May 11, 2004 - 19:28 AMT
GEORGIAN POPULATION OF TSALKA REGION DEMANDS BRINGING IN INTERNAL FORCES
Residents of the Tsalka region of Georgia gathered today in front of the State Chancellery building in Tbilisi demanding to immediately bring in forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the region. In the words of action participants, the Armenian population making 80% of the Tsalka region infringes upon the rights of representatives of other nationalities, who constantly undergo physical and moral pressure. Commenting on the situation in the Tsalka region, representative of the Georgian President in Kvemo Kartli region Joseph Mamzishvili stated: "We will probably make a decision and address the Minister of the Interior to confiscate arms from Tsalka residents and eliminate the syndrome of impunity." It should be noted that the Sunday incident between local Armenians and Svans in the regional center of Tsalka caused the opposition. The quarrel, which later came to blows, began after a football match between the village youth teams. As a result, 10 got bodily injures of various degrees of gravity.