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The government is oppressing IDPs

August 18, 2010
Aleko Tskitishvili

“The Bartholomew night for IDPs” – this is how media evaluated the mass eviction of the IDPs from Tbilisi compact residence places. For an unpopular process like this, government chose the politically most passive month –August. Most of the opposition party leaders take vacations in different resorts at this time; the same can be said about the ordinary citizens – the live force of the protest rallies.

Nevertheless, on August 16th, some of the IDPs held a protest rally at the Ministry of Internally Displaces Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees. The protest rally was basically attended by the IDPs evicted from the so-called Isani Hospital and compact residence places of Kazbegi Avenue. This group included the IDPs from Abkhazia, Samachablo and Kodori valley. The protest rally was supported by the “Conservative Party” member, Lasha Ckhartishvili and “People’s party” member, Aleko Shalamberidze. They called on the IDPs to be maximally active and create the movement of IDPs.

As the IDPs evicted from the Isani Hospital say, they were not even offered alternative residence place or compensation: “The only thing they offered was storing our items in the storehouse. But, we didn’t give our consent and located our items in the homes of our relatives. Today, they are telling us that we need to go through the examination of the special commission to determine whether we satisfy the requirements for the alternative residence places.’’

Though nobody from the Ministry showed up at the protest rally held at the Ministry, the IDPs themselves one by one went to the Ministry building and met with Goga Tugushi, the head of the social agency.

As one of the IDPs, Adeli Todaze said after the meeting, Goga Tugushi told them that the issue about the alternative residence places will be determined by the special commission. Before that, Todadze said that she will find a shelter in her relative’s homes.

The protest rally was attended by the head of the Young Lawyers’ Association Tamar Khidasheli, who is going to study the problems of IDPs.

At the same day, August 16th, parallel with the protest rally held at the Ministry, the 41 IDP families were being evicted from the #8 Machabeli St. According to “Interpressnews,” more than 50 representatives of the patrol police were operating there, who confined the area and did not let anyone enter the place. At the same time, the furniture of the IDPs was loaded in the trucks. The process of eviction was observed by two EU representatives, but they did not comment on the issue with journalists. Nobody from the Ministry of IDPs, Accommodation and Refugees came.

The warning about the immediate eviction of the IDPs was made a week ago. As the IDP from Tskhinvali region, Kakha Terashvili mentioned, the eight IDP families from Samachablo were accommodated in #8 Machabeli St, 2008. Terashvili states that it is unknown for him, where the IDPs are removed. Though, reportedly, the IDPs will be removed to the village Potskhoetseri of the region Tsalenjikha.

Warning about the eviction was made a week ago to the IDPs from #10 Lermontovi St. On August 15th, the officials of the Ministry visited them and notified that they needed to prepare since they were going to be evicted the second day.

The IDP from Abkhazia, Nino Qardava, has been living in the #10 Lermontovi St. with her husband and three little children for four years now. Except for her, ten more families live in this address, out of which two are from Abkhazia and the rest from Tskhinvali region.

According to Nino Qardava, as they know, the IDPs from the Lermontovi St will be transferred to Kakheti, village Bakurtsikhe. Qardava grieved and noted that as her husband works in Tbilisi, it will be very hard for her to live in the village with three little children alone.

With the eviction of the IDPs, there are news spreading in the media that the IDPs accommodated in the town of Jvari and village Potskhoetsyeri from Tbilisi and other regionsm “do not have any living condition.”

As the head of the “New Rights Party” Tsalenjikha regional organization, Tsalenjikha Sakrebulo member David Belqania stated to “Interpressnews,” the apartments in the village Potskhoetsyeri, where the IDPs were accommodated, despite the promises, are not provided with electricity. The water system does not work properly. The restoration works have been conducted improperly and the elementary living requirements are not met.

Besides, David Belqania stated that the IDPs accommodated in Jvari and Potskhoetsyeri don not have any employment perspectives, since the region population itself is unemployed and unlike them, the IDPs have not even been given the land.

The issue of mass eviction of IDPs was discussed on August 16th, at the meeting of the Commission of Health and Social Issues of Tbilisi Sakrebulo. The discussion of the topic evoked debates.

According to the opposition deputies of the Sakrebulo, the issue of registration of the IDPs has not been solved yet. The mass eviction is taking place illegally. The opposition deputies think that in order to solve the problem of IDPs, it’s necessary to consider the opinion of each IDP and take an individual approach to the issue.

The head of the Health and Social Issues department of Tbilisi Sakrebulo, Viktor Dolidze stated in a conversation with journalists that they want to hear the arguments and information concerning the mass eviction of IDPs from the responsible officials from the Ministry of Refugees. But the representatives of the Ministry never showed up at the meeting, that reveals the approach of government to this issue.

Viktor Dolidze plans to personally go to Potskhoetsyeri and see the building where the accommodation of the IDPs from Tbilisi is planned.

“We want to know what conditions they will live in. Is there enough residence place, elementary living conditions, school, how they can get their daily bread and so on. We have information that the apartment buildings provided for refugees are not arranged properly and there is not enough space. We want to see everything with our own eyes and take the relevant measure,” – stated Dolidze.

According to him, the government used the so-called “dead month” in order to kick refugees out of their residence places. “We will go back to discussion of this issue in Sakrebulo and take it to other instances,” – stated Dolidze.

The Human Rights Center is going to go to Jvari and Potskhoetsyeri to learn about the living conditions of IDPs.

At the end of the protest rally held at the Ministry of the IDPs from Occupied Territories, Refugees and Accommodation, Lasha Chkhartishvili announced the time and place for the next protest rally. The next protest rally of IDPs will be held on August 19th, Thursday, 12:00 p.m. at the President’s Avlabari residence.

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