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04/27/2004
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1) April is The Cruelest Month. . . And Most Persistent for Armenian Youth
2) Turkish Consulate Protest Attracts 5,000
3) President Kocharian’s Rendezvous in Paris
4) Coalition, Opposition Talks Break Down
5) His Holiness Aram I Urges International Action to Prevent Future Genocide
1) April is The Cruelest Month. . . And Most Persistent for Armenian Youth
LOS ANGELES–Alternative Radio Host David Barsamian mesmerized an audience of
over 1,000 who packed the Homenetmen Ararat Hall on the Friday before April 24
for the “Rally Against Genocide Denial.”
Organized by the ARF Shant Student Association, Armenian Youth Federation,
the
Armenian National Committee (ANC) Professional network, along with the ANC,
the
dynamic rally proved, yet again, that the Armenian youth in the Los Angeles
area are serious in their pursuit of justice for the Armenian Genocide.
The no-nonsense Barsamian began saying that the issue of Armenian Genocide
recognition must consistently be pushed forward.
April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
“And so,” said Barsamian, having quoted T.S. Elliot, “April is truly is the
cruelest month,” singling out the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide and the
number of deaths this month–thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of US
soldiers–the greatest since the US occupation of Iraq.
In addressing the issue of denial, Barsamian said that Armenians are not
victims, and should never place themselves in that role. “We are not victims,
we are not supplicates,” thus should never beg for justice. “It’s an issue of
morality and justice,” he added, that requires assertiveness in advancing an
issue that is long overdue.
The program also featured National Assembly (NA) of Armenia member and ARF NA
faction leader Levon Mkrtchian, renditions of patriotic songs, visual
presentations, and addresses by activists and political figures.
2) Turkish Consulate Protest Attracts 5,000
LOS ANGELES–About 5,000 protestors converged at the Turkish Consulate in Los
Angeles on April 24, demanding that Turkey recognize the Armenian Genocide,
and
reminding all that the Armenian youth will not relent until justice is served.
The youthful crowd of protestors picketed across two blocks of Wilshire
Blvd.,
carrying signs with slogans such as, “Genocide Unpunished is Genocide
Encouraged,” and “Turkey stop historical Revisionism.”
“The Canadian government officially recognized the Armenian Genocide earlier
this week,” said protest director Sevag Garabetian. “We are thankful for their
ability to classify truth and justice above special interests and are hopeful
that our government, here in the US, will follow suit shortly,” explained
Garabetian.
About two hours after marching on Wilshire Blvd., the protestors gathered in
front of the Turkish Consulate, where Vicken Sosikian, chairman of the
Armenian
Youth Federation (AYF) Western Region, addressed the crowd standing on top
of a
cargo truck, used as a make-shift stage.
Emphasizing that over 80% of the protestors are youth, Sosikian said that
this
generation, along with future generations of Armenian American youth, will
resolutely demand the return of Western Armenia, proper reparations, and
justice.
The annual protest, which has taken place for thirty years, proved more than
ever this year to attract all major broadcast and print media.
“The success of the protest can be credited to a committee of 10 AYF members
who carefully planned the protest for the past five months; over 100 AYF
members helped with crowd control,” said chairperson of the protest organizing
committee Marie Minassian. “The protest is one of many forms of political
activism organized by the AYF throughout the course of the year,” explained
Minassian.
3) President Kocharian’s Rendezvous in Paris
PARIS (Armenpress)–Armenian President Robert Kocharian had an hour-long
private conversation with French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday morning,
and later briefed reporters on the focus of those talks that included
bilateral
relations and the Karabagh conflict. The two presidents also reviewed
Armenia’s
current domestic situation.
Arriving in Paris on April 25, President Kocharian attended one of Charles
Aznavour’s farewell concerts at the Palais de Congres.
The concert, the first in a series of 25 concerts, is in celebration of
Aznavour’s 80th birthday on May 22. The packed auditorium greeted the Armenian
president, while Aznavour thanked him for accepting his invitation. Aznavour
dedicated the concert to Armenia, especially to its younger generation. The
proceeds from the concert will be transferred to the Aznavour Pour L’Armenie
Foundation for charity projects in Armenia.
The delegation departed for Warsaw late Tuesday, for the World Economic
Forum,
where Kocharian is scheduled to meet, apart from Polish and Georgian
presidents, with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
4) Coalition, Opposition Talks Break Down
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Early on Tuesday, opposition leaders in Armenia halted their
talks with Armenia’s governing coalition.
On Monday, the opposition presented to the leaders of the governing
coalition,
an ultimatum that contains ten demands, including that a referendum of
confidence be held.
The talks resumed Tuesday only to end in half an hour. Opposition
representatives said they are freezing the “political consultations” because
the authorities have already rejected two of their demands by blocking all
roads leading to Yerevan and passing a law on rallies.
Parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian said the talks were suspended by the
two
sides “so the [coalition] parties can discuss the submitted proposals.”
Holding yet another rally in Yerevan on Tuesday, opposition leaders also
attributed the move to halt talks to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) decision to discuss the political situation in Armenia on
Wednesday.
The Armenian parliament approved the law on rallies in the second reading
despite strong objections voiced by experts from the Council of Europe and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In an interim report, the
Council’s legislative watchdog, the Venice Commission, concluded that the
legislation runs counter to the European Convention on Human Rights of which
Armenia is a signatory.
In Strasbourg, meanwhile, a PACE commission monitoring Armenia’s compliance
with its membership obligations discussed a statement which will be put before
the 45-nation assembly for debate on Wednesday.
5) His Holiness Aram I Urges International Action to Prevent Future Genocide
ANTELIAS (AP)–Commemorating the early 20th century death of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, the spiritual leader of about 2
million survivors and their descendants on April 23, urged international
action
to prevent future genocide.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, said the world should impose
economic sanctions, “and in extreme situations, engage in humanitarian
intervention” to stop mass killings.
“These are the most efficient ways of preventing genocide,” he told a two-day
conference organized by his church.
Speaking at the opening session of the conference on Thursday, Aram I also
announced the establishment of an International Center for Dialogue, Peace and
Human Rights, to be based at his seat in the northern Beirut suburb of
Antelias.
The International Conference on Genocide, Impunity and Justice brought
together Lebanese Cabinet ministers, lawmakers, religious leaders from other
sects, and foreign scholars and diplomats.
Speakers focused on the inadequacy of existing international criminal laws in
dealing with mass killings, which mostly go unpunished. The speakers included
UN human rights and world court officials, as well as a presidential
representative from Rwanda, where the world’s latest genocide a decade ago
killed nearly 800,000 people.
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