Author: Badalian Vardan

NOUVELLES VIOLENCES DANS LE XINJIANG, OU PEKIN DURCIT LA REPRESSION CONTRE LES OUIGOURS

JOURNAL LE MONDE

Le grand Ouest chinois s’enfonce un peu plus dans une spirale de
violences où repression gouvernementale et vengeance radicale de la
minorite ouïgoure se repondent. Des violences ont eclate dans la
region du Xinjiang, lundi 28 juillet, mais l’agence d’information
etatique, Chine Nouvelle, s’est contentee d’informations floues,
annoncant seulement le lendemain que > au cours d’une >.

Selon cette version officielle, un gang d’assaillants armes de couteaux
aurait attaque un commissariat de police ainsi que des bâtiments de
l’administration dans le bourg d’Elishku, a 200 kilomètres au sud
de Kachgar. Les policiers auraient alors ouvert le feu et tue des
dizaines d’entre eux.

Le Congrès mondial ouïgour, l’organisation de la dissidence en exil,
honnie par Pekin, assure de son côte qu’au moins 20 membres de cette
minorite musulmane ont trouve la mort et 10 autres ont ete blesses,
tandis que 13 hommes, parmi les forces de securite chinoises, ont
ete tues ou blesses. Par ailleurs, environ 60 personnes auraient
ete arretees.

Selon des temoignages recueillis par Radio Free Asia, media finance
par le Congrès americain, l’une des causes de l’attaque pourrait
etre la mort d’une famille, dont un jeune garcon et son grand-père,
lors d’une descente de police qui a degenere dans une maison d’une
bourgade voisine où les autorites entendaient limiter le port du
voile par les femmes pendant le ramadan.

COUPURE DE L’ACCÈS À INTERNET

Jointes par telephone, trois personnes confirmaient mercredi la
coupure complète de l’accès a Internet autour de Yarkant, ville la
plus proche, non loin des cols qui mènent aux frontières tadjike et
pakistanaise. L’une d’elles precise que l’envoi de SMS est egalement
impossible et que certains quartiers sont places sous couvre-feu.

Le fosse entre le discours chinois, qui met en avant ses efforts en
faveur du developpement economique, et le ressentiment qui couve chez
les Ouïgours, qui vivent cette presence comme l’alienation de leur
region au profit de l’ethnie Han, majoritaire en Chine, se traduit
par une multiplication des attaques.

Celles-ci sortent desormais du cadre geographique de la region du
Xinjiang. Debut mai, quatre assaillants munis de couteaux avaient
blesse six passants a la gare de Canton, a 3 000 kilomètres de la.

Deux mois plus tôt, 29 personnes etaient tuees et 130 blessees lors
de faits similaires a Kunming (sud).

En reaction a ces violences, Pekin durcit encore un peu plus son
contrôle. En visite pendant quatre jours au Xinjiang fin avril, le
president Xi Jinping a insiste sur la lutte contre le terrorisme et la
necessite de >, s’alignant sur les elements les
plus durs au sein du Parti communiste sur la question des minorites,
tandis qu’il avance sur son agenda principal – la liberalisation
economique, l’urbanisation et une campagne anticorruption lui
permettant d’asseoir son pouvoir politique.

M. Xi decollait tout juste de la capitale regionale a l’issue de
sa visite au printemps lorsqu’une bombe tua trois personnes et en
blessa 79 autres en gare d’Urumqi. >, juge Nicholas Bequelin,
chercheur pour Human Rights Watch sur la Chine, base a Hongkong.

ASSASSINAT D’UN IMAM PROCHE DU POUVOIR CHINOIS

Possible nouveau signe de la radicalisation de la colère ouïgoure et
des divisions au sein meme de la communaute, un corps a ete retrouve
dans une mare de sang mercredi 30 juillet au matin, a l’exterieur
de la salle de prière de la mosquee Id Kah, la plus grande du pays,
qui trône au centre de Kachgar. Selon Radio Free Asia, il s’agirait
de son imam, Jume Tahir, figure controversee chez les Ouïgours car
percue comme trop proche du pouvoir chinois.

Les medias officiels le prenaient parfois en modèle, la propagande
le citant par exemple au lendemain des emeutes d’Urumqi, qui firent
près de 200 morts en 2009, et constituèrent un tournant dans les
relations entre la minorite et l’administration chinoise. L’imam
se felicitait deux mois plus tard auprès de Chine Nouvelle : >

Mercredi egalement, les juges ont formellement annonce le motif
de > retenu contre l’intellectuel Ilham Tohti,
universitaire qui prônait > entre
Hans et Ouïgours. Il demeurait, jusqu’a son placement en detention
en janvier et son transfert de Pekin a Urumqi, la seule personnalite
ouïgoure independante a s’exprimer publiquement de l’interieur de la
Republique populaire et a oser interroger sa politique.

