In the first week of September, a cherry tree was blossoming in the ruins of Thalmann Street. Cherry trees never flower in autumn except after a war. This street in the old Jewish quarter of Tskhinvali, long deserted by the Jewish community, was almost totally destroyed during Georgia's brief but intense offensive on the South Ossetian capital.

Georgian cluster munitions fired in the conflict with Russia in August 2008 caused more damage and hit more locations than previously commonly reported, Human Rights Watch said today in a presentation to the Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva.

The armed conflict over South Ossetia has taken a devastating toll on civilians.

The European Union should emphasize the right of all people to return to their homes in Georgia at this week's talks on the recent conflict over South Ossetia.

Human Rights Watch welcomes the productive dialogue we have had with the Georgian government on a number of human rights issues, including those connected to the conflict over South Ossetia. In the spirit of this dialogue I would like to call attention to your September 23 article in the Washington Post, which attributed to Human Rights Watch an estimate of 44 civilian deaths during recent hostilities in South Ossetia.

We are writing in advance of the October 15 discussion in Geneva on the conflict over South Ossetia to urge the EU to prioritize the protection of civilians during the discussions and through the work of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia.

The houses of Georgian villagers in South Ossetia are still burning, their aged inhabitants suffering. The Russian army and emergency services should mobilise to protect them.

The European Union observer mission scheduled to move into areas near South Ossetia must be given both a mandate and adequate resources to protect civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch researchers in Georgia in recent days have documented numerous attacks by Ossetians against civilians in villages in this area, which is effectively under Russian control.