Changes in a “state” sought by a minority: The current situation and key issues in Chechnya under the Kadyrov regime

Abstract

Chechnya is important in terms of issues related to the nature of the state and minorities in the Russian Federation. When considering the Chechen problem, one notices that it has a dual structure. First, as a minority in Russia, the Chechen people have been affected by changes in the Russian state. Most extant research on this issue has examined the Chechen problem by focusing on the Chechens' relationship with the Russian state. However, there is also another aspect-the form and nature of the "state" sought by the Chechen people has had an impact on both themselves and the Russian side. Existing research has mainly studied the kinds of tensions that "the state" sought by the Chechen people has caused in Russia. Thus, the effects of this "state" on the Chechens themselves have not been adequately studied. This article seeks to consider the Chechen problem by focusing on the nature of the "state" sought by the Chechen people. In particular, it seeks to clarify the kind of influence exerted by the changes in the nature of the "state" advocated by a minority group on that minority group itself. Further, it also considers the current situation and problems in the Chechen Republic. To achieve these aims, this article undertakes two tasks. First, it considers whether the form of the Chechen "state" governed by Ramzan Kadyrov is adequately accepted by its residents. In Chechnya, there have been terrorist activities and revolts by independence-seeking and radical Islamic groups, who do not recognize the legitimacy of the Kadyrov regime. This article analyzes the GTD (Global Terrorism Database) to assess whether the incidents of terror and rebellion have decreased over time to the present. The second task is to consider issues related to the nature of the "state" under