And in today's edition of "OH MY GOD RUSSIA WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING", we have an eliminationist Regional Governor, some snappily-dressed Cossacks, and protection of the "ethnic balance". I have no idea what an "ethic balance" is, but it sounds uncomfortable.
Presented without any other comment. Note: The term "Caucasians" in this piece means "anyone who lives in or near the Caucasus region" and not "white Russian folk with a grudge".
The Public Chamber wants to investigate statements by Krasnodar Region Governor Alexander Tkachyov, who called for Cossack patrols to be created to keep people from the Caucasus out of his region.
Tkachyov calls for Cossacks to stop ‘migrants’
Tkachyov suggested that from Sep. 1 there will be Cossack militia that will defend the region from the influence of people from the Caucasus.
“Today I thought and speculated on what we can still do: there is a filter between the Caucasus and Kuban – Stavropolye. But now I see that it [the filter] is not there, you and I are next. And who will answer when first blood is spilled, when inter-ethnic conflicts start? And it will happen sooner or later,” he said at a Krasnodar region police board meeting.
Tkachyov said the Krasnodar region must not repeat the history of Kosovo, but he confused Serbs with Croatians. “We see this in Yugoslavia – Albanians, Croatians… First there were 80 percent Croatians, and 20 percent Albanians. Then it reversed.”
The regional budget will provide 650 million rubles for creating the militia that will consist of up to 1,000 people. Cossacks will patrol the streets with police officers and will not carry weapons.
The police has some power in stopping the unwanted guests, but “there are limits – democracy and heightened care for human rights, civil society,” he said.
‘Ethnic balance must be upheld’
He also said that the existing balance between ethnic Russians and other ethnicities must be preserved. In order to do this Cossack militia must make it problematic for “outsiders” to have a comfortable life in the region.
“We have no other way – we will add pressure, check documents, conduct migration policies, where one comes from, why, etc. This way those who try to just come here to play the fool, stake claims, provoke or operate illegal business, they will understand that it is best not to come to Kuban,” Tkachyov said.
The regional administration press-service, however, had to stress that historically more than 100 nationalities live in the area, and the Cossack militia are to be created to “not allow interethnic conflicts and keep the peace.”
‘Newcomers are insolent’
Tkachyov, who is under criticism for poor safety measures that lead to deaths of more than 100 people in the Krymsk flood, tried to justify himself in his Twitter feed.
“I cannot watch and I do not plan to calmly watch how newcomers ignore laws, rules, local traditions, and sometimes behave insolently. It causes interethnic conflicts. At the moment they are local, but God forbid they grow into something bigger. This is what I am afraid of and am trying to prevent. There are laws of Russia and of the region, according to them we have the right to take measures to control migration. Whatever anyone thinks, I will not change my position on illegal migration. And I know that the region’s residents support me in this.”
“Are you seriously accusing me on nationalism?” Tkachyov wrote. “My first deputy is from Adygeya, the aide – a Crimean Tatar, I have Armenians and Greeks as friends. For 12 years I have been head of the region with 120 nationalities, and I understand how fragile this peace is more than most.”
Public outrage
The public chamber plans to ask the prosecutor’s office to check the statements, head of international cooperation and public diplomacy working group Alexander Sokolov told Vedomosti. Public chamber member Yelena Topolyova added that they planned to ask President Vladimir Putin to demand Tkachyov’s resignation.
Sokolov thought the racial hatred incitement was obvious. “He labeled North Caucasus regions foreign enemy territories, and called to fence off them with illegal armed formations. The aim of these formations is not upholding the order, but preventing movement of citizens from one region to another. It is an outrageous case.”
“It is a provoking statement that limits the rights of Caucasus region residents and could really lead to interethnic clashes,” chairman of Russia’s People of the Caucasus council Aly Totorkulov told Kommersant.
ah the hot and spicy racism,now in shades of white.
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