Lessons of August, 2008

There is no doubt that the changes which were a consequence of events of August 2008 have irreversible character. These changes mention not only the sphere of geopolitics and the international relations, they changed attitude and system of values. It is impossible to forget that feeling of unreality of the events which was felt by many inhabitants of Abkhazia in those hot August days.

When TV reports about records of the Beijing Olympic Games were suddenly replaced by ominous shots from South Ossetia, it became obvious that the agreements reached during long-term peace talks with mediation of such solid interstate organizations as the UN and OSCEs, and fastened by signatures of the most authoritative diplomats, can be easily crushed by caterpillars of the Georgian tanks. Those days Saakashvili struck blow not only to South Ossetia: it was the blow to any peace agreements on a global scale.

People in Abkhazia, only recently started to recover for the endured horrors of the armed opposition and the suffocating economic blockade, slowly building-up dwellings destroyed by war, suddenly realized that the nightmare of violence didn't consign to the past, and the international conventions on protection of the civilian population during military operations don't extend on the Ossetians and Abkhazians.

And it is unimportant that in Abkhazia it was rather quiet during this period and the resort season took its course – our many citizens felt themselves there, in the burning Tskhinvali, among the people hidden in cellars deprived of water, light and communication with the outside world and, in general, hopes of the future. Sharp understanding came that we, living in Abkhazia, could be on a place of these people.

The meeting of the UN Security Council devoted to events in Tskhinvali and shown on the air of the Russian TV especially shocked. Sluggish, absolutely inadequate to the events in South Ossetia reaction of the leading countries of the West – permanent members of Security council, their unwillingness or unavailability to try to stop violence – all this simply struck and with all presentation testified to slowness and inadequacy of this global organization.

The decision wasn't made as the representative of the Russian Federation tried to push UN Security Council to any actions or statements which could make Saakashvili sober. And after all the situation could develop according to absolutely other scenario, probably, even more favorable for the Georgia, if the Security Council would decide on intervention. But there was that happened. Unrecoverable tendency of the western patrons of Saakashvili looked through fingers at Mishiko's and his predecessors all “pranks”, once again played an evil joke with the Georgia and created many problems to its bosses.
Some of those who continuously observed and empathized the events in Tskhinvali, with hope waited that anti-war movement will be developed in Georgia: mothers of the reservists called on war leave to protest against a senseless slaughter, the intellectuals will condemn actions of the authorities, and numerous Georgian peacekeeping non-governmental organizations will try to settle inflaming armed conflict.

But, alas: and in August of 2008, as well as once in August of 1992 (at input of the Georgian armies to Abkhazia), not only politicians, but also many Georgian mothers, NGO and the intellectuals supported Saakashvili's action in patriotic waste, having brought down angry on Russia – “aggressor”, “devil force”, etc.

There were few those Georgian intellectuals who realized at once what consequences of barbarous actions of the Georgian soldiery will be and expressed the open condemnation to actions of official Tbilisi.

It is good that those appeared in general, but it is very sad that they were so little that testifies to a condition of minds and to values of the Georgian society. In this regard comparison of Georgia with Russia is not in favor of Georgia though exactly Bush Jr. appropriated the last a title of “democracy beacon”.

Having reading the publications in the Russian oppositional mass media, especially in Internet editions, listening, for example, Echo of Moscow radio station and today, and in August of 2008, it is possible to tell that in the Russian society there is quite broad dispersion of opinions of rather Russian policy in the Caucasus, in particular, in Georgia.

Still big polemic was developed in the Russian society during the war in Chechnya – many representatives of the creative intellectuals, liberal politicians sharply condemned the actions of the Russian military, demanded to disengage the armies and “to release” Chechnya, and human rights activists held regular anti-war meetings in the center of Moscow and in other Russian cities.

Without idealizing the Russian policy in the Caucasus, it is necessary to state: unfortunately, in Georgia nothing similar to similar pluralism of opinions of rather Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetia conflicts wasn't observed.

On the contrary, territorial integrity of Georgia is erected in a certain fetish, and for Abkhazians and Ossetians (however, as well as behind other minority) the right to own identity not always admits. Unlike the Russian intellectuals, you can’t hear from any Georgian yet: “Don't want to live in borders of Georgia, let separate!”.

The vast majority of the Georgians – representatives both political and intellectual elite and broad sections of the public, seek not for restoration of the relations with Ossetians and Abkhazians, but are anxious only with restoration of that territorial integrity. It is hardly such monolithic unity is a sign of democratic society.

And nevertheless there is a wish to hope that process of understanding of new realities is inevitable though, apparently, parting will happen to illusions in Georgia very painfully.
However world experience testifies that all progressive changes were initiated by small groups of the most advanced people whom the general public condemned in the beginning and accused of all mortal sins. But, gradually, new ideas were won by more followers.