a cold war. My father is a Jewish 
immigrant who fled Russia. But I also believe we should not turn our 
gaze away from what is happening in Chechnya.
  We ought to make it crystal clear to the Russian Government that the 
wholesale violation of human rights and torture and murder of innocent 
people is simply not acceptable. The sooner there is some kind of a 
political settlement, the better off the people in Chechnya and Russia 
and the world

[[Page S5552]]

will be. I don't believe there is any evidence at all that this 
military campaign is going to work. Violence begets violence. Violence 
is met with violence.
  I think our Government can play a more positive role than we have 
played. For the Senate today, I call on the Secretary of State and 
President Clinton to be much more actively involved in trying to bring 
about a resolution to this conflict.

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