THE MOST TERRIBLE THING FOR KARABAKH IS TO FEEL FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH
Nano Arghutyan
Lragir.am
15:28:06 – 04/12/2008
Amendments to the law on referendums which the Armenian parliament
passed aroused a new surge of debate on the Karabakh issue. In
addition, strangely this time the stance of Armenia is under
consideration. In answer to the question of Member of Parliament
Larissa Alaverdyan if the Armenian government has a common approach
towards the settlement of the Karabakh issue the prime minister
suddenly noted that there is no such an approach.
Apparently there has never been one. Only recently has the minister
of foreign affairs been instructed to work out a document which the
government will rely on to respond to various issues.
At first it is necessary to find out what a document the
Armenian foreign ministry is working out for the Armenian
government. Considering that yesterday the foreign minister asserted
the intention to continue the talks on the basis of the principles
of Madrid, it is going to be a document which will recommend the
Armenian government to agree to the return of the territories
adjacent to the former autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the
return of the refugees, deployment of international peacekeepers and
proclamation of NKR in the territory of the former autonomous region
of Nagorno-Karabakh. Considering that the Armenian ministers are ready
to follow the recommendations of the20foreign ministry without second
thoughts, Armenia will start to promote these principles at all levels,
even if our opponents do not demand that.
But the most terrible thing is that the people who occupy high posts in
Armenia and have the possibility to do politics have no distinct stance
on the most important issue for the nation, on the solution of which
the future of the Armenian state depends. First of all, it means that
the people who rule in Armenia have an inadequate evaluation of the
reality and lead the country in an inadequate direction. Apparently,
it was the most terrible idea which occurred when the prime minister
said the foreign ministry is just working out the "common points"
on Karabakh. And it happened 20 years after the movement in Karabakh
started. Although at that time everyone knew what they want.
The second conclusion is that in Armenia someone thinks seriously that
it is necessary to conduct a referendum on the Karabakh issue. First
of all, it should be noted that holding a referendum on Karabakh
in Armenia is extreme political illiteracy. Why should the fate of
Karabakh be solved in Armenia?
Even the international mediators do not offer holding a referendum in
Armenia. On top of considering the possibility of holding a referendum
on Karabakh in Armenia they also suppose that by its results, true
or falsified, the public may vote for the return of Karabakh or the
territo ries. They do not dream of such absurdity even in Azerbaijan.
The attitude of Armenia towards the Karabakh settlement is highly
important.
However, it should get a corresponding form. A country cannot hold a
referendum on the status of another country. Even though we assume that
we all are Armenians, Armenia and Karabakh are different states. The
issue of the referendum can be one in Armenia – does Armenia agree
to the proposal of Karabakh to secede from Azerbaijan and unite with
Armenia? Only in this case Armenia is authorized to hold a referendum.
On the other hand, those who speak about a referendum should take into
consideration an important factor. So far the co-existence of Armenia
and Karabakh has not been described by serious clashes. Different
things have taken place – from time to time, depending on the political
conjuncture, anti-Karabakhi moods burst in Armenia, sometimes they
say it is not easy for the Armenians of Armenia to integrate with
the society in Karabakh. However, there has been no common approach
towards the fate of Karabakh, an approach dictated by the instinct
of self-preservation. Imagine, however, what may happen if the public
in Armenia, even though as a result of a falsified referendum, speak
for the return of at least one square meter of land? The people of
Karabakh will lose their only ally. And if so far no crucial steps
have been taken only because Armenia coul d suffer from that, the
young Karabakh men on sentry duty at the border will have nothing to
lose. They know what to do with the enemy.
Apparently the protest potential of Karabakh is groundlessly ignored
by the mediators and in Armenia. Many hope that Karabakh will have
to agree to what the Armenian government or those who "persuade"
the Armenian government will offer. However, this hope may "not come
true" because unlike others the people of Karabakh live on this land,
are fed by this land and defend themselves with the help of the
land. To return or not to return is not a matter of national honor
and mythology for them but a matter of life and death.
Apparently, if the people of Karabakh do not speak about it often
and in a sophisticated way, considering that it goes without saying,
it makes a lot of people hope that Karabakh has run out of its protest
potential. However, this is not so. Because when a person is left alone
with death, the person can have two thoughts, to save and to carry
along as many enemies as possible. At the moment, there is nothing
more terrible for the Karabakhis than to feel face to face with death.