Envoy sees bitter legacy of war in Ossetian village

Reuters followed Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner as he toured South Ossetian villages damaged during the Russia-Georgia conflict, what he found was widespread distruction.

"What happened here, a couple of weeks ago, shall never be repeated because this is an insult to people's human rights," Hammarberg said after touring a part of the regional capital Tskhinvali that had been heavily damaged by Georgian shelling.

Comments from South Ossetians showed that the chances of their region returning to Georgian control are basically nil. South Ossetians are calling the recent conflict the "third wave of genocide", referring to conflicts with Georgia in the 1920's and the region's war for independence in the 1990's.

"Are you mad? It's better to die than live with them," said one South Ossetian villager.