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'There Is no Way to Peace; Peace Is the Way' - An Appeal to the Georgian Nation


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Zugdidi Office of National Lies Functions Successfully
Tsira Shelia
Georgian TV Companies have been reporting that Abkhazian separatists ruthlessly beat and wounded Irakli Bigvava and now he shelters in Zugdidi. Abkhazian side is demanding his transfer and is raiding ethnic Georgian population of Gai district unless he is not transferred to them. Furthermore, reportedly about 50 families were evicted from the village of Otobaia, Gali district. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia were seriously worried about the incident and they made several statements as it usually happens.

 It is nice that abovementioned ministries trust Georgian electronic media; but very often news-topics are prepared by one and the same correspondent for several national TV Companies. In similar situation governmental officials should also listen to those people who live in conflict zone or close to it; and the ministries should check the reliability of the reported information.

Unlike governmental officials, representatives of the printed media are often rebuked because of the disinformation spread by correspondents of national TV Companies.

For certain reasons, we were not eager to publish complaints of local people but now we think we should inform the authority, occupied with syndrome of self-deceiving and to the part of society with the messages of the residents from the conflict zone.

Manana Sherozia, a resident of Zugdidi: “We have got tired of fabricated information and we are surprised who wants to spread such information and why? We hear the incidents from Gali district on TV every day that did not happen in fact. If a person twists a leg in the street of Zugdidi, a correspondent rushes to him/her and makes him/her to say that s/he is from Gali and Abkhazians had beaten him/her.”

The situation is the same now. The information spread by the TV Companies about Bigvava is not right. Bigvava really escaped Abkhazians because he is ordinary criminal and they wanted to arrest him. Nobody has abused him on ethnic grounds. When he claims that he would give in to Abkhazian militia because ethnic Georgians will be oppressed because of him, it is partly right because local Georgians demand him to give in to Abkhazian militia and he has no other chance.

Neither 50 families were evicted from Gali district. Only several people crossed the administrative border in order to feel safer. The residents of Gali districts are frightened from Georgian side by claiming that Russia is getting ready for war and people are confused. Everybody saw that 50 families were not there. Besides that, people did not show their faces in order to prevent residents of Zugdidi district from recognizing them.

Event the spread information is true we cannot believe it. Correspondents of TV Companies are recording so many false facts in Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha districts that we think everything is staged.”

Not only Manana Sherozia but most residents of Samegrelo region cannot understand the aim of similar false reportages and they wonder whether they are prepared for the population of the rest of Georgia or governmental officials also believe it.

“We also have local TV Company “Odishi” who reveals the on-going situation in Gali and Zugdidu districts; but they never broadcast the news-items that are prepared by central TV channels. And do you know why? Because 9 out of 10 items are disinformation and staged performance and the target group of similar information is population of Tbilisi and population of other regions of Georgia but Samegrelo. Residents of Samegrelo region cannot be deceived because we know everyone who is interviewed by correspondents and s/he reports what the situation is in Gali district and how Abkhazians and Russians treat ethnic Georgians there. Most of them are residents of Zugdidi and have never entered Abkhazia since the war and has no idea about the real situation there. They are dictated what to say and they also repeat it like best pupils,” said residents of Zugdidi.

Lana Gogokhia, a resident of Gali district: “Reporters claim there was gun-fire in the district and tanks are taken there. Since Russians deployed here we usually hear gunfire; tanks and military vehicles move around like taxis here. Initially we were afraid but then we got used to it. They do not harm us; they celebrate birthdays of soldiers or some other holidays; they always have reasons for celebration. On February 23 they celebrated Anniversary of Red Army; soldiers got drunk and then started shooting. Local people do not give drink to them; Russians are surprised and tell them how it could happen because in Samegrelo region locals had wine and vodka and always gave them. The soldiers are surprised why Abkhazians are so poor. They never extort anything from local people; sometimes they ask for something and we willfully give them it. They buy vodka in shop; then they get drunk and nobody can argue with them afterwards.”

