Protest action in Tsalka

The Messenger, Georgia
June 28 2005

On Sunday the population of the Tsalka district (Kvemo-Kartli region
in the east of Georgia) protested against the presence of the Georgian
Interior Ministry’s special forces and demanded their withdrawal,
Black Sea Press reports.

The local population protesting see the presence of the law enforcement
bodies as a way to increase tension between the ethnic Armenians and
Georgians. The region is populated predominantly by ethnic Armenians.

“They are irritated by our not speaking Georgian and that we are
Armenians,” one of the participants of the action said.

“We were born here; our ancestors have lived here for over 180 years.

Why does the police aggravate the situation?” said Majority Deputy
in Parliament from the Tsalka district Aik Mentonyan.

On June 27 MPs addressed the issue at the bureau session. According
to MP Elene Tevdoradze she plans to visit the region together with
Ombudsman Sozar Subari.

Special forces were first introduced in Tsalka this spring, after
several conflicts among the local population.

The situation grew especially aggravated when one of the ethnic
Armenians were wounded on June 25.