| Over 200,000 Killed in Chechnya Since 1994
— Pro-Moscow Official Created: 19.11.2004 15:34 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 15:34 MSK, MosNews Over 200,000 people have been killed in the Chechen Republic since 1994, the chairman of Chechnya's State Council, Taus Djabrailov, told reporters on Friday, the Interfax news agency reports. The official added that over the same period over 20,000 children were killed in Chechnya and dozens of thousands more became orphans. Djabrailov also told the press that presently the monthly casualties among civilians in Chechnya amount up to 50 dead. "Every year, Chechnya loses from 2-3,000 people who are killed, abducted and go missing," the official said. Earlier this week Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov said that 148 Russian military servicemen were killed in the North Caucasus in the first 10 months of 2004. Sergey Ivanov recalled that since the end of the active phase of the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, the number of those killed was 499 in 2001, falling to 480 and 291 in 2002 and 2003 respectively. "These sombre figures show the trend of a fall in numbers. One of the reasons is undoubtedly the fact that fewer conscripts are used for combat tasks, with commanders increasingly relying on trained professionals who have consciously chosen military service as a career," the minister said. Johnson's Russia List #8458 18 November 2004 davidjohnson@erols.com and davidjohnson@starpower.net A CDI Project www.cdi.org ******** JRL RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL SUPPLEMENT Issue No. 27 November 18, 2004 Editor: Stephen D. Shenfield shenfield@neaccess.net For back issues go to the RAS archive at: http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/jrl-ras.cfm --------------------------------------------------------------------- DEDOVSHCHINA SOURCES [1] Konstantin L. Bannikov, "Regimented Communities in a Civil Society." [2] Françoise Daucé, "K. Bannikov. Antropologiia ekstremal’nykh grupp. Dominanthye otnoshenie sredi voennosluzhashchikh srochnoi sluzhby Rossiiskoi Armii, RAN, Moskva, 2002. [3] Dale Herspring, "V.V. Savel’ev, Kak vyzhit’ v neustavnoi armii. (from the series Psychological Practice), Rostov-on-Don, Feniks, 2003. All from The Journal of Power Institutions In Post-Soviet Societies, Issue 1, July 2004. Dedovshchina: From Military to Society http://www.pipss.org "Dedovshchina" is used in a broad and in a narrow sense. Broadly it means endemic bullying or hazing within any kind of institutional setting. Narrowly it refers to a specific long-established system of abusive "non-regulation" (neustavnye) relations among army conscripts. The two-year term of service is divided into four six-month periods, (1) each corresponding to a hierarchical status group: * A conscript in his first six months is a "dukh" (ghost or spirit) or "molodoi" (young one). He has no rights, must obey all others, and has to do the hardest and most unpleasant work, such as cleaning toilets. * The second period corresponds to the status of "fasan" or "sekach" (pheasant). * A third-period conscript is called "salabon" or "salaga" (novice) or "cherpak" (scoop). He can give orders to those below him but must obey those above him. * In the fourth period the conscript becomes a "starik" (old man) or "ded" (grandfather). All others serve him. The literal meaning of dedovshchina is "rule of the grandfathers." (2) However, the treatment that a new conscript receives is not determined solely by his age-group status. The "dedy" weigh up newcomers and distinguish between those who are willing to support them and the others. The worst treatment is reserved for those judged to be "weak," who are referred to as "sestry" (sisters). There is also a special pariah status called "chmo." (3) How do new conscripts react to this grim reality? The psychologist Savelyev (a pseudonym) identifies six kinds of responses: resentment, silent protest, anger, fear, hatred, and a belief that the process is positive. He also identifies different types of behavior among senior conscripts. Not all take full advantage of their privileged position. Some avoid harassing junior conscripts, although they do not challenge abuse by others. There are even a few who fight against dedovshchina. Dedovshchina first appeared in the 1950s and was officially recognized as a problem in the early 1960s. It seems to have become increasingly entrenched over time. It is one of the main factors undermining the legitimacy of military service. In a 2001 survey, 69 percent of respondents said they would hate to have their close relatives drafted; 30 percent gave hazing as the reason why. (4) No effective measures have been taken to uproot dedovshchina. Complaints must first be addressed to commanding officers, who are supposed to carry out investigations but show no inclination to tackle the problem. At best the military prosecutor's office may become involved. There is no provision for civilian oversight. Dale Herspring considers that another major factor is the absence of a corps of non-commissioned officers to bridge the gap between soldiers and officers. A great deal of violence among conscripts follows ethnic lines rather than the standard system of status groups. The pattern of ethnic violence in a unit will reflect its ethnic composition, with the largest cohesive group assuming the dominant position. In certain units this group may consist not of ethnic Russians but, for instance, of Dagestanis, who have a reputation for group solidarity. Dedovshchina is not confined to the army. Similar practices can be found in technical schools, the police force, etc. Apologists use this fact to shift the blame to civilian society. However, military service plays a crucial role in socializing young men, who tend to carry the behavioral patterns learnt in the army into civilian life. Many carry them into family life too, especially considering that a large proportion of ex-conscripts marries soon after demobilization. (5) So the main direction of causation goes surely from bullying in the army to bullying in civilian life, not vice versa. NOTES (1) In the navy the term of service is three years. I wonder how this affects the system. Are there four periods of nine months or is the number of status groups six instead of four? Can anyone tell me? (2) A special subtype of "ded" is the "dembel" -- a conscript nearing the end of his term and waiting demobilization. (3) There are various theories about the origin of this word. One is that it stands for "CHelovek Moskovskoi Oblasti" -- person from Moscow province, presumably a mark of scorn in the unit where the word was first used. (4) Survey conducted by the All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM). (5) However, the use of familial terms like "grandfather" and "sister" suggests that the authoritarian family may serve to some extent as a model for "dedovshchina." British Court Grants Russian Soldier Refugee Status for Defecting from Duties in Chechnya Created: 18.11.2004 18:00 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:00 MSK, MosNews In a case marking a precedent in British refugee law, a British appeals court accepted an application for refugee status from a Russian soldier who deserted while fighting separatist militants in Chechnya. Andrei Kotov, 27, defected from the war in Chechnya and saught sanctuary in Britain in 2000 as a result of danger of persecution for refusing to take part in "war crimes." He abandoned his post upon the realization that he would become involved in civilian deaths, the Ekho Moskvy radio reported, citing a civil liberties foundation in New York. A judge ruled on October 29 that the armed conflict in Chechnya involves massive violations of fundamental human behavior, and that the applicant may have been forced to take part in such activities, and may have been punished for refusing to take part in them. The judge also decided to publicize the decision, in light of its relevance to the desertions by other soldiers from Chechnya between 1999 and 2000. This may set a precedent for future requests for refugee status for deserters. The British embassy declined to comment on the issue after Interfax requested more details. |