Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TBILISI512
2009-03-17 14:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

GEORGIA: IDPS: NEW AND OLD THEMES

Tags:  PHUM PGOV KIRF RR GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1677
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #0512/01 0761405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171405Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1196
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4805
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 TBILISI 000512 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/ACE, PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF RR GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: IDPS: NEW AND OLD THEMES

REF: A. TBILISI 408

B. TBILISI 407

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 TBILISI 000512

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/ACE, PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF RR GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: IDPS: NEW AND OLD THEMES

REF: A. TBILISI 408

B. TBILISI 407

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: Recent trips to the west Georgian cities
of Kutaisi and Zugdidi reinforce the impression that many of
the problems for IDPs from the 1990's remain unaddressed, and
the GoG's plan to target their needs directly has not yet
yielded visible results. While the GoG has been criticized
for building homes for new IDPs from the August 2008 conflict
too hastily, a recent visit to one such settlement Tserovani
revealed that some of the earlier logistical problems are
being addressed. The continuing challenges for the Ministry
of Refugees and Accommodation are dealing with the thousands
of requests for assistance from individual IDPs and
disseminating information to them systematically so people
can make smart choices for themselves and their families.
The Minister of Refugees and Accommodation works hard but not
efficiently--as does the Ministry itself. From the
standpoint of the donor community, many of the decisions
which affect privatization of collective centers are being
made at senior levels of government and are not shared in a
streamlined way to de-conflict with donor plans. Improved
communication is especially important because, even with the
best of intentions, it will be some time before the
government can respond to all IDPs' needs. Although
opposition political parties are represented in the region,
as of yet none of them are working yet on a regional level in
a way that would allow them to address IDP social issues.
End summary.

NEW SOLUTIONS FOR "OLD" IDPs


2. (C) On February 25, Prime Minister Gilauri and Minister
for Refugees and Accommodations (MRA) Subeliani, along with
other GoG officials, briefed the international donor
community on their plans for durable housing solutions for
"old IDPs" or those who had been displaced during the
1989-1992 period. According to MRA information, 43 percent
of IDPs are accommodated in 1600 collective centers, and 57
percent have found shelter individually, some staying with
family or friends. Most of these IDPs reside in Tbilisi (45
percent),Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (28 percent),and Imereti

(13 percent). The plan for the integration of old IDPs is
that those residing in collective centers (which are either
owned by GoG or private entities) will be offered private
ownership, although the GoG would have to buy the private
properties first. For those buildings which cannot be
refurbished or for families needing additional space, some
new buildings may be required. The first step in this
concept envisages rehabilitation and transferring property to
IDPs for the symbolic price of 1 GEL. The plan is that IDPs
will sign contracts, transferring ownership to them, and all
property owners will then be entered into the Public Registry
data base. The government will pay for all associated fees.
GOG envisages that 138 million GEL will be allocated for this
in 2009, but it will cost overall 700-800 million USD to
realize the total project. (Embassy note: The 138 million
GEL is a direct contribution from the EC to support
Government efforts to provide durable resettlement options
for the "old" IDPs. End note.)


3. (C) So far MRA has not shared this information with
IDPs in written form, nor widely briefed them on the latest
government plans. In a March 5 meeting with Subeliani, Matt
Johnson, PRM Europe Program Officer, and Lisa Kierans,
Moscow-based Regional Refugee coordinator, urged the Minister
QMoscow-based Regional Refugee coordinator, urged the Minister
to effectively disseminate written information to IDPs to
clarify MRA policy and explains the IDPs' options. According
to documents disseminated at the February 25 brief, the
process of rehabilitation will be managed by the Ministry of
Finance and MRA. In remarks at a March 8 roundtable held in
honor of International Women's Day, Subeliani outlined the
durable housing solutions for old IDPs but included
information that was not in the earlier brief, such as
compensation for IDPs who had bought their own accommodation
in the last 15 years. Subeliani also said that clarification
is needed to define who is an "old IDP." Ostensibly, IDPs
born in Tbilisi to old caseload IDPs, or those who moved to
Tbilisi more than 15 years ago from Sukhumi, should not be
counted in overall old caseload IDP figures. He used himself
as an example, saying that although his family was from
Sukhumi, that they had moved to Tbilisi when he was very
young and he had lived in the capital most of is life. Thus,
by his own account, he is not an old IDP.

