Georgian Minister: Abkhazian Children Are Involved in Military Games
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, November 5
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that children’s rights in Russian-occupied Abkhazia are often violated, as they are involved in military simulation games during some celebrations.
The minister says the environment in which the children have to be, in particular, in kindergartens and schools "affect their psyche and the future."
"It is not acceptable for many of the locals living in the occupied region. Specific actions and steps are needed to improve the situation. I'm sure we all want peace and a better future for our children. This can be achieved in the format of negotiations with international instruments, many meetings and conversations,” she stated.
At the special sitting of the Committee on Human Rights and Civil Integration Tsikhelashvili stated that there are many problems in this regard in breakaway Abkhazia:
Russification policy is implemented;
Teaching and communicating in the native language is prohibited;
Quality education is not available;
The war propaganda is actively underway;
Ethnic discrimination and suppression of Georgian identity are very frequent;
Georgian children, parents and teachers are treated with disrespect;
Children’s free will and psyche are affected which has a negative influence on their mental development.
“In Gali district education in the native language is completely prohibited. Generally, education is no longer available, as neither children, nor teachers or parents know Russian, but they are still forced to do the educational process in Russian," said Tsikhelashvili.
The minister stressed that during some celebrations, children at Gali schools and kindergartens, against their will, are dressed in military uniforms to participate in simulation games aimed at propagating war and creating an enemy icon of Georgians.
She said that the targeted attack on the Georgian identity of the local population living in the Gali district is underway.
"This is a psychological influence and suppression of identity, which is inadmissible,” the minister added.
Currently, 30 schools are functioning in the Gali district, where 4,108 pupils and 754 teachers are registered. In the 2012-2013 academic year the number of pupils in Gali region was 4,380. 98% of pupils and 90% of teachers there are ethnically Georgian.
As for the kindergartens, there are only 8 ones, where 443 children are taught by 71 teachers. In all kindergartens, the education in the Georgian language is prohibited.