“By the way, Abkhazians have more problems with them than Georgians; the Russian soldiers have more disagreement with them. Lately, when I crossed custom’s house of Abkhazians on Enguri river, I did not notice in the morning, but in the evening when I was going back the windows of their custom booth was smashed. Evidently, Russians got angry with Abkhazians and shot their windows. Similar incidents often happen. I can add one more thing that if nothing is happening in Gali district, and journalists do not have materials, they start shooting in Zugdidi. They invite some soldiers and policemen to the field and request them to start shooting; then they record empty bullets, invite observers there who look around the scene superficially and then obscure report is prepared. That is all.”
“Well, similar gunfire was heard in Zugididi district yesterday and the day before yesterday. I am not stupid and I know that the more sensational is the news the more honorary is granted to journalists. However, I doubt it is done only for big honoraries. Regardless, the real aim of similar reporting, I wonder why they are not concerned about people.

After each disinformation, local people have to explain ourselves before Abkhazians and their cynic and ironic treatment to us further aggravates our poor conditions.

“It is getting more and more difficult to justify ourselves before them and it is strange why our government and national TV Companies make similar situation for us. If they cannot assist us, let them not create worse situation for us.  If they are concerned about Georgian population of Gali district and want to prepare a topic about us, we have plenty of problems and they can reveal them. They should not lie because it worsens our life there.”

I should say one more thing: Abkhazians do not want to start a war more than we do. Because they know it will result into a huge casualty for both sides. They do not want to worsen their relationship with Megrelians and they say it directly. So, they never reply to the disinformation by fire. After releasing similar topics on TV some Abkhazians get very aggressive with us but it does not result into a serious conflict. Similar attitude saved us; otherwise we should have faced the same disaster as it happened in Tskhinvali in August 2008. Why does not anybody investigate or remember the incident when a bus was exploded in Khurcha last year?  The initiators of that incident had promised the drivers of the buses some financial reimbursement and the drivers were waiting for the money for several months. Then they bothered certain people and promised money was given after the war in August, 2008. It is not rumor, I say what really happened there and everybody knows about it here. Participants of the performance are more aware of the situation. By the way, I am surprised about the activities of those people-how can a person agree to play anything what is offered without thoroughly considering the results of his/her activities and who can get advantage of his/her activities?

People say in Zugdidi that if any of journalists apply to legitimate administrate of Gali district and ask comments about unreal incidents in the area they will repeat everything what the journalist will dictate.

Enver Kilanava, a resident of Gali district, confirms the statements of other people. “I have been an IDP for 15 years and have lived in Zugdidi. But I often travel to Gali district to look after my house. In the past, journalists used to meet us at Enguri Bridge and requested to give interviews; but they dictated us what to say. We thought it was necessary and always repeated whatever they requested us to say. Then, when our interviews were spread on TV Abkhazians complained about our false information; they always asked were not we ashamed for the false reporting? They used to tell we really deserved to be treated like we had blamed them.
“Nobody lives perfectly there; the situation worsened after the war in August but we can cope with our problems; we hoped our government would take serious steps to assist us; but in fact they stepped back.”

“As for the false reporting, Georgian residents of Gali district have learned good lesson and we do not give any comments to journalists. But, unfortunately, now they make residents of Zugdidi to give comments instead of us.”

“Officials from local authority of Gali district also repeats the information that is dictated to them. They are lying to people without a sense of shame.”

“In January, 2008 during the presidential elections, if you remember TV Companies released the information that residents of Gali district wanted to cross the Enguri River and they claimed Abkhazians prevented them to travel and take part in elections. The interviews were recorded in Zugdidi district and local people were interviewed. The local public officials confirmed their false statements with honest faces.

“Although Abkhazians did not suggest us to go and take part in elections, they are not very glad about it but nobody abused and prevented us from going to election precincts and to vote. Whoever wanted to vote for Saakashvili, they went to Zugdidi district and voted.”

Thus, residents of Gali, Tsalenjikha and Zugdidi know the real situation in their district without news programs. However, they still listen to news reports on national TV Companies because they wonder what is going in the rest Georgia. However, in parallel to it, they doubt the information about other regions of Georgia is also false like Tbilisi population is deceived about the situation in Samegrelo region.

Source: Presa.ge

 

5 Mar. '09

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