Human rights organizations advocate creation of independent commission for settlement of refugees? problems

A meeting between representatives of the human rights organization ?Sintar? and the Society for the Russian-Chechen Friendship took place on July 29, 2003. The situation with Chechen refugee camps in Ingushetia was in the center of the discussion. Activists from ?Sintar? also collected signatures under an appeal to the chairman of the Forum of Emigrant Organizations Lidiya Ivanovna Grafova.

They ask to initiate the establishment of the commission with the assistance of representatives of international organizations and NGO?s activists for settlement of the incidents connected with  violation of rights and freedoms of forced migrants from the Chechen Republic.

The action was caused by a visit of the deputy head of the Migration Department of the Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs Akhmed Parchiyev to the tent refugee camp ?Bella? located in Sleptsovskaya (Ordzhonikidzevskaya) village. The visit took place on July 25, 2003. Parchiev told forced migrants gathered that the territory of the camp had been divided into sites for building of private houses a long time ago. He advised everybody to leave for Chechnya the sooner the better.

It happened contrary to the promises given by President Murat Zyazikov during his planned trips to refugee camps, when he assured there would be no forced resettlements and pressing-out.