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IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION PEOPLE MATTER MORE THAN TERRITORIES, LORD
RUSSELL-JOHNSTON
Strasburg, January 26. ArmInfo. The principle of territorial integrity
is directly linked to the question of acceptance of such by the people
residing in this territory. It is definite that people matter much more
rather than territories. It is matters much how the population of the
territories are treated, Lord Russell-Johnston, Chair of the PACE
Interim Commission on Nagorno-Karabakh, told ArmInfo correspondent.
On the other hand, Lord Russell-Johnston refused to make direct
parallels with Nagorno-Karabakh and pointed pout that due to his
present position he should retain maximal objectivity. He said that a
thousand of Serbs died in the war imposed by Slobodan Miloshevich but,
tens of thousands of Armenians died in Karabakh. However, he leaves it
without comment.
Lord Russell-Johnston said that there were two main principles of
territorial integrity after the WW2. These are - territorial integrity
stipulating permanence of the borders, and the non-interference into
the home affairs of a sovereign state. The both principles are
out-dated. He brought examples of interference into the home affairs of
sovereign states, these are Indonesia, Kosovo and Bosnia.
There is a general agreement that being a sovereign, the state does not
acquire a right to oppress the population. If rights of the people are
infringed, then the international community takes over responsibility
to protect the people from the further oppressions. Mentioning the
Kosovo example, Lord Rassell-Johnston pointed out that the
international community could deprive Serbia of right to rule over
Kosovo grounded on ill-treating the Kosovars. 90% of its population are
Albanians, and in case it is returned to Serbia, the situation will go
out of control.
The committee of the European Parliament published a draft resolution
in January 2007. It says that it would be unthinkable to pass Kosovo
under the reign of Belgrade. In other words, the international
community can vary the term of territorial integrity, he pointed out.
Lord Russell-Johnston found it amusing that there is no such a term as
- "international law" but - UN's agreements. There was an agreement on
territorial integrity of African states. It had an acute problem of
national tribes caused by politics of a European colonist state. The
violation of the principle of territorial integrity caused massacre
there. Lord Russell-Johnston said that truth is that states and people
are against that what is known as "acceptance". He admits, that if
something is done in one place it would become a precedent. The
question is whether this precedent would be applied or not. He added
that the population of South Osetia and Abkhazia strive to separate
from Georgia.
A census was recently held in the Great Britain and showed that 52% of
the respondents are for Scotland's separation from the UK. However,
Lord Russell-Johnston adds that he is not in favour of such point and
definitely won't set tanks of to counteract it.
RUSSELL-JOHNSTON
Strasburg, January 26. ArmInfo. The principle of territorial integrity
is directly linked to the question of acceptance of such by the people
residing in this territory. It is definite that people matter much more
rather than territories. It is matters much how the population of the
territories are treated, Lord Russell-Johnston, Chair of the PACE
Interim Commission on Nagorno-Karabakh, told ArmInfo correspondent.
On the other hand, Lord Russell-Johnston refused to make direct
parallels with Nagorno-Karabakh and pointed pout that due to his
present position he should retain maximal objectivity. He said that a
thousand of Serbs died in the war imposed by Slobodan Miloshevich but,
tens of thousands of Armenians died in Karabakh. However, he leaves it
without comment.
Lord Russell-Johnston said that there were two main principles of
territorial integrity after the WW2. These are - territorial integrity
stipulating permanence of the borders, and the non-interference into
the home affairs of a sovereign state. The both principles are
out-dated. He brought examples of interference into the home affairs of
sovereign states, these are Indonesia, Kosovo and Bosnia.
There is a general agreement that being a sovereign, the state does not
acquire a right to oppress the population. If rights of the people are
infringed, then the international community takes over responsibility
to protect the people from the further oppressions. Mentioning the
Kosovo example, Lord Rassell-Johnston pointed out that the
international community could deprive Serbia of right to rule over
Kosovo grounded on ill-treating the Kosovars. 90% of its population are
Albanians, and in case it is returned to Serbia, the situation will go
out of control.
The committee of the European Parliament published a draft resolution
in January 2007. It says that it would be unthinkable to pass Kosovo
under the reign of Belgrade. In other words, the international
community can vary the term of territorial integrity, he pointed out.
Lord Russell-Johnston found it amusing that there is no such a term as
- "international law" but - UN's agreements. There was an agreement on
territorial integrity of African states. It had an acute problem of
national tribes caused by politics of a European colonist state. The
violation of the principle of territorial integrity caused massacre
there. Lord Russell-Johnston said that truth is that states and people
are against that what is known as "acceptance". He admits, that if
something is done in one place it would become a precedent. The
question is whether this precedent would be applied or not. He added
that the population of South Osetia and Abkhazia strive to separate
from Georgia.
A census was recently held in the Great Britain and showed that 52% of
the respondents are for Scotland's separation from the UK. However,
Lord Russell-Johnston adds that he is not in favour of such point and
definitely won't set tanks of to counteract it.