Author: Badalian Vardan

Infusion of Experience And Enthusiasm at ANCA-WR Headquarters

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Newly-appointed ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan

GLENDALE – Major changes have occurred at the ANCA-Western Region
headquarters over the past 10 days with the appointment of Elen
Asatryan as Executive Director, the addition of Haig Baghdassarian as
Legislative Affairs Director, and the promotion of Tereza Yerimyan to
Government Relations Director.

`We are very excited to announce our new ANCA-WR staff and division of
responsibilities, and we are extremely confident that our team will
successfully take the organization to even higher levels,’ stated Nora
Hovsepian, co-Chair of the ANCA-WR. `Our former Executive Director
William Bairamian laid the groundwork in the office upon which our new
Executive Director Elen Asatryan can build to new heights. We wish
William well in his future endeavors and are sure that by working
together, our entire ANCA-WR Board, staff, committees and local
chapters will make significant strides toward advancing the Armenian
Cause,’ added Hovsepian.

Elen Asatryan is no stranger to the ANCA family as she has served as
the Executive Director the ANCA Glendale Chapter since 2006 and more
recently, since 2011, has divided her time between the Glendale
Chapter, ANCA-WR, and the Hye Votes Campaign.

As the Executive Director of ANCA Glendale, Asatryan was instrumental
in many positive developments for the organization and the community
at large. For more than six years, she was the face and voice of the
organization, and was responsible for policy development and
day-to-day operations. Her countless accomplishments during her tenure
included the creation and expansion of many programs for the community
which were achieved by the fostering of closer relations with city
officials and community based organizations. Such programs included
internship and mentorship programs for high school and college
students, the Path to College Program, the Parent/Student Assistance
Hotline, the ANCA Glendale Youth Activist Scholarship Fund, the
Glendale Free Legal Clinics, community education workshops and forums,
voter registration, and annual food and toy distributions to the
Glendale community amongst policy related initiatives proposed in
various city departments and at GUSD.

As Field Director of the ANCA-WR, Asatryan was responsible for
developing chapters’ structures, strategic plans, as well as the
promotion and development of new chapters in the Western Region of the
United States.

`The ANCA-WR is a unique energetic organization with a rich history in
the Armenian community and we are confident that Elen will carry that
same passion for our Cause,’ stated ANCA-WR co-Chair Chris Guldjian.
`We are very pleased and proud to have someone with Elen’s background
and dedication lead our team and are confident that she can take us to
the next level,’ added Guldjian.

Prior to her tenure as ANCA-Glendale Executive Director, Asatryan
worked on local, state, and federal campaigns. Her commitment to
Armenian issues dates back to her activist days at Hoover High School,
then as an officer and advisor of the UCLA’s Armenian Students’
Association, and later as an intern of the ANCA-WR. Asatryan is a
graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, where she
studied Political Science with concentrations in American Politics and
International Relations.

In early January 2013, Asatryan had taken a leave of absence from her
position in order to manage the successful campaign of Glendale City
Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan.

`I am honored to join the passionate and dedicated directors, staff,
and volunteers that make up the ANCA-WR team in this new capacity,’
stated newly appointed ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan. `I am
confident that through our collaborative efforts we will reach even
higher levels of distinction as we continue to build on previous
successes of serving our community and representing its voice and its
needs within respective legislative bodies,’ added Asatryan.

The addition of Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian is
noteworthy, in that it represents the first time that the ANCA-WR has
hired an employee who is based outside of the organization’s
headquarters in Glendale. Baghdassarian is a practicing attorney who
has lived in in San Francisco since 1998. Previously, he resided in
Glendale and Burbank, during which time he first became involved with
the ANCA, initially as a Leo Sarkisian Intern in Washington, then as a
member of the ANCA-WR Governmental Affairs Committee, and later as a
Board Member of the ANCA-Burbank Chapter.

Following his graduation from UCLA, Baghdassarian relocated to San
Francisco to attend law school at UC Hastings, and shortly thereafter,
he became an active member of the SF Bay Area Chapter of the ANCA
where continues to serve on its Executive Board. Over the years, his
involvement within the Armenian-American communities have not been
limited to the ANCA family, as he has also been active with the
Armenian Youth Federation, the UCLA Armenian Students Association, the
Land & Culture Organization, the Genocide Education Project’s oral
history documentation activities, and the Armenian Bar Association.

