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Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia was the removal of Georgian people, which was conducted in South Ossetia and other territories occupied by Russian and South Ossetian forces, which notably happened during and after the 2008 South Ossetia war.

South Ossetia's president Eduard Kokoity has publicly acknowledged in his words that he and the forces under his command or with whom he is working are engaging in what can only be called ethnic cleansing. of Georgian people in South Ossetia. As the war of 2009 in South Ossetia came to a close, there were reports of massacres in Georgian villages inside the conflict zone ­Ossetian militias checking the ethnicity of residents and treating Georgians to a bullet in the head, however this was impossible to verify.

1991–1992 South Ossetia War

Between 1989 and 1992, fighting flared in the South Ossetian A.O. and in Georgia proper between ethnic Ossetian paramilitary troops and Georgian Interior Ministry (MVD) units and paramilitaries. South Ossetia had demanded to secede, and Georgia cracked down on the renegade area by sending in troops. Approximately 100,000 ethnic Ossetians fled from the South Ossetian A.O. and Georgia proper, and 23,000 ethnic Georgians fled from the South Ossetian A.O. into ethnically Georgian areas. One hundred villages were reportedly destroyed in South Ossetia by both sides. Also the North Ossetia-Georgian border went largely uncontrolled, providing an almost unhindered access point for weapons, fighters, and ammunition in both directions.

A deputy to the North Ossetian Supreme Soviet explained that: "When the war began in South Ossetia, back than an autonomous region of Georgia there were thousands of refugees....Naturally, those Ossetian refugees from South Ossetia and from Georgia who fled here wanted to kick out Georgians living here. There are 15,000 Georgians living here, just in Vladikavkaz...We stopped this, no one fled".

Comments on the 2008 ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia

• The Australian paper The Age quoted Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, the commander in the Russian-occupied city of Gori in their description of the circumstances: "There is growing evidence of looting and "ethnic cleansing" in villages in the area of conflict between Russia and Georgia. The attacks — some witnessed by reporters or documented by a human rights group — include stealing, the burning of homes and possibly killings. Some are ethnically motivated, while at least some of the looting appears to be the work of opportunistic profiteers. The identities of the attackers vary, but a pattern of violence by ethnic Ossetians against ethnic Georgians is emerging and has been confirmed by some Russian authorities. "Now Ossetians are running around and killing poor Georgians in their enclaves," said Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, the commander in the Russian-occupied city of Gori."
• The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, in cooperation with three other human rights organisations, conducted an investigation which concluded that ethnic cleansing continues in the de-facto border region between Georgia and South Ossetia. "The Human rights monitors found evidence of the burning of houses, attacks on civilians and forced displacement of the Georgian population as late as Friday 17 October .
• Human Rights Watch: "Instead of protecting civilians, Russian forces allowed South Ossetian forces who followed in their path to engage in wanton and wide-scale pillage and burning of Georgian homes and to kill, beat, rape, and threaten civilians," said Denber. "Such deliberate attacks are war crimes, and if committed as part of a widespread or systematic pattern, they may be prosecuted as a crime against humanity." .

See also

• Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
• Humanitarian impact of the 2008 South Ossetia war

References

1. August 28, 2008 Article: Georgia warns of ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia. AP via highbeam
2. "South Ossetia one year on: Georgians wait in fear for Russians to return" telegraph.co.uk 01 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
3. Patashuri, Mikheil (Counsellor, Embassy of Georgia, Amman) (2008-08-13). ""A few more facts"". Jordan Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. "Report by the Government of Georgia on the aggression by the Russian Federation against Georgia " georgiandaily.com 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
5. "Saakashvili Calls for Unity on War Anniversary" civil.ge 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
6. "Another War: Who Is It Good For? " georgiandaily.com 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
7. ^ http://www.nhc.no/php/index.php?module=article&view=784 Georgia-Russia conflict: Ethnic Cleansing Continues in South Ossetian Conflict Zone in Georgia 24/10-2008
8. Ethnic Cleansing in South Ossetia? NY Times
9. The First Post. Shaun Walker Into South Ossetia with dull-eyed Alik.
10. [http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1996/Russia.htm RUSSIA THE INGUSH-OSSETIAN CONFLICT IN THE PRIGORODNYI REGION] hrw.org May 1996 Link accessed 18-08-2009
11. [http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1996/Russia.htm RUSSIA THE INGUSH-OSSETIAN CONFLICT IN THE PRIGORODNYI REGION] hrw.org May 1996 Link accessed 18-08-2009
12. August 16, 2008 Looting and 'ethnic cleansing' in South Ossetia as soldiers look on. Sabrina Tavernise and Matt Siegel

• 2008 South Ossetia war