10/14/2013

Putin's xenophobic nationality politics stir up violence against ethnic minorities and refugees

Racist riots in Moscow

According to the Society for threatened Peoples (STP), the serious riots led by more than 1,000 protesters against refugees and migrants in Moscow are a result of the xenophobic nationality politics of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. "Since he took office in 2000, Putin acted as a demagogue, blaming the entire population of the regions of North Caucasus and Chechnya for terror and violence. In doing so, he even justified the second Chechen war," criticized the STP's CIS-consultant, Sarah Reinke, in Berlin on Monday. "Since then, refugees and people from the Caucasus region and from Central Asia are being blamed for many of the social problems in Russia. Just like Putin, all the candidates for the elections of the Mayor of Moscow (on September 8, 2013) are picking on the migrants from the Caucasus and from Central Asia. In this situation, it only needed the proverbial straw to break the camel's back to cause such a massive outbreak of violence."

Last weekend, the rioters had invaded a market that is mainly operated by immigrants, calling xenophobic slogans. The young men wanted to take revenge for a murdered Russian. The offender is supposed to come from either the Caucasus or from Central Asia.

On August 22, leading human rights organizations in Russia – such as the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Sakharov Center or Memorial – had addressed an open letter to the most important creative and culturally committed personalities, asked them to try and advocate for the minorities and refugees. In their letter, the human rights activist warned: "Our society is permeated with such deep hatred that we must warn about a civil war." In recent months, there were also pogroms against ethnic minorities in other provinces. Thus, following serious clashes between young people in Pugachev near Saratov in July, the Chechen residents were asked to leave the city for their own safety. 20 people who chose to stay had then been attacked by members of the OMON special units of the Russian Interior Ministry. An STP-informant from Pugachev reported that they had shot a young man in his legs, confiscated money, mobile phones and computers and had insulted the victims.

"The ethnic minorities are also complaining bitterly about the wrong educational politics and language policies. The families of smaller ethnic groups are being deprived of their identity – and the situation has become worse since the Education Act went into force on September 1, 2013," said Reinke. Even in the autonomous republics of Tatarstan or Adygea, there are only optional lessons held in the minority language. These are only for a few hours a week and cannot be continued at a secondary school.