Prior to Baghdassarian’s graduation from law school, he became the
first Armenian-American to be appointed as a San Francisco Human
Rights Commissioner. He was sworn in by then-Mayor Willie Brown on
April 24, 2001, and he held the office through 2004. Following his
graduation from law school, he worked as Deputy City Attorney in San
Francisco, and as a labor and employment attorney for two law firms
specializing in state and municipal legal affairs.

`Given the current political landscape, it’s more important than ever
before for our community to develop lasting relations with Members of
the California state legislature and their staff,’ said Hovsepian.

`The addition of Haig to our team will ensure that we develop a higher
profile in Sacramento, and his wealth of experience will serve our
community well,’ she added.

Since 2012, UCLA graduate, Tereza Yerimyan has served as External
Affairs Deputy, working with elected offices and various community
organizations. Tereza Yerimyan’s new post as Government Affairs
Director is well deserved given her contributions to the organization
and eagerness to continue developing the legislative agenda of the
organization.

`I am humbled by the organization’s confidence in me and look forward
to developing our community’s relations with their elected officials
through this new position,’ stated Yerimyan.

In 2010 Yerimyan first became involved with ANCA through the ANCA-WR
Internship/Externship program where she became acquainted with the
array of issues that the addressed by the organization. She later
became a staffer for the CA State Affairs Committee of the Western
Region where she assisted in the organization of the annual Advocacy
Day.

Yerimian spent the following summer in Washington, D.C. as a Leo
Sarkisian intern with the ANCA. She was a part of the summer intern
class that helped pass H.Res 306: The Return of Churches resolution
demanding that the government of Turkey return confiscated church
properties.

In 2012 Yerimyan was elected to the East Hollywood Neighborhood
Council representing District 5 for the council. She is also a
volunteer member of the ANCA Hollywood Board.

`Tereza is a natural fit in her new position as she has already
displayed a deep commitment for governmental and legislative affairs.
We are confident that she too will be an ideal representative for our
region and look forward to introducing our new staff to the
community,’ explained Guldjian.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the
largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy
organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination
with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the
Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country,
the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community
on a broad range of issues.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 17 2013

US congressmen submit bill on alleged “Armenian genocide”

A group of US congressmen has submitted a legislative act on the
so-called “Armenian genocide” in Congress, the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) said.

The document was presented by Congressmen Frank Pallone, Adam Schiff,
Michael Grimm and David Valadao, Armenia Today reported.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor the
Ottoman Empire committed genocide in 1915 against Armenians living in
Anadolu. Their efforts have achieved the recognition of the ‘Armenian
Genocide’ by the parliaments of several countries.

Armenia must be liberated – Tigran Khzmalyan

21:10 – 17.05.13

The Armenian Preparliament has started its rally in Freedom Square in Yerevan.

The organizers state that a process of creating a republic of new
quality is under way in Armenia now.

After the current regime has been removed, the issues of forming a new
government and involving the people in a national liberation struggle
will be discussed.

`Our government, president and prime ministers failed to lay the
foundations for a secure country,’ a Preparliament member, Vardan
Hakobyan, said.

The current policy is focused on the country leader’s interests, which
is unacceptable, he said.

The result is regularly rigged elections and people that are not
masters of their homeland. `We have colonized Armenia, and our
strategic partner Russia has laid its hands on everything,’ he said.

The Preparliament member Garegin Chukaszyan stated that the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has once more proved that its
political leaders are not ready listen to the people.

`We need a new way. We must realize that the opposition is life, the
people. The number of people attending this rally shows that the
problem of social tension has not been resolved in Armenia, and
political revival is high on the agenda. The political stalemate the
Preparliament warned of last year is a reality now. We are struggling
against the bankrupt political system. The country is in a pit, and no
political forces or individuals can take it out,’ he said.

The country needs employment of democratic principles, which means
citizens’ immediate involvement and formation of an active opposition
network throughout the country.

The present political stalemate creates conditions for extremes and,
on the other hand, an atmosphere of despair, which forces more people
into emigration.

