Georgian detainees made to kneel in public

This morning, the Georgian military men (who are called members of a gang in the republic) detained by South Ossetian law enforcement and security agencies were brought to Teatralnaia Square in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, where the prisoners were made to kneel. Great amounts of arms withdrawn from them - submachine and machine guns, grenade launchers and a great number of cartridges - were laid out right on the asphalt. One should say a meeting was underway in the square just that moment, conducted by Ossetian mothers who had lost their sons during the 1991-92 armed conflict. Beyond expectation, the women did not express anger, but pity for the prisoners, most of them being absolutely young men and some of them not trying to conceal tears. The papers of some of the detainees, mostly their passports, were laid out on one of the arms boxes.

In the meanwhile, in yesterday's address on television President Eduard Kokoity of South Ossetia announced the beginning of combating "formations that aggravate the situation with their presence in the Georgian-Ossetian armed conflict area and disturb the Georgian population, too." In his speech, the president used the word "clean-up." To all appearances, developments in the village of Vanati were not the last operation of that kind for the South Ossetian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Panic has spread in Vanati and other Georgian communities in the republic. Several busses with children have left Tamarasheni and Achabeti bound for Georgia. People who have stayed are afraid that military action may be launched on the Georgian part and they ask the Georgian leadership to take measures to protect their lives. However, the South Ossetian leadership has confirmed that they are not going to use force against civilians. President Kokoity has issued an act for Ossetian authorities to conduct dialogue with Georgian population and guaranteed them safety.