Month: May 2008

DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, ANKARA CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT DEMOCRACY MEANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2008 16:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Truth about the Armenian Genocide Is That It Is
True! The denial policy of Turkey and the corresponding justification
of the genocide sends the wrong message to the new generations of
Turkey; worse, it breeds the potential justification of mass murder
in the world as a whole, Edward Papelian writes in "Turkey’s Chronic
Inability to Face the Truth" article published in Global Politician
on April 29, 2008.

Indeed, as the former Israeli Minister of Education and a Member
of Knesset wrote in reference to the Armenian Genocide: "We cannot
accept victims without murderers, genocide without the responsible. An
orphaned genocide is the father of the next genocide."

The article continues:

"Co-existence Is an Obligation of the People of the World: generations
have had to deal with the genocide of the Armenians. And much time
and energy has been wasted – time and energy which could have been
constructively used for compensation and reconciliation. As long
as Ankara continues to carry out international diplomatic feuds and
to view the acknowledgment and condemnation of the genocide as only
provocation or national humiliation, it has not and cannot understand
what humanity, democracy, compensation, reconciliation civilized
society, Europe and the culture of remembrance means. As a result,
communication and interrelations with the free, democratic world
will naturally remain troubled and disturbed. That is why the time
has come for Turkey to look in the mirror.

"Turkey has to understand that the invented glorious history of Turkish
politicians/bureaucrats – the very ideology of the state itself –
is not only biased and based on racism, but that the corresponding
industry of genocide denial is outdated. Cosmetic "reforms" and
cosmetic "changes" to notorious penal codes are meaningless and change
nothing. It is the mentality of the Turkish politicians which has
to be changed, not the facts on Armenian Genocide. What was happened
was and remains genocide.

"Even in "modern" Turkey, independent historians and journalists do
not have an easy life, especially if they undertake any attempt to
question the official national dogma regarding the Armenian Genocide
and destruction of other Christian minorities. When they do so,
the Turkish Minister of Justice speaks of the "stabbing Turkey in
the back with a dagger" and of the betrayal of the fatherland. (In
Turkey, such utterances – especially when coming from a minister of
the government – can be the equivalent of a death sentence and are
reminiscent of the fatwa of the religious fanatics.) Among others,
the Noble Prize winner Orhan Pamuk was forced to go to exile due to
his questioning of the official stance, and the Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink – an outspoken voice of the tiny Armenian
community still in Turkey (foreigners in there historic home land!) –
was executed in cold blood in 2007 in front of his office after the
Turkish judiciary publicly persecuted him."

ARARAT. GOLD FEVER AND HEALTH DISEASE

Panorama.am
14:26 02/05/2008

The environmental and health problems are becoming more widespread
in Ararat city while the price of gold is getting higher and
higher. Thought the environmental and health specialists try to prove
that those problems are closely connected with more global things,
people in Ararat are concerned with the damages and accidents caused
by the industry.

In the last decades modern technologies have improved and gold
processing is being carried out with minimal risks. There are not
modern technologies in "Ararat Gold Recovery Company" (AGRC).

Industrial Ararat City has been founded in 1931 42km far from
Yerevan. Yet in Soviet Times gold processing and cement companies were
built in Ararat. The city has accumulated industrial, water supply,
waste and greet areas decrease problems.

The tailing dam of AGRC where the liquid mass is accumulated after
gold is processed is consisted of dangerous materials for not only
human health but for the city’s fauna and flora.

"The tailing dam is full of materials which cause serious health
diseases: breathing organs, blood and hereditary diseases like monster
birth," said Hakob Sanasaryan, the head of "Greens Union of Armenia".

There are cyanide, cadmium, copper and arsenate in the tailing dam.

In 13 November 2007 a poll was conducted through the people of Ararat
to find out what percent of people are aware of the dangers and
diseases caused by the tailing dam and what measures they do take to
meet the ecological disease. 50 people take part in the poll and 100%
of them is aware of the ecological disease caused by the tailing dam
of the gold processing factory situated in their city. People are
quite conscious that chemicals in the tailing dam are the enemies to
their health. To the question what chemicals there are in the dam,
they answered – cyanide.