NEW IDP SETTLEMENTS
--------------


TBILISI 00000512 002 OF 005



4. (U) On March 8 the IDP Women's Group CONSENT led by
Chairperson Julia Kharashvili and Minister Subeliani
co-hosted a gathering to discuss problems of new and old IDPs
alike. Women from the new IDP settlements outlined their
main concerns as lack of potable water, hygiene (related to
problems with lack of or insufficient plumbing, showers and
toilets),income generation, psychological counseling, lack
of transport, and insufficient school books for their
children. Perhaps the most notable deficiency was the lack
of a mechanism of contacting the requisite MRA official to
resolve issues without having to go straight to the top to
contact the minister himself. On March 9, Poloffs traveled
to the new IDP settlement of Tserovani, just outside of
Tbilisi, which has received criticism for shoddy workmanship.
Poloffs talked with three local Georgian contractors who
were supervising the construction of a kindergarten,
secondary school and municipal government buildings next to
the housing complex. One of these contractors employs 32
IDPs from the surrounding area. Poloffs also saw bread being
delivered to kiosks, several small shops selling foodstuffs,
and residents queuing for a marshrutka minibus which now
stops in the villages. Next to several homes bloomed flowers
which were recently planted, and more than a half-dozen TV
satellite dishes now adorn the roofs of some of the homes. A
garbage truck, bearing a USAID sticker, was picking up
garbage; the driver told Emboff they do so twice a week.
Poloff also noted a recently installed underground drainage
system which ran between the houses, presumably to assist
with the issue of standing water.


5. (C) On March 8, Emboff talked with Guy Mooney from the
USAID FORECAST project. Mooney leads a USAID-funded project
to examine the interworkings of the MRA, noting where
improvements in communication can be made. Mooney agreed
that Subeliani is very dedicated and hardworking, but needs
learn to delegate. Mooney tested the MRA hotline numbers to
gauge responsiveness to incoming calls. He tried for three
days to get through and ultimately got a recording.
Subeliani takes many calls personally, with the end result
that he is frantically busy and the exterior of his building
and corridors are jammed with IDPs waiting to be heard.
There currently doesn't appear to be an established regional
hierarchy to which concerns can be directed. Additionally,
there is friction between MRA and the Civil Registry over
registering IDPs. (Comment: UNHCR in separate meetings
mentioned this to Poloff as well. End comment.) Although
the Civil Registry has streamlined other administrative
practices to make them more efficient, there is resistance
from MRA, which wants to create its own separate data base.

ZUGDIDI IDPS
--------------


6. (C) Zugdidi, only a dozen kilometers away from the
Abkhazia administrative boundary line, in previous visits
looked quite deserted and dismal. However, the first thing
that meets the eye today is much livelier streets, busy
traffic, and the hallmark of a present-day Georgian town, a
fountain which gurgles in sync to a musical soundtrack which
began operating last year. Zugdidi is said to host a
population 50,000 IDPs living in rundown collective centers.
One chronic problem has been poor communication flow between
the government and IDPs regarding GoG plans for future IDP
disposition. On February 26, the Deputy Governor, Alexander
Akhvlediani told Emboff that councils made up of IDPs had
QAkhvlediani told Emboff that councils made up of IDPs had
been established in collective centers through which
information is now disseminated. This ensured better
information flow, and also encouraged buy-in from residents.
Akhvlediani said that he encouraged IDPs to participate in
determining solutions; his plan was that IDPs would be
involved every step of the way to the point when their
apartments were totally refurbished. Then, IDPs would sign a
document indicating that the living space met their
expectations.


7. (C) Akhvlediani told Emboff that over 22 million GEL
will be dedicated by fall this year to the region to
refurbish collective centers. According to Akhvlediani,
there are design projects in the works, and tenders will be
announced soon. The local government is considering
repairing some abandoned buildings that were left by Russians
who had previously worked at the Enguri Dam for IDP use.
Most IDPs hope for eventual repatriation, but right now
people are focused on more immediate problems like finding a
job. Akhvlediani was hopeful that public work projects,
including improvement of roads, and upgrades to the water
supply system, would provide locals with employment
opportunities. As to the rumors of a Russian spring
offensive (reftel A),Akhvlediani said that locals were
frightened by this prospect--understandably so, with Russian

TBILISI 00000512 003.2 OF 005


forces not that far away. In parting he told Emboff, "The
role of the soldier is still not finished in this region."


