Grozny protests Myanmar violence, as Chechen leader defies official Russian position

Grozny protests Myanmar violence, as Chechen leader defies official Russian position
By bne IntelliNews September 5, 2017

Over 1mn people protested against the "Muslim genocide" in Myanmar in Grozny, the organisers of the event claimed to Interfax. The authorities of the Chechen republic also participated in the event.

The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov also controversially said live on Instragram that he will confront Russa's official federal position should it side with Myanmar authorities in the sectarian conflict, claiming that he has "his own vision, his own position" on the issue.

Kadyrov is a loose cannon and runs Chechnya as a personal fiefdom. As the Kremlin is totally reliant on Kadyrov to prevent a resurgence of separatist fighting there it has little control over him. Kadyrov as styled himself as a de facto leader of Russia’s Muslims and home to Islam in the Russian Federation.

The official policy is to support the administration in Myanmar, a Russian ally in SE Asia. In January Russia and China blocked a resolution condemning Myanmar in the UN Security council.

The demonstration followed on from a spontaneous demonstration outside the embassy of Myanmar over the weekend that drew 1,000 protestors. The protest was unsanctioned but police looked on bemused, unsure of what to do.

The protest was also larger than most political opposition rallies, underscoring again that religious issues are far more emotive in Russia, which remains a deeply Orthodox conservative country, than political issues.

Kadyrov as used the issue to yet again claim leadership over the 10% Muslim minority in Russia, which the federal authorities have left free, concentrating their efforts playing to the Orthodox majority. Seen in the West as a cruel authoritarian, Kadyrov said "many Muslims write to me denouncing this lawlessness, this genocide".

Kadyrov was fast to jump to capitalise on Muslim-related controversies. In January 2015 he held a manifestation Love to Prophet Muhammad, protesting defaming and caricaturising of the prophet.

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