Medvedev tells rights activists to be careful with terms speaking of

MOSCOW, May 20 (Itar-Tass) -- President Dmitry Medvedev told human
rights activists to be more careful with terminology and not to
distinguish the North Caucasian republics from the rest of Russia.
"In order to solve these most complicated problems [related to human
rights in the North Caucasian republics], we must mind what we are
saying," Medvedev said at a meeting of the Presidential Council for the
Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Institutions on Wednesday.
"You said the situation in Dagestan differed from the situation in the
rest of Russia," the president said, addressing to one of the meeting
participants. "If we start speaking in such terms, we might just as well
wash our hands and say: 'Let others do it,'" he said.
"Dagestan is part of Russia and I would like all of you to use only
this terminology and no other," he said, adding that disregard for it "is
very dangerous".
"There are things, or so it seemed to me, with which we should be more
careful when using terminology. I do not accept the term 'guerrilla war',
because sometimes it was used even by our comrades in their presentations
today," the president said.
"A guerrilla war, but fighting in it are rebels or terrorists,"
Medvedev said, pointing to the discrepancy between the terms. "I mean
either they are terrorists and rebels, or they are guerrillas."
"Unfortunately, our colleagues who are engaged in human rights
activisties in the West do so. But I think we should use more correct
terms," the president said.
-0-zak/