Government that Came to Power through Actions is now Against Actions

Government that Came to Power through Actions is now Against Actions
Hunger-Strike – an Extreme Way to Achieve Justice

The students of Tbilisi State Medical University continue the protest actions which have become the subject of public discussion. The government which came to power through similar actions not only denies the demands of the demonstrators, but has also used force to break up their demonstrations. The Minister of Education will not compromise with the students, and advises them to get prepared for the National Exams instead of standing in the streets. However, the students persist in their cause and have started a hunger-strike at the university building with their sights set on meeting with the president.  

According to international standards all people have the right to assembly and manifestation, including students. But the Georgian government, despite having come to power through public demonstrations, the right to which was not denied them, now implements forceful methods in order to solve the perceived ‘problem’ of demonstrations. The use of force in dispersing demonstrations throughout the past year indicates the Government’s willingness to reject human rights, and to establish an atmosphere of terror and violence among the population. According to a statement made by deputy Interior Minister Bidzina Bregadze at a briefing on March 15, the police will continue their “work” and will not allow students to put camps in the city center. Public Defender of Georgia Sozar Subari was not concerned about this course of action.

Meanwhile, the students demand that the previous agreement be fulfilled.  This agreement reads clearly that “… after finishing the programme of the first stage of higher medical education, the students according to their grades and wish will be enrolled at the third year of the Medical University, which is the second stage of the education programme”.

Lawyer Nutsa Chokheli from the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center believes that demonstrators have valid demands, and that it is unfortunate that they have to seek justice by demonstrating in front of the parliament building. The agreement clearly reads that students of the college only need to pass exams in subjects related to their specialty.

Another interesting detail in the dispute goes back to the Minister of Education, A Lomaia’s, December 2004 visit to the Medical University, where he presented the model of the United National Exams and discussed the Draft law on higher education. At the meeting professor D. Kochiashvili asked the Minister about the process of continuing future studies for the students of the University College, and the Minister answered that the government would fulfill the undertaken obligations and previous agreements.  Now, the minister holds a very different opinion and attitude. According to him, the college students can continue their study in their second year (and not the third year as was mentioned in the agreement) only after taking the United National Exams.

The only advantage the College students have is that they can take exams in October. Students are not satisfied with this, and appear to be unwilling to stop until their rights are recognized. They have appealed to the Ministry of Justice and started a hunger-strike, which was followed by the forced dispersal. Since the dispersal, there have been no further developments on either side of the dispute.