Contre lui seront notamment retenus des ecrits sur son site Internet
et certains de ses cours. Son avocat, Li Fangping, precise n’avoir
pas meme ete informe par la cour de justice d’Urumqi.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 3 2014

International community worried about situation in Karabakh

3 August 2014 – 6:44pm

The international community is worried about the current situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh as tensions are increasing on the
Azerbaijani-Armenian front line. The military of both states are
suffering losses due to continuing skirmishes.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has expressed the body’s deep
concern about the situation in the region.

“We are deeply concerned about the recent developments in
Nagorno-Karabakh. We urge the parties to observe the ceasefire and
abstain from violence as well as to enhance their efforts to find a
peaceful way out of the conflict,” Ashton’s press secretary said.

The OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs also believe that violence will only
aggravate the situation. The co-chairs and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
have issued a joint statement calling for peace in the region.

The US, Turkey and Russia have also called upon Azerbaijan and Armenia
to observe the ceasefire.

Ahram Online, Egypt
Aug 3 2014

Belly dancer Safinaz summoned for ‘insulting’ Egyptian flag with outfit

Popular dancer called in by prosecutors for allegedly defaming Egypt
with a red, white and black costume she wore to a party in Ain Sokhna
last week

The well-known Armenian belly dancer Safinaz has been summoned by
Egyptian prosecutors over a report alleging she insulted Egypt and its
people by wearing a dancing costume fashioned after the Egyptian flag.

The report, filed by angry citizens, said that Safinaz wore the
flag-inspired costume to a party in the Red Sea resort of Ain Sokhna
last week and accused her of defaming the Egyptian people and state.

Prosecutors summoned both Safinaz and the party organisers on Sunday
for questioning over the allegations.

Egypt’s former interim president Adly Mansour issued a law in early
June imposing a jail term of up to one year and a fine with a maximum
penalty of LE30,000 ($4,000) for anyone who insults the flag.

Some forms of insulting the flag, as stipulated by the law, include
raising, displaying or trading a flag if it is damaged, faded or not
suitable in any other way. It is also prohibited to add any slogans,
designs or pictures to the flag.

Safinaz has been an immediate success since her arrival in Egypt over
two years ago, with appearances in several Egyptian movies as well as
paid performances at prestigious weddings.

Tasnim News Agency, Iran
Aug 3 2014

Iranian Envoy: Karabakh Clashes Undermine Regional Security

August 03, 2014 – 18:31

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian ambassador to Baku warned that the clashes
between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops near the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh region would bring about insecurity in the region.

Print

The ongoing border clashes between the two neighboring countries “are
not in favor of security of the region,” Mohsen Pakayeen stated,
calling on Azerbaijan and Armenia to resolve the protracted conflict
through dialogue.

He also asked regional countries to help resolve the dispute, saying
that Iran is ready to mediate between Baku and Yerevan.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran wants a peaceful solution to
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute,” he said.

The remarks came after reports saying that at least 15 people were
killed in skirmishes between Azeri government forces and ethnic
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in a flare-up of violence over
the last few days.

The two former Soviet republics have been locked in a long-simmering
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian-backed separatists seized Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives.

Mémoire
L’hommage de Mourad Papazian à Paul Jean-Ortiz

Paul Jean-Ortiz au dîner annuel du CCAF le 29 janvier 2014

Le 31 juillet, le conseiller diplomatique de l’Élysée, Paul
Jean-Ortiz, 57 ans, ancien directeur des affaires politiques au Quai
d’Orsay, est décédé des suites d’un cancer. Diplômé de l’Institut
d’études politiques d’Aix-en-Provence, il avait notamment été premier
conseiller à Hanoï (1995-1997), ministre conseiller à Pékin
(2000-2005), puis à Madrid (2005-2009).

NAM : Mourad Papazian, comme proche de François Hollande, vous avez
côtoyé Paul Jean-Ortiz, le conseiller diplomatique de l’Élysée. Que
pourriez-vous nous dire en sa mémoire ?

Mourad Papazian : J’ai fait la connaissance de Paul Jean-Ortiz au
lendemain de l’élection de François Hollande. Le Président de la
République nous a immédiatement ouvert les portes de l’Elysée et Paul
Jean-Ortiz était un de nos premiers contacts opérationnels. Nous avons
appris à nous connaître et j’ai découvert un diplomate qui comprenait
le sens de notre combat. Il était toujours à l’écoute, dans l’échange
et la compréhension. Et surtout, il ne s’accrochait pas à une ligne.
Pour lui c’est le Président qui devait toujours avoir le final cut. J

J’ai assisté à de nombreux cas de figure complexes où il me confiait
qu’il devait consulter le Président. Et souvent, nous aboutissions à
des conclusions qui nous étaient favorables. Je sentais la sympathie
qu’il pouvait éprouver pour les droits de l’homme et les causes
justes, au delà même de sa fonction.

NAM : Vous avait-il fait part de son soutien à la cause arménienne ?

MP : Il m’a dit un jour que sur la cause arménienne il ne raisonnait
pas toujours comme un conseiller diplo. Il connaissait la sympathie de
François Hollande pour la cause arménienne et il savait s’effacer. Il
voulait même sortir de son rôle de Diplomate. Il m’avait identifié
comme un militant sans concession et il me taquinait avec sympathie.

Au dîner du CCAF, en janvier dernier, il m’avait félicité pour mon
discours ‘tout en nuance, comme d’habitude’ avait-il glissé avec un
sourire. C’est ce jour là qu’il m’avait confié que la maladie avait
repris le dessus. Mais il tenait à suivre les dossiers jusqu’au bout.
Je l’avais revu, juste pour un café, et j’avais compris.

Lorsque le Président est venu prononcer un discours engagé et
historique le 24 Avril dernier devant la statue de Komitas, Paul
Jean-Ortiz a exprimé ce jour là comme un sentiment mêlé de gravité et
de fierté.

NAM : Et sur la question de la pénalisation de la négation du génocide ?

MP : Sur la question de la pénalisation de la négation du génocide
arménien, il disait régulièrement que personne ni à l’Elysée ni au
gouvernement ne tenait à contrarier l’engagement du Président. Lorsque
nous avons appris la mauvaise nouvelle, nous avons transmis un message
de condoléances au Président de la République qui, en nous remerciant,
a ajouté : ‘C’était un homme bien’. Oui et qu’il repose en paix.

dimanche 3 août 2014,
Jean Eckian (c)armenews.com

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2014

Half of Armenians planning to leave homeland

31 July 2014, 17:02 (GMT+05:00)
By Jamila Babayeva

Some 40 percent of Armenia’s populations plan to leave the country,
the Migration Geography survey reads.

“Kotayk region ranks first in terms of housing the largest number of
potential migrants. Kotayk is a rural area with most of its plants out
of service because of financial problems. That’s why many people here
are seeking a way to leave their homes for a better life,” sociologist
Agaron Agabekyan said.

He noted that the residents of Vayots Dzor, Armavir and Aragatsotn are
the most determined residents of the region looking for a chance to
leave their homes.

“According to the UN, 750.000 residents of the region would remain in
Armenia by the end of the century. So it would be unknown how many of
them will be Armenians,” he alarmed.

Migration is the only hope for a bright future among most Armenians.
Some 45.000-50.000 people leave Armenia annually. The main reasons
behind the mass migration outflows include: the deteriorating
socio-economic situation, high poverty, growing unemployment and
absence of hope for a bright future.

The Armenians do not see any progress in their homeland, where one
third of the populations are living in poverty. Dissatisfied with
their desperate situation, they leave Armenia for other countries to
provide their families with a bright future.

Due to growing migration outflows, the number of Armenia’s population
keeps decreasing.

The number of population was 3.1 million as of July1 decreasing by
15,000 in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period
in 2013.

Armenian president attends opening of apartment block for journalists,
doctors, teachers and sportspeople

YEREVAN, August 2. /ARKA/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is
also the chairman of the Council of Trustees of the Association of the
Yerevan State University Graduates, attended the opening of the
apartment block Avan-3 built under a social program aimed at providing
young journalists, doctors, teachers and sportspeople with housing.

“A peculiar kind of a town for young people is being created, and
there are already some 1,000 apartments here,” Arsen Karamyan, deputy
minister for sports and the youth, said answering ARKA News Agency’s
question.

In his words, young families have paid 185,000 drams for one square
meter, and this is far lower than the market price.

Mortgage loans were provided to beneficiaries for 20 years at a
10-percent interest rate after they paid 30% of the total price.

Some 338 beneficiaries got apartments in this 48,131-square-meter
apartment block. The total cost of the project is 5.864 billion drams.
-0—-

At the Forefront of Model Making: Meet Richard Tenguerian

By Katie Vanadzin on July 31, 2014

Special for the Armenian Weekly

Richard Tenguerian’s architectural model making studio is located in
NOHO in New York City. There, Tenguerian and his colleagues create
minute versions of some of the most towering buildings in the world,
real and imagined. The architectural model making business is a highly
specialized niche industry, requiring painstaking attention to detail
and an understanding of the artist’s vision. It is a specialty
practiced by very few, and Tenguerian has acquired a reputation as the
best among them.

Richard Tenguerian with one of his models

“Even in this time of digital technology, the power of building a
model–not a rendering, not a 3D image, not a video flythrough–still
holds sway with both architects and clients. Although many firms do
their own model work, certain projects and clients require the hand of
a master. And Richard Tenguerian is among the best,” said Brauilo
Agnese in the March 2014 issue of “Cool Spaces! The Best New
Architecture.”

Born in Aleppo and raised in Lebanon, Tenguerian discovered his
passion for model making at 14, when he was interning for a large
architectural firm in Lebanon. Even then, he knew his future was in
architecture. After the civil war broke out in 1975, Tenguerian moved
to the U.S. to live with his aunt in New York. He studied architecture
at Pratt Institute, and graduated in 1984. While studying at Pratt, he
worked as a model maker to finance his college education.

An example of Tenguerian’s work

Tenguerian had planned to work as an architect, but he found that
there was a much greater demand for his skills as a model maker. In
1988, he founded Tenguerian Models. The demand for architectural
models has since spread all over the world. Tenguerian has had the
opportunity to prepare physical models for many high-profile projects
and travel all around the world.

The quality of his work stems from innate craftsmanship combined with
the use of advanced technology. “Relying only on technology, the
product loses its spirit and does not become a work of art,” he says.

Each of Tenguerian’s models is custom-made, even down to the shade of
paint. “Every project is unique in its own way and they all have a
story behind them. People often look at display models and think model
building is only cutting and pasting. However, there is much more to
building a model. A model maker translates the architect’s invisible
vision and turns it into a visible reality. Outstanding capabilities
of mind and soul are required for such a demanding role in
architectural creative order. Only perfect communication with the
architect and faultless understanding of his purpose can create the
professional environment where such translation into three-dimensional
space may happen. The profession can be very demanding. What keeps me
going are the different experiences and the creative processes that
make each model memorable. We look at our models not like products,
but pieces of original artwork.”

Tenguerian’s artistic approach does not mean that he is averse to
technology. Many of his models come fitted with lighting that can
often be controlled remotely. Components are sometimes made using
laser cutting and 3D printing, and the result is a perfect synthesis
of modern technology and hands-on craftsmanship. But it is
Tenguerian’s innate ability to visualize a building that sets his
finished products apart from the competition. He explains, “There is a
process but no formula that someone can follow and visualize. It is
more like reading someone else’s mind instantaneously before they
complete a sentence. This is one of the unique characteristics of this
profession.”

The visualization often remains with Tenguerian long after the model
has been carefully packaged in a custom-built wooden case and shipped
to the client. “Every time I see a project in real life and I walk
through it, I feel like I have already been there. I feel shrunk and
it feels like I am walking through my model. Even though the building
is brand new, I know where everything is and how to get around.”

The primary importance of models lies in their power to convey
visually what blueprints and descriptions often cannot. The intricacy
and detail of Tenguerian’s models bring architectural visions to life:
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a model is surely worth
thousands more. As Tenguerian puts it, “Architects always struggle to
convey their vision to their clients. Developers often cannot
visualize the architect’s idea or concept. Therefore, physical models
are the unspoken language between architects and the client.”

Models at times have audiences beyond the clients of architects. When
CBS News was preparing a “60 Minutes” episode about the SEAL raid on
Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the producers felt
that the best way for viewers to visualize the raid was through the
use of a model. And for that model, they turned to Tenguerian. His
model of the compound now resides as an exhibit at the Navy SEAL
Museum in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Working with architect Vatche Aslanian, the plans were drafted and
approved, and the Church of Saint Gregory the Enlightener was
constructed and has been in use for over a decade.

When asked if the process of creating a model of an existing building
is different from creating one from a blueprint, Tenguerian explained,
“The definition of a model can be very broad. Model makers can build a
replica of an existing building or can build from sketches on a napkin
where the building is just a vision. Our expertise is to transform
something from [the] virtual world into physical reality.” In his
case, the transformation is a seamless one.