`We are sure of our people’s wisdom and we deny the claims that the
people supported the authorities by voting for them. No doubt, the
people have come down to abject poverty, and we must speak of those
responsible,’ he said.

Speaking at the rally, Tigran Khzmalyan noted the major problem is
emigration. Armenia’s authorities are the only ones responsible.

`Our country has lost 50% of its population in recent 20 years. We
have lost half of our cities and villages. The population of a village
leaves the country every day,’ he said.

When the people succeed in reaching a crucial moment by means of
elections, the authorities open fire at their own people, use batons
and go on occupying the country by means of money and frauds.

Armenia’s authorities do not take the opposition into account, so they
must be shown real opposition. `We must liberate our country. That’s
why we have united round Alek Yenigomshyan [an ex-member of
theArmenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia – ASALA], and
Zgirair Sefilyan [former commander of the Shushi battalion]. We are
not representing any party nor are we going to become a party because
parties split the country. We will create real power rather than a
party,’ he said.

The people are not resisting because the authorities know the way of
dealing with them – keeping the people hungry like it was during the
Genocide, Khzmalyan said.

Armenian MP speaks of agricultural problems

18:30 – 17.05.13

Lyeva Khachatryan, a Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary
group member, who regularly raises agricultural problems in Armenia’s
Parliament, cannot explain why 102 anti-hail stations will be
installed in the Armavir region, while the harvest will be completely
destroyed in some villages.

`This is not for the first time that anti-hail stations have failed
and people lose their harvest. Two years ago the village of Karbin
lost 40,000 tons of apples,’ Khachatryan said.

This practice may be part of the Armenian government’s policy to
stimulate emigration.

The only explanation, according to Khachatryan, is either Armenia has
no ministry of agriculture or the ministry `is doing its own way.’

The Ministry of Agriculture is among the few ministries that are not
so corrupt, he said.

Khachatryan does not regard as serious the `Support to Armavir
residents action group’.

Armenia’s government normally supports socially vulnerable sections of
Armenia’s rural population, he said ironically and added: `Hardly had
the fire at the Spayka Company been extinguished when the government
decided to help it!’

Armenian News – Tert.am

Armenia has to step up reforms and improve business environment: U.S. Ambassador

YEREVAN, May 17./ARKA/. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern agrees
with the International Monetary Fund that has urged Armenian
government to step up reforms, particularly related to business
environment improvement.

Business environment should be, certainly, improved, in Armenia as
well, he told reporters on Friday following his visit to «Coca-Cola
Hellenic Bottling Company Armenia» company.

Heffern stated he mentions the necessity to foster market competition,
customs and tax reforms each time he meets with the government
officials.

He added the main economic principle is that prices drop and quality
rises as a result of competition.
The government is open to dialogues and is about to implement reforms,
the United States are ready to support these efforts, the ambassador
said replying to ARKA.

IMF urged Armenian government to step up the reforms and singled out
the list of challenges for the republic. The document was signed by
Mark Horton, IMF Mission Chief to Armenia and Guillermo Tolosa, IMF
Resident Representative in Armenia. Among the main challenges,
according to IMF, are high rates of unemployment, poverty and
emigration. – 0-

Social rebellion gaining ground in Armenia – activist

21:37 – 16.05.13

Arkady Vardanyan, an Armenian public figure and a political analyst,
says he sees high chances of a social rebellion in the country.

Speaking to Tert.am, the activist said that he observes all the signs
of unpredictable blow-ups and wide social protests.

`And the question gains more urgency against the backdrop of the gas
tariff hike. My personal impression is that we are going to see a
social rebellion very soon,’ he said. `Disappointed with all kinds of
opposition activists and blocs, and especially the unsuccessful
campaign led by [former presidential hopeful] Raffi Hovhannisian, the
overwhelming majority of the population got eventually upset; so they
will now try to set up unions on their own.’

Vardanyan agreed that the society is getting weaker and weaker today,
with the more active mass having left Armenia, and those staying in
the country being completely disillusioned or having no potential for
proactive initiatives (which he said are largely due to the
authorities’ policies).