But people living in Ararat are not aware of worse chemicals which
caused a monster birth in industrial city Lori. "People, today, talk
about some other dangers, except getting concerned by the worst ones,
for example if lead and molybdenum are in their minimal amounts they
are useful for nature but much of them kills the fertility by 92%,"
said H. Sanasaryan.

The doctors of the only hospital in the city refused to name them
but they affirmed that there are dangerous chemicals in the tailing
dam. According to the official data provided by them the number of
oncological diseases in the city gets higher every year: in 2004
there were 211 cases and in 2007 290 oncological cases. They said
that in the last four years not a single expertise was held either
by the company owners or by the government. The doctors added that
these are only registers cases.

The health diseases of Ararat city can be seen even if you are
not an expert, say the experts. "The cement factory is a real
environmental crime together with the rest. It dismisses particles
into the atmosphere which can have serious health effect on people,"
said Philip Peck, international expert, Australia.

If the chemical disease of the tailing dam is invisible and people
need to be informed, the situation is quite different with the cement
factory, as the black particles of cement coming out from the pipe
are spread on the city.

"If I could I would take my wife and my family and would leave
Ararat. It is impossible to fight against so many health problems,-
said 47-year-old Ashot Carukyan who lives in Ararat city,- I am
thinking that my daughters are living in a toxic atmosphere, but I
can not change my living place.

Whereas they both are the sequences of the problem.

The real doctor cures the problem and not its results.

Reporter – Emma Sargsyan, YSU, Journalism department, MA student

ACADEMY OF NATIONAL SCIENCES: NO DISCUSSIONS ON FINANCING

Panorama.am
15:41 02/05/2008

There won’t be any new discussions for financing in the Academy of
National Sciences, said Radik Martirosyan, the president of the ANS.

According to him the current question should be dealt by the science
committee. "Science Committee should deal with this problem. Besides
we’re not going to invent a bicycle. Science is not an aspect where
everyday new things are invented and it is one of the conservative
directions of a person, thus it does not like when changes are too
unceasing," said R. Martirosyan.

Note that a few weeks ago in the annual summit of the ANS, the
scientists raised this question and the president of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan ordered to put this item in the discussion and make final
decision.

TURKISH LAW: CHANGE DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH

Watertown Daily Times, MA
0502/OPINION01/581778319
May 2 2008

A modest step by Turkey’s parliament to counter criticism of its
"anti-Turkish" law falls short of real reform.

Turkey has come under fire for laws restricting free speech by making
it a crime to denigrate Turkish identity. The law has been used against
thousands of people, among them prominent writers who have referred
to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians near the end of World War I
as genocide. The government rejects the label.

Under the approved reform, individuals can still be prosecuted for
insults to the "Turkish nation" instead of "Turkishness," although
such distinctions can be easily blurred. Those convicted under the
change, which must be approved by Turkey’s president, can still be
sentenced to up to two years in jail, down from a maximum of three
years. The sentence could be suspended for first-time offenders.

The European Union had pressed Turkey to change the law as a condition
for entry into the organization. The EU presidency called the vote a
"constructive step forward in ensuring freedom of expression, and we
look forward to its effective implementation."

A spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch called it "a deeply disappointing
revision."

Hard-liners objected to the changes, but it is hard to see them as
a major step forward. The law still allows people to be prosecuted
for opinions that may be contrary to an official or orthodox
viewpoint. When considering Turkey’s admission, the European Union
should stand firm for repeal of such laws.

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN STUDENTS SCUFFLE IN PEOPLES’ FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva-APA. Azerbaijani and Armenian students have
scuffled during a festival of "South-West planet" at the Peoples’
Friendship University of Russia in Moscow on Friday.

Representatives of different countries have performed their national
cultures in the festival, Press-Service of the University told
APA. When Armenian student sang a song at the stage, Azerbaijani
students protested him saying that he sang Azerbaijani song. They have
chanted "Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan" and waved Azerbaijani flags. Armenians
have also started to chant their country’s name, which resulted
with the scuffles between the students. Both have been taken away
from the area for the prevention of mass clashes. The University
authorities called on Azerbaijani and Armenian students to calm down
and to continue the festival’s work, but the students didn’t avoid
the offensive thoughts. Finally the University authorities have benne
forced to stop the festival.