Tenguerian has also had the chance to put his skills to use for the
benefit of the Armenian community. A life-long attendee of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Tenguerian cites it as a source of
inspiration. When he was approached by Father Karekin Kasbarian about
building an Armenian church in Westchester, N.Y., he became heavily
involved in the project. Working with architect Vatche Aslanian, the
plans were drafted and approved, and the Church of Saint Gregory the
Enlightener was constructed and has been in use for over a decade.

“We should not take things for granted,” Tenguerian says. “We should
grab every opportunity. Everything is possible when someone is
passionate, committed, and works hard towards their vision.”

Azerbaijani media catches at straw: four tips to avoid swallowing
information bait

18:53, 2 August, 2014

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. How correct is it to translate the
information of the Azerbaijani media and without checking to spread it
to the reader? What principles should be applied while providing
information? How “not to swallow” the enemy’s information bait?
“Armenpress” has spoken with the media industry experts on these
questions and figured out what should be expected in the near future
from the Azerbaijani information platform, and listened to the
opinions on the work of the Armenian and Azerbaijani mass media.

Samvel Martirosyan, information security expert, believes that it is
always possible to use the Azerbaijani media as a source, but only
after checking the information. “If we look what kind of information
they spread yesterday and today, we will see that they are spreading a
large amount of deliberate misinformation.

Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, political analyst, times.am website editor,
noted that previously it had been much more dangerous to refer to the
Azerbaijani sources. “At present we can say that these sources are
used not by the media, but by the news websites. These are small sites
that are cheap and they try to enjoy populist authority by spreading
this kind of materials, trying to attract visitors to their sites,”
said Hrant Melik- Shahnazaryan, adding that such sites cannot be named
media.

Aram Ananyan, Director of “Armenpress” News Agency, stresses that the
logic of the activities of the Azerbaijani press in recent days
suggests that they do not even hesitate to spread obvious fabrication
and lie. “Such actions have a distinct purpose to mislead and
misinform the society and in this respect it is important that our
colleagues follow the simple rules of information “hygiene”. It should
be noted that publishing unverified information in such situations
also contradicts the simplest rules of professional ethics, because
the events taking place are worthy of more comprehensive and objective
coverage,” said Aram Ananyan.

Ananyan considered noteworthy the creation of the fake account of
allegedly Armenian political scientist and the dissemination of
disinformation through him. It had one purpose – to turn the reality
upside down, which, however, failed. Referring to the Armenian mass
media activities, Ananyan highlighted the fact that in any situation
the most important principle of getting information should be
reliability.

“In this regard, to have different political views does not mean you
have to sacrifice the basic principle – reliability. This is not the
issue which should be used to solve some problems,”- said Ananyan.

Researcher in the field of propaganda Karen Vrtanesyan notes that he
has observed some changes in the Azerbaijani press. According to him,
in contrast to the previous cases during the recent intelligence and
sabotage operations the Azerbaijani media has published information
about their losses. “As for the noise around the fake account of the
Armenian political scientist, the matter was resolved very quickly,
and once again it displayed that the Azerbaijanis are trying to catch
at a straw. Regarding the work of the Armenian media, the quality is
much improved. And both in terms of coverage and in terms of
reliability of the materials the Armenian media is at a higher level
than the Azerbaijani” – said Karen Vrtanesyan.

Saakashvili ‘detained’ in absentia

10:11 * 02.08.14

Tbilisi City Court accepted prosecution’s motion and ordered pre-trial
detention of former President Mikheil Saakashvili in absentia,Civil.ge
reported.

Preliminary court hearing – the stage when a presiding judge, among
other issues, decides on the admissibility of evidence submitted by
the parties – has been set for September 22.

Prosecutor’s office has charged Saakashvili with exceeding official
powers in connection to break up of the anti-government protest
rallies on November 7, 2007, and raid on and “seizure” of Imedi TV
station.

“Ahead of the August war [six-year] anniversary Putin could not have
imagined more desirable present than Georgian authorities ordering my
arrest,” Saakashvili said in a video address from the US, released on
August 1 before the court’s ruling was announced after midnight on
Saturday.

“This will be one of the most shameful pages of Georgia’s history,” he said.

“I am not going to turn up upon summoning of prosecutor’s office,
controlled by Gazprom shareholder [referring to Georgia’s ex-PM
Bidzina Ivanishvili] – I will be very far whenever they summon me, but
I will be very close when the Georgian people call me,” Saakashvili
said.

Armenian News – Tert.am