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PHOTO ESSAY: LIFE AMONG CHECHEN REFUGEES IN
THE PANKISI VALLEY
Aldo Castellani: 6/15/02
The Pankisi Valley, abound 90 miles (150 kilometers) north
of Tbilisi, is inhabited largely by ethnic Chechens, known
as Kists. They are Muslim, while most Georgians are Orthodox
Christian. Central government authority over the region is
tenuous and village elders have assumed responsibility for
maintaining order and dispensing justice. Locals live according
to Islamic law. For example, if a man is caught in state of
drunkenness, the council may sentence him to a public beating.
Duisi, in the middle of the valley, is the main center where
thousands of refugees from Chechnya have gathered. Most of
them arrived in November 1999, when fresh outbreaks of violence
hit Chechnya. Some have found living space in two big buildings
near the Duisi market. Others have been taken in by relatives.
For many, conditions are bearable. Many refugee children attend
the village school and also go to separate lessons with volunteer
teachers, also refugees.
Many said the escape from Chechnya was arduous. "We
left our village on November 5," said one women who declined
to give her name. "They [Russian troops] were bombing
us. In Dagestan, they shot ground-to-ground missiles. We got
into a large car that would take us to the border. But later
the car broke down. We continued on walking. At the border
only women, children and old men could get through. Men had
to go back. It was very cold and snow reached up to our knees."
There have been alarming news reports about conditions in
the Pankisi valley. The area is reported to be a haven for
Islamic terrorists, as well as a center of drug trafficking
operations and other illicit activity. In addition, Chechen
rebels are said to utilize the region as a rest and re-supply
depot for their ongoing struggle across the border in Chechnya.
But when I visited the Pankisi valley, there were few signs
of such instability. Indeed, there was also no visible presence
of the Georgian police or military. There were some roadblocks,
but I could travel without anyone asking for my documents.
Of course, that left me free to take plenty of photos.
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Posted June 15, 2002 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org
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