8. (C) In a February 27 meeting, Marina Davitaia, NGO
Samegrelo-Medea, outlined concerns of IDPs to poloff based on
the results of some canvassing data from a project she is
working on for Conciliation Resources, a British NGO. Her
NGO is canvassing one IDP compact settlement, which includes
three blocks of buildings, or 56 families (300 people.) Her
task is to outline who is living in the apartments and how
many reside there full-time. She also will examine their
relationship with GoG municipal officials and intermediate
between IDPs and the government to inform IDPs of their
rights and how to use government structures.


9. (C) Davitaia said that out of the 300 IDPS she
interviewed, only two percent of them were employed, and only
one (a teacher) is working in her given profession. She had
not heard of the public service works mentioned by
Akhvlediani, and was not aware of any IDP council in her
settlement. According to Davitaia, IDPs were very afraid of
further destabilization and have grown despondent over the
soaring prices of bribes to cross the Enguri bridge into
Abkhazia. To IDPs, the memories of 1993 and 1998 were still
fresh in their minds, and August was like "an open sore."
Many feel now that they will never return to Abkhazia. When
fighting erupted in August, only the very poor who could not
leave remained in Zugdidi, which became a virtual ghost town.


10. (C) Davitaia said her most worrying concern now is
young people who are not completing their education. Their
parents can no longer afford to pay a portion of their
university fees that scholarships do not cover, and so many
are leaving for Turkey and other places, some illegally, to
find employment. As for forced passportization, she said the
reality is that as many as 50 percent of Georgians in Gali
already have a Russian passport, and eventually all will take
one. This is not due to force, but the reality that they
cannot get paid or take care of many administrative tasks
without it. (Comment: Poloff asked for clarification of the
passport as to whether it was Abkhaz or Russian. Davitaia
made no distinction between the two. Other sources suggest
50 percent is a considerable exaggeration.)

POLITICS AND IDPS
--------------


11. (C) Poloff met with representatives from Democratic
Movement United Georgia, Christian Democrat Movement (CDM),
and We Ourselves opposition political parties in Zugdidi.
Conversations with them indicated that local party
representatives are not remunerated, only work a fraction of
their business day on party business, and do not work
together to tackle IDP problems. Most do not have full time
offices. CDM rep, Temur Toloraia, however, did tell poloff
that they were waiting for the local municipality to sort out
the issue of office space; because CDM had cleared the
threshold in the last election, the party is entitled to an
office in government space. As Murman Malazonia, We
Ourselves party told emboff, it is hard for opposition party
members to get locals to sign on with opposition parties,
given that the Abkhaz-government-in-exile has an active
presence in Zugdidi. Malazonia said the
government-in-exile's job is to remind IDPs what the
government has done for them, especially during the voting
period. According to Malazonia, he who controls the jobs,
also controls the votes.
Qalso controls the votes.


12. (C) Representatives of Nino Burjanadze's party
Democratic Movement for United Georgia thought that locals
were interested in new elections. Neither CDM nor We
Ourselves seemed to think this was the case. As Marina
Davitaia told us, most IDPs are not likely to vote for
Burjanadze given her past remarks, and when opposition party
representatives have visited collective centers before, they
were often met with a hostility. (Comment: Davitaia was
referring to an incident that occurred when IDPs were forced
out collective centers which were privatized several years
ago when Burjandaze was then Prime Minister. At that time,
IDPs were reported to have said, "If we are treated like
this, we will leave and go back to Abkhazia and live with the
de factos." Burjanadze in turn reportedly called them all
traitors. End Comment.) The consensus at least from CDM and
We Ourselves was that the IDPs were bitterly disappointed
with the results of the August conflict and Russian
recognition of Abkhazia, but were not so upset that they
planned to call for new elections. Regarding Alasania,
Marina Davitaia said that some local residents had a positive
impression of Alasania from his previous work there as the
Georgian government representative for Abkhazia in exile, but

