Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia let anybody in here anymore". "The Economist" also quoted a South Ossetian intelligence officer as follows: "We burned these houses. We want to make sure that they [the Georgians] can't come back, because if they do come back, this will be a Georgian enclave again and this should not happen". Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia was a mass expulsion of ethnic Georgians, which was conducted in South Ossetia and other territories occupied by Russian and South Ossetian forces, which happened during and after the 2008 Russia–Georgia war. The Human Rights Watch
Russia–South Ossetia relations Medvedev and the Russian Federal Assembly for official recognition of their independence as sovereign states. President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity flew to Moscow on 23 August 2008 to deliver South Ossetia's appeal in an address to the Federation Council. After hearing the appeals from both the Abkhazian and South Ossetian leadership, on 25 August 2008 the Federation Council and State Duma passed motions calling upon President Medvedev to recognise the independence of the two regions and to establish diplomatic relations with them. On 26 August 2008, President Medvedev signed presidential decrees recognising the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia