Author: Badalian Vardan

RAGIP ZARAKOLU NOMME POUR LE PRIX NOBEL DE LA PAIX
Stephane

armenews
mardi 14 fevrier 2012

Plusieurs deputes Suedois se sont adresses au Comite Nobel de la
Paix avec la proposition de donner le Prix Nobel de la Paix 2012 au
celèbre defenseur des droits de l’homme Ragip Zarakolu.

Le site Evrensel a indique que les deputes suedois ont mentionne
dans leur proposition que Zarakolu publie des livres sur le Genocide
armenien et la question Kurde qui sont des tabous en Turquie. Il a
ete condamne pour cela plusieurs fois.

Il y a un mois ragip Zarakolu a envoye une lettre au Parlement Turc
appelant les deputes turcs a reconnaître le Genocide armenien.

” Oui, la Turquie doit faire face a son histoire. Ce n’est pas
seulement une obligation envers les victimes, mais aussi un devoir pour
la garantie du sain esprit de societe. La reconnaissance du genocide ne
diminuera pas la Turquie, mais la renforcera ” a ecrit Ragip Zarakolu.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR IN REUNIFIED ARMENIA
By Appo Jabarian

February 2, 2012

During the 2011 holiday season, I took the liberty to e-present to
certain friends a new kind of New Year wish – “See You Next Year in
Reunified Armenia!” Many of them wrote back, “I wish you the same,
my dear friend!!!”

I presented that wish also in person to many other friends and
relatives.

Some of them were very happy to hear. Others were flabbergasted. And
some others were shaken, saying, “Isn’t it too challenging to even
think about such an idea?” My response was, “Our quest for justice
transcends all barriers.” Still others said, “Shouldn’t we be careful
not to stretch our freedom over the limit?”

I answered, “So, what happened to our freedom of thought and
expression; and our right to dream and to pursue them?”

Armenians, the victims of the 1st genocide, deportations and
dispossessions of the 20th century, have come a long way. But they
must remember that they still have “miles to go, promises to keep,”
in order to avenge one of the greatest injustices of the 20th century.

Armenian along with Greeks, Assyrians, Alevis, Kurds, Arabs, Jews,
and more recently Cypriots were subjected to a host of calamities:

– Nearly the entire Armenian nation was wiped out in 1915-1923 by
Turkey through systematic and large-scale ethnic cleansing;

– They have lost their ancestral homelands in Western Armenia and
Cilicia;

– Thousands of families lost their real and personal properties;

– Unlike several Middle Eastern and European countries that received
independence from Ottoman Turkish occupation, Armenians, Kurds,
Assyrians, and Greeks of Pontus, Smyrna and Constantinople were
denied such rights to sovereignty and their national aspirations were
undermined by the neo-Cons of the time.

To the credit of these victim-nations, nearly all of them rebuilt
their lives. And now, they can create new possibilities by further
co-operating and helping one another achieve their respective national
objectives.

Back in early 1980’s who could have anticipated that Soviet Armenia
(Eastern Armenia) and several other then Soviet-occupied nations
would achieve independence?

Who could have foreseen crumbling down of the Berlin wall?

Historic opportunities may come. But are we ready to regain what we
have lost?

For now, Armenians have double tasks: 1) Assisting the twin Armenian
states -Republic of Armenia and Republic of Artsakh consolidate
their social, economic, and political positions; and 2) They have
the imperative of better organizing their Diaspora.

Are we up to the challenge?

We have no other alternatives. If not now, when? If not us, who?

Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012 and a Merry Armenian
Christmas. Cheers! Genatsut! (To your life!) And yes, see you next
year in reunified Armenia!

MAYOR OF YEREVAN GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO CLEAR SNOW FROM PAVEMENTS

Panorama.am
13/02/2012

At a consultation, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan positively assessed
the work of administrative districts’ departments responsible for
snow removal, the press service of Yerevan Mayor’s Office said.

Taron Margaryan noted that all measures were taken to keep the
situation under control and to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement,
with the constant snowfall, nevertheless, there is still much to do.

The Mayor of Yerevan instructed heads of administrative districts
to coordinate their efforts to clear snow and ice from pavements
and yards.

The Mayor thanked the construction companies and private sector
representatives for their assistance in snow removal as well as
for their readiness to continue their assistance in the future if
necessary.

ARMENIE : L’ECOLOGIE POURRA-T-ELLE RESISTER FACE AU PROFIT ?

Affaires strategiques

13 fev 2012

13 fevrier Chaque annee en Armenie, quelque 5000 touristes se rendent
dans la station thermale de Jermuk, pour profiter de ses spas a ciel
ouvert et de son eau minerale. Mais a une dizaine de kilomètres
de la se trouve la montagne d’Amulsar, qui regorge de ressources
aurifères, dont le gouvernement a autorise l’extraction. Celle-ci
devrait debuter en 2014. Une decision contestee par les ecologistes,
mais aussi par certains economistes, pour qui ce tourisme represente
une force incontestable pour le developpement economique du pays.

Conscient de ce potentiel, le gouvernement a devoile il y a quatre
ans un projet d’expansion du tourisme dans la region de Jermuk, qui
pourrait a terme generer près de 100 millions de recettes fiscales
annuelles. Pour le ministre de l’Economie, le plan d’extraction de 2,5
millions d’onces d’or ne vient en aucun cas remettre en question ce
dernier. Il soutient que meme si les deux sites ne sont situes qu’a
treize kilomètres de distance, les nouvelles techniques permettront
d’eviter toute propagation de particules nuisibles.

Pourtant, la montagne d’Amulsar detient d’abondantes quantites de zinc,
de cuivre, de selenium et de tellure, des materiaux qui pourraient
se rependre sur une trentaine de kilomètres autour de la zone
d’extraction, et infecter la station thermale de Jermuk, mais aussi
deux reservoirs d’eau (dont le deuxième plus important du pays) ainsi
que cinq villages alentours. L’air contamine pourrait aussi se repandre
dans les vegetaux, et atteindre l’Homme via la chaîne alimentaire.

L’ancien ministre armenien de la Protection environnementale lui-meme
s’est prononce contre l’ouverture de cette mine d’extraction aurifère
a ciel ouvert, qui selon lui va sans aucun doute possible ” detruire
Jermuk “.

Ce dilemme pose aujourd’hui une question plus large sur les choix de
l’Armenie pour assurer son developpement economique. Car ce petit pays
de moins de 30.000 kilomètres carres n’a pas la capacite de developper
conjointement l’extraction de ses 500 mines ainsi que le tourisme
thermal. D’autant plus que cette dernière, si elle semble etre l’une
des principales forces de l’economie armenienne, n’a contribue au cours
de la dernière decennie qu’a 2,5% du PIB, contre 6% pour le tourisme.

HARTOUNIAN FAMILY LAWYER – STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE WANTS TO SEIZE COMPANY ASSETS

hetq
16:13, February 14, 2012

Mariam Mughdousyan, who legally represents the Hartounian family,
says that tax evasion charges levelled against the directors of GH
Storage Enterprises by the State Revenue Committee SRC) is merely an
attempt to appropriate the assets of the family.

Mughdousyan argues that the manner in which the case is proceeding
is ample proof of the nefarious aims of the government agency.

She points to the fact that on June 22, 2011, SRC inspector Rafayel
Lazarian confiscated eight computers at the company’s offices and
well as personal computers.

Mughdousyan says that the company has made several requests for the
computers to be returned. More than seven months later, the computers
and their hard drives remain in the possession of the SRC.

She says that the computer data has been thoroughly inspected but
the SRC has balked on its promise to return them.

In her press release, Mughdousyan notes that when GH Storage
Enterprises director Sevak Arzaruni left the firm, he took one of the
company’s computers with him but that the SRC has never seen fit to
seize it.

She says that this computer had all the pertinent financial data
regarding the company and that the SRC examiners should be tracking
it down rather to get at the truth of the case.

Arzaruni was managing GH Enterprises at the time of the alleged
tax infractions, Mughdousyan argues, and should be the focus of the
SRC’s attention.

She says that the SRC is out to damage the company as well as to hold
onto the computers worth around 1.5 million AMD.

FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SLOVAKIA DESCRIBES KARABAKH AS EXCLUSIVE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 14, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: Members of the National Council of
Slovak Republic, businessmen and intellectuals visited Nagorno Karabakh
during these days. At a news conference February 14, First President
of the National Council of Slovak Republic František Mikloško said
during the recent years Nagorno Karabakh has registered noticeable
progress in the area of democracy.

“Two years ago I was in Nagorno Karabakh as an observer at the
elections, after it I stated that the elections were absolutely free
and fair,” MikloÅ¡ko said.

According to him, the state has been recognized for already 20 years
but visiting it once you understand that it will never agree to be
non-independent. “Nagorno Karabakh behaves itself just like other
independent states. International organizations should assist Karabakh
as it is exclusive democratic country,” MikloÅ¡ko stressed.

He also praised Karabakh’s commitment to its Christian roots and
its readiness to fight for them till the end. “It is strange that
the Christian Europe has forgotten its roots. Laws of new Europe are
being written in Nagorno Karabakh,” MikloÅ¡ko said.

HOW WAS LETTER OF APPRECIATION HANDED TO ARMENIA’S IMPRISONED FORMER POLICE CHIEF? – NEWSPAPER

news.am
February 14, 2012 | 09:02

YEREVAN. – Official website of Armenia’s Police Force had confused
its visitors, Aravot daily writes.

“The reason was the ‘Meeting at the Social Council’ information posted
in the ‘Social Council’ section. According to this information,
a meeting was held, on December 2 at the hall of the Police Force
Social Council, with the leadership of the Road Police. [But] it is
not noted as to December 2 of which year. According to the official
information, a letter of appreciation is handed to Road Police Chief
Margar Ohanyan for the active cooperation with the organization he
heads. Our readers were asking how this letter of appreciation was
handed to Margar Ohanyan who is imprisoned [since August 30, 2011],”
Aravot writes.

COALITION FORCES OF ARMENIA REAFFIRM UNITY AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP

ARMENPRESS
FEBRUARY 13, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS: The regular sitting of the heads
of the coalition parties – Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous
Armenia and Rule of Law – took place. Press service of the RPA told
Armenpress the heads of the parties discussed and registered their
willingness to run for parliamentary elections with their own election
lists, to compete in the atmosphere of tolerance.

The unity and consolidation of the coalition partnership, political
restriction, determination of conduction of free, fair and transparent
parliamentary elections were registered at the meeting.

THE TIME OF ELECTION BRIBE
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:59:45 – 13/02/2012

The topic of the election bribes is again relevant in the mayoral
elections in Hrazdan Town. So was in the mayoral election of Yerevan
in 2009 when the Armenian National Congress accused most voters of
accepting election bribes and selling their votes.

The topic is urgent. No doubt it will be the key instrument of the
government or the pro-government forces. It already is, considering
the overwhelming charity campaign launched by the key forces in power.

The charisma and authority of one government figure or another is built
on this form of election bribe, and people love, respect and honor
one person or another for the money or assistance or pledges offered
by this person, not because this person has proposed interesting and
effective models of life and social coexistence.

It is not surprising though, considering the severe social and
economic conditions in which part of our society lives. Besides,
progressive youth is very small in the society of Armenia.

In Armenia, the youth is older than the physically old part of the
society, for objective and subjective, ethnic and cultural reasons, by
their worldview, thinking and values. In other words, the critical mass
aware of the value of its vote is not formed within the society which
would rule our charisma or temporary success built on the election
bribe or their essential influence on the outcome of the election.

In addition, emigration cannot be viewed as a cause in the sense that
the thinking part of the society emigrates. In fact, the thinking
part of the Armenian society has never been a critical majority,
simply it took the government some time to understand the “soul”
of the majority and work out effective methods of dealing with it.

Meanwhile, the opposition seems to fail to find the method of dealing
with this “critical” mass effectively to minimize the factor of
election bribes in determining the outcome of the elections.

In 2008 the results of the opposition indicated that this method was
found. For instance, Ter-Petrosyan’s proposal to clear the Augean
stables persuaded the society, and the factor of the election bribes
which was deciding in the parliamentary elections of 2007 was minimized
in the presidential elections of 2008. Then the opposition gradually
became less persuasive, which “revived” election bribes.

It is possible to accuse people who are not aware of the power of
the vote because they have degraded in mental and moral terms. In
fact, these accusations are desperate screams rather than effective
political and civil policy.

Everything depends on what the elites – ruling, political or civil –
offer to the society. The ruling elite offer money, in other words,
complicity in the present system. What do the political and civil
elites offer, and are their proposals long-term, objective and
persuasive? Perhaps the solutions must be sought for in this field.

ARMENIA IS STILL SILENT ON SYRIA

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:31:06 – 13/02/2012

NATO Special Representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia James
Appaturay arrives today in Armenia. Recall last week a large group
of Russian officials were in Armenia, including the Secretary of the
National Security Council of Russia Nikolay Patrushev, who announced
about the development of the Armenian-Russian military cooperation.

Obviously these visits are related to the Syria and Iran events.

Today, Syria rejected a resolution by the League of Arab States calling
on the introduction of joint peacekeeping forces of the UN and Arab
countries, support to the Syrian opposition and economic sanctions
again Damasks. Today, the situation in Syria will be discussed in
the U.S. General Assembly.

Armenia has not reacted so far on the official level to the situation
around Syria. 2 years ago, Yerevan solemnly received Syria’s president
Bashar Asad and assured of its commitment to the Armenian-Syrian
relations. Now, when the Western community and Sunnit Arab countries
don’t hide their intention to remove Bsshar Asad, Armenia does not
issue its support to the Syrian president. But it does not voice
support to opposition either.

However, as experts assure, the fate of the Armenian community in
Syria is at stake which is alleged to have from 80 up to 150 thousand
representatives. International analytics thinks the removal of the
Alawite rule of Asad may lead to the strengthening of radical Sunnit
moods in Syria, and then the termination of the many thousand Christian
population of the country will start.

Armenia’s Consul in Syria Karen Gevorgyan said last week that the
Armenian community is safe for now. But the situation is changing
daily and no one rules out the “deployment of peacekeepers” in Syria.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the government
is focused on this issue through diplomatic channels ands through
direct contacts with the representatives of the community. “We will
take necessary means to support our compatriots”, said Tigran Sargsyan.

The Sunnit Turkey actively supports the movement of rebels in Syria.

It has already given shelter to the Syrian national council and Free
Army of Syria composed of Syrian soldiers who rebelled.