Vardanyan added the real signs of a social rebellion are discernible
also in the light of the recent active protests against the
construction of small hydropower plants.

H. Igitian: New HHSh will work in Vano Siradeghian’s style

Thursday,
May 16

The Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) does not fit into the format
of Armenian National Congress (HAK) Party, the member of HHSh Party’s
initiative group Hovhannes Igitian stated at a meeting with reporters
today.

In his words, there are no obstacles to opening HHSh Party.

Igitian said HAK bloc was established after the elections and as a
continuation of the post-election processes, while the ideology of
HHSh is completely different. `You shouldn’t think that we are
establishing a party only because of its name,’ H. Igitian stressed.
According to him, HAK and HHSh have a lot of differences.

He expressed an opinion that the new HHSh will work in Vano
Siradeghian’s style, using a collegial approach.

As regards the statement that Levon Ter-Petrosian made at the congress
of HHSh saying that HHSh has become a `village club’ – the statement
was applauded – Hovhannes Igitian said: `It was regrettable that
people applauded, renouncing their past. We should not renounce the
past because it is our history, even though there were dark pages and
omissions’.

TODAY, 19:39
Aysor.am

It’s a Nice Place to Visit, But I Wouldn’t Want to Be a Reporter There

How did Turkey become the world’s leading jailer of journalists?

BY CHRISTOPHE DELOIRE, JOEL SIMON | MAY 15, 2013

President Barack Obama has consistently lavished praise on Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, describing the Turkish prime minister as an
“outstanding partner and an outstanding friend” and lauding his “great
leadership” in promoting democracy in the Middle East. Erdogan has
even won plaudits from the U.S. president for his “courageous steps”
toward normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations and toward integrating
minorities into the democratic process.

But when Erdogan visits Washington on May 16, Obama needs to deliver a
different message: Turkey’s failure to address its press freedom
crisis is undermining the country strategic relationship with the
United States and hindering its regional aspirations.

Turkey’s record on press freedom is deeply troubling. With 47
journalists imprisoned for their work, the country is the world’s
leading jailer of journalists — ahead of Iran and China. Most of
those imprisoned were employed by media outlets that support Kurdish
autonomy; others are accused of supporting an ultra-nationalist
conspiracy to topple the government. Thousands more journalists are
battling punitive lawsuits for reporting on a wide range of sensitive
issues, exposing corruption or simply criticizing the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP).

Erdogan has continuously lashed out at the media, forcing top
reporters and editors from their jobs. After columnist and television
host Nuray Mert challenged the government’s treatment of the Kurdish
minority, for example, Erdogan implied that she was a traitor,
prompting her politically sensitive employers to canceled her
television show and newspaper column. A similar fate befell Hasan
Cemal, a columnist at the daily Milliyet, after he published the
minutes from a secret government meeting with jailed Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Despite regular promises that reform is just over the horizon, Erdogan
appears to believe in the necessity of his heavy-handed tactics. When
U.S. Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone Jr. expressed concern about
Turkey’s press freedom record, for example, Erdogan dismissed the
35-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service as a “rookie.” In response
to our defense of Turkish journalists, Erdogan has accused Reporters
Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists of
“supporting terrorism.”

Obama is right to recognize the strategic importance of Turkey’s
relationship with the United States. Turkey is a NATO member and an
economic engine for the Middle East. It is also a key partner in
addressing the conflict in Syria, as well as the nuclear standoff with
Iran. But Turkey’s strategic value also depends on its appeal as a
model — a moderate Muslim democracy that has managed to cultivate
deep trade ties with Europe — for the newly democratizing states of
the Middle East. Turkey’s poor record on press freedom undermines its
credibility as a model and blunts its soft power.

It also works against Turkey’s own diplomatic ambitions. Erdogan’s
push to join the European Union, for example, has stalled for a
variety of reasons, including Europe’s economic downturn, resistance
by member states to further EU expansion, and an unfortunate
anti-Muslim bent within some European political circles. But a key
stumbling block is also Turkey’s record on press freedom, which has
been the focus of hearings in the European Parliament and critical
reports from the European Commission.