TBILISI 00000512 004 OF 005


the vast majority do not know him very well.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN GALI
--------------


13. (C) In a February 27 meeting, Rezo Bendeliani, of the
NGO Mixed Families, told Emboff that although Enguri crossing
are expensive and sometimes dangerous, people with family
members remaining in Abkhazia still cross. Some of them do
so at unofficial check points, and some hire guides who know
where the crossing is easiest. Bendeliani maintains that
even if the GoG and the Abkhaz de facto authorities may not
be ready to settle some issues, ordinary people still need
contact with their families. He regularly calls and speaks
to his family in Sukhumi. Bendeliani discounted the accuracy
of Georgian television reports about the human rights
situation in Gali. He characterized the reports as
sensationalist. During poloff's visit, there were widespread
reports of Georgians being forcibly thrown out of their
homes. Bendeliani said that the practice of drafting
Georgians to serve in the Abkhaz militia continued, but no de
facto authorities were forcibly evicting Georgians from their
homes -- he ascribed this to media hype. (Note: In this
case, however the reports were true. See reftel B.)


14. (C) Bendeliani had heard that some Abkhaz had returned
from Turkey to live in Abkhazia. In the scope of things,
however these represented a few isolated cases of individuals
being brought back by their families. Integration for
returnees was difficult, due to language and cultural
differences, and there were in fact few integrated families.
He said that the Russians do not want to see Abkhaz move in
from Turkey, and that the strain between Russians and Abkhaz
was growing more tense. He predicted that that soon more
visible cracks in the relationship would show, as both sides
realize the untenable situation they had created.

GEORGIAN CHURCH IN ZUGDIDI
--------------


15. (C) Poloff met with Father Malkhaz Chanturia, Georgian
Orthodox Church, at Kotskheli Nunnery to ask about the
religious freedom of Georgians in Gali. In an earlier
meeting with Metropolitan Daniel from Sukhumi, Metropolitan
Daniel told emboff that GOC priests had difficulty traveling
to Gali, and thus Georgians traveled to Zugdidi for their
spiritual guidance. Chanturia estimates that up to one third
of his congregation on ecclesiastical holidays and Sundays
are from Gali. Chanturia said there was a GOC priest in Gali
conducting services until last year, when local authorities
showed up, demanded that he pack his things, and promptly
escorted him across the administrative boundary line. After
the GOC priest left, an Abkhaz priest led the services, but
now he too has been recalled to Sukhumi by the de facto
Bishop of Abkhazia, Besarion. Chanturia has heard
unofficially that Georgian icons from the Ilori church, near
Gali, have been replaced with Russian icons.


16. (C) Chanturia characterized priests serving in Abkhazia
as Russian Orthodox priests who don't necessarily agree with
ROC teachings, and so Abkhazia is a good posting for those
wishing to escape the ROC yoke. Chanturia characterized the
major issues affecting his congregants, besides security
issues, as poor health and unemployment. The GOC there does
work with Oxfam and Doctors without Borders to reach those in
most need and connect them to currently available GoG
services. (Comment: The recently passed GoG universal
health insurance program is expected to address some of the
current caps in basic health care, particularly for the most
Qcurrent caps in basic health care, particularly for the most
vulnerable. End Comment.) During the August conflict, he
said that he and his fellow clergy had remained within the
region, praying for a peaceful resolution.

COMMENT
--------------


17. (C) Poloff had the opportunity on several occasions to
meet Subeliani over the course of two weeks. He was engaged,
and respected by the IDP community as someone who is
dedicated to their issues. Poloff heard the presentation on
solutions to the old IDP solutions three times: twice from
Subeliani and once from the Governor of Imereti, each time
with a different twist. The danger of not giving the
government plan to IDPs in written form is that every time
the presentation is delivered, additional tidbits are added
and expectations may be inflated. As Marina Davitaia said,
there are three ways to get info out to IDPs: TV, NGOs, and
gossip. The challenge is to get the uniform message out to
all IDPs and to create a mechanism so that information flows
freely. FORECAST will be working with MRA on these very

TBILISI 00000512 005 OF 005


issues.
TEFFT