US SENATE:
Resolution introduced by Sen Wellstone and Sen. Brownback, February 27, 2002

Senator Paul D. Wellstone

MR. WELLSTONE: - Mr. President, I rise today once again to draw attention to the suffering of people in Chechnya. On behalf of myself and Senator Brownback, I am introducing a resolution urging the Russian government to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict there, to end human rights violations by Russian soldiers there, to investigate and initiate prosecutions against those accused, and to ensure that refugees receive the assistance they need.

The resolution also urges the President to promote peace negotiations between the parties, to obtain assurances from the Russian government that no security forces that are recipients of U.S. assistance are implicated in human rights abuses and to seek specific information on the status of investigations into reported abuses.

The war in Chechnya has raged too long, and reports of egregious human rights violations by Russian soldiers continue to increase. Today, Human Rights Watch is releasing yet another report of such abuses, Swept Under: Torture, Forced Disappearances, and Extrajudicial Killings During Sweep Operations in Chechnya. Year after year we receive reports telling the same stories, yet nothing seems to change.

Since September 11, Russia has argued more vigorously that it is fighting terrorism in Chechnya. Whether the Russian government believes this to be true or not is not the issue. What is clear is that Russia is acting illegally and immorally in Chechnya, and it must stop.

I want to talk briefly about the United States and our relationship to this war. As we increase our cooperation with governments in the war on terrorism, we can not condone some of the actions these friends are taking in the name of fighting terrorism.

Russia has been a key member of the anti-terrorist coalition since September 11. It has played a crucial role in our success in Afghanistan. I applaud and support this U.S.-Russian cooperation. But what is happening in Chechnya can not be justified by the war on terrorism.

Russian forces in Chechnya have been acting illegally and with unspeakable brutality against the civilian population there. There continue to be credible reports of summary execution, mass detention, rape, torture, forced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and looting. The Russian government refuses to investigate such reports.

The Russian government believes it is fighting terrorism in Chechnya. In fact, it frequently compares the U.S. war on terrorism to its own efforts in Chechnya. But we must remind Russia that even in a war on terrorism, ends do not always justify any means. A war against terrorism does not permit abuses against civilians with impunity.

We must remind Russia that the war against terrorism is a struggle for freedom and democracy. Free and democratic nations do not round up boys and beat them so badly that they have to be carried home when they are finally released. They do not torture and rape women.

Today as I read the reports of intensified human rights violations on a massive scale in Chechnya, as well as of Russia's refusal to investigate such reports and hold responsible individuals accountable, I have to question Russia's commitment to democracy.

We have a moral duty not only to speak out against Russian atrocities in Chechnya, but also to ensure that we aren't unintentionally allowing them to continue. We must ensure that no security forces that are the recipients of U.S. assistance or participants in joint operations with the U.S. are implicated in human rights abuses in Chechnya.

This Resolution urges the President to provide that assurance.

It saddens me to speak once again about a war that has now entered its third year. It is a war that has been conducted with such brutality that it has been hard at times to imagine the situation getting worse. Unfortunately, it has gotten worse. The Russian government apparently has intensified its campaign against civilians in the name of fighting terrorism.

When I met recently with the Chechen Foreign Minister, he made it clear to me that he believes the post-September 11 period will be remembered as one of the most savage times in Chechen history. The New York Times reported recently that, according to Chechen police officials, Russian troops are killing civilians in a campaign of executions and looting that takes place alongside military operations aimed at destroying rebel forces. According to the article, Russian units roll into a town during the day to scout neighborhoods for residents who appear to have money or property worth stealing. Then, at night, the soldiers return in their tanks and burst into houses, stealing goods and killing witnesses.

In one of the largest of Grozny's four districts, Chechen investigators have documented 17 cases in the last 12 months implicating Russian Interior Ministry troops in killing civilians during such looting.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both documented incredible human rights violations in Chechnya. Our own State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices reports the execution of at least 60 civilians last February in the suburbs of Grozny. It reports torture by police officers using electric shocks. It reports the rape of Chechen women by Russian soldiers. These are reports from 2000. The new report for 2001 will be released soon, and, sadly, no one expects it to be better. I have several reports that I ask to be inserted in the record. It is important that these abuses be made public.

There have been reports of human rights violations on both sides of the conflict in Chechnya. I condemn human rights violations by either side, as does the Resolution we offer today. Chechen rebel fighters have increasingly targeted for murder Chechen civilians they believe are cooperating with the Russian government. Human Rights Watch World Report for 2002 reports that Chechen fighters murdered at least 18 leaders of district and town administrations and at least five religious leaders, as well as numerous Chechen police officers, teachers and low ranking officials. There are extremist groups in Chechnya - some with ties to Arab extremist groups and possibly to al-Qaeda.

Mr. President, I condemn all acts of terrorism. But, what is happening in Chechnya is a human tragedy, and nothing justifies the barbaric use of force by Russian soldiers there.

Credible reports estimate that the war in Chechnya from 1994-1996 left over 80,000 civilians dead. The State Department cites evidence that the current war has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. There is credible evidence of the displacement of nearly 40 percent of the civilian population, or close to 400,000 people.

According to the American Committee for Peace in Chechnya, a group committed to finding a political solution to this conflict, a significant portion of the male population between the ages of 16-55 is simply gone.

Doctors without Borders reports that the humanitarian situation for an estimated 180,000 refugees in camps in the neighboring Republic is deteriorating. The majority of the refugees are living with families, but over 60,000 people remain in tents, empty schools, and factory buildings.

Shelter and sanitation facilities are poor, worn out and far below acceptable standards. Sometimes one latrine serves 100 people or more. Russia also refuses to register the refugees. Since the refugees are being accorded no legitimate status, they are often unable to get the humanitarian assistance they need.

The resolution we offer today urges the Russian government to secure the distribution of humanitarian assistance and to register refugees as required by both Russian and international law.

Russia must work to find a political solution to end the war in Chechnya. It must put a stop to human rights violations by its soldiers, hold those soldiers accountable for their actions and ensure that refugees get the assistance they need.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.