PEOPLES’ FRIENDSHIP UNIVERSITY OF RUSSIA PREVENTS CLASH BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI STUDENTS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Russia, Moscow, 2 May / Trend News .corr.R.Agaev / The Peoples’
Friendship Festival ‘Planet of South and West’, which is usually
held in the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) on 1 May,
was cancelled due to a possible mass clash between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani students, a student from PFUR reported to TrendNews.

According to the student, the reason for the clash was caused by
an Azerbaijani song being produced by an Armenian music band on the
stage of the University. The band introduced the song as belonging to
the Armenians. Azerbaijani students, who were seated near the stage,
immediately retaliated and took the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags and
began condemning the Armenians for stealing the national and cultural
values of the Azerbaijani nation.

The Armenians responded with abusive words against the Azerbaijanis
and plastic bottles were thrown at the Azerbaijani students. Later,
in order to prevent any further provocation, the human rights activists
attempted to disperse the Azerbaijani and Armenian students.

One of the black students came onto the stage and called for the
Armenian and Azerbaijani students to convey friendship and mutual
understanding towards each other. The PFUR Rector office representative
also called for the Armenians and Azerbaijanis to restore order and
to continue the ceremony. However, despite this the Armenian and
Azerbaijani students continued to clash which was finally broken up
after police interference.

Members of the law enforcement and emergency situations prevented
a further clash by escorting the Armenian students to the Belayevo
metro station nearby and the Azerbaijani students were sent in a
different direction.

In 2007, during the same holiday, Azerbaijani sportsman, Agali Alishev,
was amongst the participants and was injured during a similar clash
which took place between the Armenian and Azerbaijani students.

According to a witness, there were about 500 Armenians and they were
attempting to be provocative. There were only 100 or 150 Azerbaijani
students. According to an Azerbaijani student, the Armenians constantly
attempt similar provocations against Azerbaijanis and then attempt
to present themselves as the victims.

"We call upon the Russian departments to put an end to similar unfair
action by Armenians, which is directed to arouse international
hostility in Russia. We, as Azerbaijani citizens are prepared to
liberate the Azerbaijani occupied territories by the Armenians and
we will never permit Armenians to offend the national cultural values
of Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani student stated.

One of the Armenian student stated that he witnessed the detention of
four Armenian students by the Russian police. However, no information
of the arrested was publicized.

ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES FIRED ON POSITIONS OF AZERBAIJANI ARMY IN SEVERAL DIRECTIONS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Nagorno Karabakh Mahbuba Gasimbayli-APA. Armenian armed forces have
violated the cease-fire, Azerbaijani Defence Ministry’s Press Service
told APA.

The divisions of Armenian armed forces fired on the positions of
Azerbaijani Armed Forces with machine and submachine guns from their
posts in Gadabay Region from 13.30 till 17.40 on May 1, Yusifjanli
village of Aghdam Region 06.15 till 06.20 on May 2, Kuropatkina
village of Khojavand Region from 01.05 till 01.30 on May 2, Fuzuli
Region from 13.40 on May 1 till 00.05 on May 2, Chilaburt village
of Terter Region from 01.35 till 02.20 on May 2.The enemy has been
silenced by reprisal fire. No casualties reported.

TRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE VICTIMS IS PERSONAL FOR SOME CORONA-NORCO STUDENTS
By Michelle L. Klampe

Press-Enterprise, CA
ews_Local_C_cflag02.43b19ce.html
May 2 2008

The Press-Enterprise

Amanda Thuch blinked away tears as she gazed at the field of small
white flags planted in front of old Corona City Hall on Thursday to
represent genocide victims in Cambodia.

The flags were just a few of the 3,400 flags planted by Corona-Norco
high school students in commemoration of Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust
Remembrance Day, marked worldwide today.

"Looking at all these flags is pretty emotional," said Thuch, a
16-year-old sophomore at Orange Grove High School. "I prayed for them."

