South Ossetia Says No

[Peter Pedant]

Georgia ( readers may remember) was flattened by Russia and left flattened, South Ossetia - ( where dat den, Ans: Georgia, I already said that) has scheduled a referendum to reintegrate with Russia
and called off the elections
They have seen the results of Russian liberation

In spanith I thuppose that would be: el hombre en Thouth Othettia dice no

what er do people think

[Old_Geezer]

SO has the right to make it's own decisions. But whether their small voice matters when nations have other ideas, remains to be seen.

[Peter Pedant]

Yeah but no but
Dorset ( own language Darzetter) (pop 15 000) doesnt have the right to secede from the united kingdom does it?

[ichkeria]

Here is a link:

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220530-georgia-s-breakaway-region-of-south-ossetia-ditches-referendum-on-joining-russia

Just to be clear: what has happened is that incument president of the region has called off a planned referendum. The reason for that is unclear. Maybe he's been told be his handlers in the Kremlin that other referenda in Ukraine take priority :-)
A referendum if it does happen would have to be rigged of course, in favour of "yes". Maybe, just maybe, there is a genuine fear that this would be impossible in the light of the Ukraine war.

S Ossetia is a region very much like the so-called "people's republics" in Donetsk and Luhansk, with the obvious difference that in the case of S Ossetia there is a genuine ethnic conflict, as in Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia.

Georgia wasn't flattened in 2008 btw: the russians withdrew (mostly) after their invasion (which also included a brief occupation of a Georgian port). As well as further military operations in Abkhazia.

[Peter Pedant]

I thought they flattened Grozny ( georgia) and it is still flat. Like you can go there and sort of view it - as a flatland

[ichkeria]

Grozny's in Chechnya peter (!)
And has been rebuilt with dizzying sky scrapers etc.

Latest btw from General SVR: the apparent Kremlin whistle blower: Putin plans to integrate Russia, Belarus and occupied Ukraine into a single country, bringing Yanukovich back to rule the Ukraine bits.
Maybe he is mad, after all.

[gulliver1]

All referendums are rigged .

[ToraToraTora]

surely it's only the ones that don't give the answer you want Gully!

[Khandro]

Why would anyone wish to JOIN Russia? Thousands of the young & the intellectuals are getting out pronto.

[ichkeria]

An attraction for S Ossetia might be closer union with their co-Ossetians in the North. And there is genuine enmity with the Georgians.
Needless to say tho that just as Stalin, did, this ethnic conflicts have been exploited to the full by the Kremlin.

[youngmafbog]

My guess it would depend on your background and education Khandro.

If you are educated to believe in Russia then why wouldnt you?

[Peter Pedant]

yeah Ich - thanks
back to the maps

[Peter Pedant]

there are good schools and unis in Russia
they get nobel prizes

[Peter Pedant]

Stalin did some of the planting
deporting the Crimean tatars 1945 ( for collaboration with the Germans) and filling Crimea with good Russians

[ichkeria]

Naomi might be interested in this after our recent exchange
The Servant of the People Party in Ukraine (ie the ruling party) has censured the public prosecutor for her concentration on “sexual crimes” (of Russian military) without evidence (!)
Bizarre

[Khandro]

PP //there are good schools and unis in Russia
they get nobel prizes//

Then don't hesitate.

[naomi24]

That is bizarre, ich. I’m still not convinced there isn’t some propaganda being generated.

[ichkeria]

It reminds me what a disputatious lot Ukrainians are :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Dorset can go hold a referendum if it likes.

[William51]

South Ossetia have seen the light, they have hesitated after seeing Putins brutality. He has done harm to Russia and its reputation.