Please sign and circulate this letter of protest:
We, the undersigned, condemn the Russian invasion of Chechnya. We call for
the immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces, and for the recognition of
the Chechens' right to self determination.
The war is not a response to 'Chechen terrorism'. It is an attempt to
divert attention away from the social and economic crisis in Russia. Its
goals are to restore the standing of the military in Russian society, and
to secure Russian control of the oil and gas pipelines running through
Chechnya.
In Russia the war has triggered a wave of chauvinism and anti-Chechen
racism. In Chechnya the war is being waged on the basis of a scorched earth
policy and disregard for civilian casualties.
Placing no faith in the half-hearted and hypocritical criticisms voiced by
US and European governments of Russian aggression in Chechnya, we call for
the labour movement in Britain to build links with socialist and trade
union anti-war initiatives in Russia and to campaign for:
- recognition of Chechnya's right to self-determination;
- Russian military withdrawal from Chechnya.