Story continues below

Paul Alvarez / The Press-Enterprise Santiago High School senior
Aaron Carriedo places flags in front of the old Corona City Hall on
Thursday as part of the third annual Field of Flags display. Students
from Corona and Norco high schools planted more than 3,000 flags to
honor Holocaust and genocide victims.

The third annual Field of Flags display honors Holocaust victims as
well as the victims of genocides in Cambodia, Armenia, Iraq, Bosnia,
Rwanda and Darfur. Each small flag represents 5,000 lives lost.

The tribute is constructed by high school students involved in the
Corona-Norco district’s Unity program, which helps students overcome
biases and understand social justice.

In previous years, the event was held at Santana Regional Park, but
it was moved this year to the lawn on Sixth Street so more members
of the community could visit the display.

"This is a chance for people to park their car and look," said Eliseo
Davalos, director of pupil services for Corona-Norco Unified School
District.

Student docents will be at the site today to talk to visitors. The
flags will remain through Sunday morning.

Story continues below

Among the genocides remembered in the Field of Flags display is the
1987-88 killing of thousands of Kurds in Iraq.

Brianna McCullough, a 17-year-old Centennial High School senior,
said she did not know anything about the Armenian genocide, in which
more than 1 million people were killed starting in 1915, until she
researched it for the project.

"I think all of these people that died should be recognized,"
she said. "The only way you can stop stuff like this is by talking
about it."

The Cambodian genocide, which left an estimated 2 million people
dead at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, is more than just
an event in history for Thuch. Her parents were born in Cambodia,
and members of her family escaped the oppression, she said.

"My grandma was pregnant with my uncle and she walked for three days"
to escape, said Thuch, who wore a red T-shirt with an image of the
Cambodian temple Angkor Wat on the front. Her classmates sported
similar T-shirts on loan from Thuch’s mother.

The personal connections of students Thuch and Rawel Chanloeung, 17,
who was born in Cambodia and whose parents lived through the genocide,
brought the project to life for Orange Grove students, said counselor
Lynda Bowie.

"It was exciting," she said, "but it was also disheartening."

Reach Michelle L. Klampe at 951-893-2114 or [email protected]

MAKING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE 301 INSUFFICIENT STEP OF TURKEY TOWARDS EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS: EXPERTS

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 May/corr. Trend News E.Tanriverdiyeva, R.Hafizoglu
/ Making amendments to the article 301, which had been a "stumbling
block" for freedom of expression in Turkey, testified that the
Country has moved towards the standards of the European democracy,
but it may be insufficient step in light of the European Union. "The
new law is certainly an improvement over the old law, which has been
heavily criticized internationally. However, in the minds of many
observers it still does not go far enough," English political analyst
James Ker-Lindsay said.

On 30 April, the Parliament of Turkey made changes to article 301 of
the Criminal Code. According to the changes, the people being accused
of insulting the national dignity of the Turks shall be sentenced
to three years imprisonment. The new variant changed formulation and
shortened the period of imprisonment.

"There is a general feeling that a law of this kind has no real place
in a modern, European democracy," the Professor of Kingston University,
James Ker-Lindsay, reported to TrendNews via e-mail on 1 May.

"People will still face a very real threat of prosecution for raising
issues and questions that many feel can only be addressed through
frank and open discussion in society. In this sense, the amendment
falls short of the democratic standards Turkey should really be trying
to meet," the political analyst said.

According to him, there is no doubt that many in Europe will welcome
the news. "However, it will not be seen as a major change for the
better. Instead, it will be regarded as just another small step
towards democratization," stated.

"I fully expect that in a few years, the Turkish Government will
come under pressure to repeal the article altogether. However, at
this stage there is a feeling that all progress, no matter how small,
should be welcomed," the political analyst stated.

"In this sense, I don’t think that the amendment will have any major
effect on Turkish-EU relations, nor will it be enough to ease the
general feeling in Europe that Turkey needs to make significant
changes to its political system if it ants to join the EU," the
political analyst said.

"All-in-all, it is a welcome move. However, I don’t think that it
will end the pressure on Turkey on this issue," Ker-Lindsay said.

