Apsny started to talk with Russia on a language of notes

A serious conflict is brewing in the occupied Abkhazia. So-called parliament passed a resolution in which it advises the so-called Abkhazian foreign ministry "to send a note to the leadership of the Russian Federation on protection of rights of the personnel of the military sanatorium "Sukhum". A parliamentary commission was also formed to study documentation according to which the sanatorium, under the pretext of restoration works, practically ceases its existence and its staff is to be subject to dismissal.

Russia started disposal of the military sanatorium after dealing with non-military resort facilities. The above sanatorium is military sanatorium of ICBM forces of the Ministry of Defence of Russia that Abkhazians renamed into "Sukhum". This is more than 20 hectares of the best land directly in the capital of the occupied Abkhazia. It is too much of tidbit for Russian officials with great appetite.

The situation was described in a letter sent by a staff of the sanatorium to the Russian President with a request to investigate the situation. The letter was part of
an article "Abkhazians seek protection of the Russian President from Serdyukov" published by internet publication Svobodnaya Presa. The letter, where its authors are asking Medvedev to look into the matter, describes violations and irresponsibility with which a decision to close the facility was made. In particular, the management of the facility received an order with a resolution of Serdyukov "I agree" and according to thsi resolution the resort administration had two hours to empty facility of holidaymakers. They have been transferred into the Gudauta sanatorium which also belongs to the Russian military body.

This efficiency, of course, raises certain doubts. So the personnel of the sanatorium justly suppose that all these actions are directed not at improving work of the resort facility but stopping its operation. Since, as the letter states, from 2000 to present day there has never been any commission of the Russian defence Ministry or of any other government bodies to review material and technical base and actual state of buildings and facilities of sanatorium" Sukhum". Thus there is no document on necessity of full restoration works.

Besides, the authors of the letter also became aware of the fact that budget documents of the restoration works have not been devised. At that, funds for this reconstruction are not provided for in the budget of the Russian Defence Ministry. More, just four days before the decision to close 'Sukhum" was approved by Serdyukov, conditions of treatment and stay in the sanatorium had been examined by relevant bodies of the Russian Defence Ministry. The commission concluded that "conditions correspond to norms of living and treatment of servicemen and their families." The relevant resolution was handed over to the management of the sanatorium by representative of the Centre of State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance Department of the Ministry of Defence of Russia.

Even the Abkhazian Public Chamber showed interest in this scandal. Being at a loss, it sent an appeal to deputy speaker of the parliament Nugzar Ashuba which stated:

"According to the Russian legislation, termination of operation means liquidation of an organization and entails dismissal of all employees. At the same time, conduction of restoration works does not require liquidation of an organization and workers retain their jobs with paid downtime. Contradictions in the preamble (total restoration) and paragraph 1 (termination of operation) of the above order, and the subsequent actions of the administration with regards to layoffs of workers, generated a backlash and social tensions in society".

But that's not all. As if to order, the Svobodnaya Presa publication has learned that, according to the directive of Serdyukov, in the near future the Russian Defence Ministry intends to close five sanatoriums and holiday resorts. If we compare this information with the number of such facilities in Abkhazia and appetites of Russian officials and businessmen, it is possible that at least two of these objects can be found in occupied Abkhazia. So it remains to be seen till when the "independent" people that are just starting to wake up will have to send notes to the Kremlin where their notes may not be even read or answered. And there is no guarantee that anyone out there will listen to grievances of Abkhazians. It seems that Abkhazians will have to perform solo, and even to listen to themselves as no one else will. It was not for nothing that "rising from knees" Russia threw so much money into the territories of Georgia and spent so much political resources at the international arena. They at least should partially compensate their losses with fruits of conquest.

* Apsny – Abkhazians call Abkhazia by this name