Addressing Turkey’s press freedom deficit is also critical for ending
the country’s three decade-long conflict with the PKK, which has waged
a brutal campaign for Kurdish autonomy. In order for the current
negotiations to succeed, Turkey must make space for the country’s
Kurdish minority to express its grievances fully and publicly. While
the Kurdish media in Turkey is vibrant, it is also under constant
assault — the victim of frequent police raids, prosecutions, and
politically motivated arrests. In 2011, for example, authorities
arrested nine journalists at the pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem for
alleged links to the PKK, but furnished no evidence other than the
journalists’ own work.

These concerns should be front and center during Obama’s meeting with
Erdogan this week. The U.S. president should also express concern
about the way Turkey’s terror laws are being used to suppress the
media. A majority of the journalists currently in jail in Turkey are
being prosecuted under the country’s sweeping anti-terror law, passed
in 1991 and updated in 2006 under Erdogan. Most have not been
convicted of crimes, but are still being held for extended periods in
pre-trial detention.

While Obama and European leaders — including German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and French President Francois Hollande — should continue to
push for reform, a renewed commitment in Turkey to press freedom,
human rights, and democracy will ultimately hinge on Ankara’s
appraisal of its own interests.

In fact, Turkey’s move toward democracy in the last two decades has
been as much the result of its own civil society’s mobilization as a
desire to appease Western critics. Journalists, press freedom
advocates, progressive lawyers, and free-thinking academics have taken
risks and pushed for reform because they see a bright future for
Turkey — one that is built on a commitment to democracy and human
rights.

In the coming years, Turkey is bound to play a more active role in the
global economy and on the international stage. The strengthening of
democracy and respect for human rights should be seen in Ankara as
assets, not liabilities. Authoritarian tendencies will only reduce
Turkey’s attractiveness and harm its hard-power interests.

Obama must drive this point home in his meeting with the Turkish prime
minister. While Erdogan will certainly give his good friend Obama a
fair hearing, it is unlikely that he’ll give in to outside pressure.
If Turkey’s reforms are to be real and lasting, the country’s
leadership must perceive them to be in the national interest.

STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

SUBJECTS: HUMAN RIGHTS, MEDIA, TURKEY, DEMOCRACY, BARACK OBAMA, MIDDLE EAST

Christophe Deloire is director general of Reporters Without Borders.
Joel Simon is executive director of the Committee to Protect
Journalists.

Spayka may get new area from government instead of burnt building

YEREVAN, May 16. /ARKA/. Armenian prime-minister Tigran Sargsyan
instructed the minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan to consider
providing new production area to `Spayka’ company instead of its
building that burnt down in fire.

The fire that broke out in a major freight forwarding company Spayka
yesterday night has been contained and will be extinguished within
1-1.5 hours. The blaze spread to about 30,000 square meters and to
three floors.

The prime-minister said that new areas are required for continuing
procurements this year, as cold storage has been affected by the fire.

`We must interfere and start working with Spayka company as it will
have a considerable impact over this year procurements. We will be
probably able to offer them other production areas’, the
prime-minister said.

Novosti-Armenia reported fr om the fire site that the minister of
agriculture Sergo Karapetyan said Spayka played an important role in
Armenia’s agriculture exports.

`Spayka’ lim ited company founded in 2001 is a major Armenian freight
forwarding company and is engaged in international motor freight
transportation throughout the CIS countries and Europe. The company is
also manufacturing packaging, boxes and palettes from polystyrene in
particular. -0 –

Mining industry developing in Artsakh

May 16, 2013 – 14:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On May 15, President of the Artsakh Republic Bako
Sahakyan visited the southern wing of the Kashatagh province to
inspect on site the implementation of several socioeconomic projects.

President Sahakyan met with the residents of Kovsakan town, voicing
confidence that the existing problems will remain in the focus of the
authorities’ attention.

He further visited the Tondirget gold mine and stressed the importance
of the mining industry plant for Kashatagh province and the republic
in general.

Visits to the Araks branch of the Hadrout Agroeconomy CJSC and the
military units located in the south of the republic were also on
President Sahakyan’s agenda. He noted that the existence of Hadrout
Agroeconomy CJSC will contribute to the agricultural development of
the area, Central Information Department at the Artsakh President’s
Office reported.