Turkish political analyst Ozjan Tikit considers that making
amendments to article 301, bringing harms to the political image and
international authority of Turkey, shows that the Country is moving
towards democracy. "The issue of liquidating the article 301 became
urgent during discussions on Turkey’s entrance to the European Union,"
the leading expert of Turkish Aksham newspaper, Tikit, reported to
TrendNews via e-mail from Istanbul on 1 May.

However, the political analyst thinks that the article 301
article leads to several problems in Turkey. "This law has been
directed towards opinions and views of people," political analyst
said. According to Tikit, prosecuting people in Turkey for their
opinions and views contradicts the democratic and human values,
and loses trust of people in the State.

"The article like 301 exists in Italy as well, but in this country,
the people are not prosecuted for the opinions and views like Turkey,"
Tikit said.

According to the politician, misusing this law, several forces in
the country took more radical steps. It is possible to set an example
from Armenian lobby’s using murdering Grant Dink against Turkey.

The opinions that making amendments to article 301 contradicts the
values and principles of Ataturk are wrong, Tikit said. According to
him, if the nationalism of Ataturk would be fanatical, but not civic,
the co-existence of multilateral peoples in Turkey for a period of 80
years would be impossible. " Turkey should use not national values,
but existing strategic potential in the country," he said.

The EU positively assess the amendments to article 301 in Turkey
and describes this step as a move towards the democracy, the
Press-Secretary of the European Commission, Amadeu Altafaj Tardio,
said to a press-conference.

The amendments to the article 301 of the Criminal Code of Turkey,
according to which people accused of insulting the national dignity
of the Turks shall be sentenced to three years imprisonment, were
made according to suggestions of the ruling Justice and Development
Party of Turkey. In the new version, the expression ‘insulting national
dignity of the Turks’ was replaced by the expression ‘insulting Turkish
people’, and the maximal period of imprisonment was shortened from
three to two years and it also provides an opportunity to replace
prison with conditional period with delay of implementation of
sentence.

AZERBAIJAN SUBMITS LIST OF SONGS STOLEN BY ARMENIANS TO UN

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2008

Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 May / Trend News corr. G.Jabiyev / Abutalib
Samadov, Director of the Azerbaijani State Agency on the author rights,
stated that the Agency has developed the list of stolen Azerbaijani
music and submitted the document to the UN World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO)

Azerbaijan joined Bern convention on ‘Protection of art and literature
compositions’, as well as Roma Conference on ‘Protection of rights of
singers, phonogram producers and broadcasting organizations’. Armenia
also joined the aforesaid organizations. Under the conventions, each
country-member must protect rights of other country citizens. This
principle of protection of rights is called national regime.

Armenians succeeded opening of the sound-recording studio Ani-Records,
which has been operating in the Russian Federation for many years
and presents Azerbaijani music as Armenians.

Samadov stated that the judiciary bodies are responsible for providing
of protection of rights under the international legislation. It means
that in the case of violation of owner rights within the country then
the person whose rights were violated could make a court appeal to
local courts. However, the owner whose author rights were violated
on the international level then he should make court appeal to
courts of the country which violated his rights. Unfortunately,
Azerbaijanis are deprived of the possibility to make court appeal
to Armenian courts because of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia misappropriates this opportunity and
steals material and moral values of Azerbaijan and presents them as
Armenians. Samadov stated that he has appealed to the UN in order
to inject changes in the international legislation and expressed
confidence that the organization would consider the issue.

Samadov stated that the document developed by the Agency include the
name of songs and composers stolen by Armenians and submitted it to
WIPO. They are ‘Sanada galmaz’ by Tofig Guliyev, ‘Ay giz’ by Jahangir
Jahangirov, ‘Sachlaraina gul duzum’ by Rauf Hajiyev, ‘Na galmaz oldun’
by Alakpar Tagiyev, ‘Geja zanglari’ by Eldar Mansurov, Maktab illari’
by Aygun Samadzade, as well as popular dances ‘Vokaliz’ and folks –
‘Vagzali’, ‘Yalli’, ‘Uzun dara’, ‘Mirzei’, ‘Gazagi"Tarakama’, ‘Sari
galin’, ‘Khan bagi’, ‘Dali jeyran’, and operas by Uzeir Hajibayov
‘Arshin mal alan’, ‘O olmasin bu olsun’ and ‘Koroglu’.