Topic: Situation in Georgia
Country: China
Delegate Name: Jim Smith
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All China position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
On August 7th, 2008, after several days of bitter fighting between South Ossetian separatist fighters and Georgian government troops, the Georgian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in an attempt to end the fighting. After waiting five and a half hours, in vain, for South Ossetian cooperation, the Georgian government responded with full and necessary force. In an attempt to capitalize on the uncertainty of the chaotic situation, the Russian Federation dispatched a vast military force through the Roki tunnel linking North and South Ossetia. In response and as a defensive measure, the Georgian government mobilized another portion of its military forces and ordered them into South Ossetia.
The escalation of this conflict is unfortunate. While the Georgian government was trying to quell a dangerous separatist uprising within its own borders, the Russian Federation, perhaps hastily, used the justification of “ensuring the protection of universal human rights” to attempt to protect the interests of the pro-Russian, Russian-speaking Ossetian majority. The Georgian response was understandable, and to be expected. If Georgia had dispatched troops to the perennial powder keg of Chechnya, the Russian response would likely have been similar. The necessary international response would have demanded both rapid removal of Georgian military units, and assurances that such poorly-considered, hasty actions would never be taken again.
The People’s Republic of China would like to applaud the Russian withdrawal from the Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but we feel that there must be measures in place for international action, should this crisis resurface. We invite any suggestions from the rest of the General Assembly which would bring us closer to ensuring the permanent settlement of this issue.
