Author: Emil Lazarian

SWEDEN TO INVESTIGATE FINDING OF ASSYRIAN MASS GRAVES IN TURKEY
By Afram Barryakoub

Assyrian International News Agency
Nov 28 2006

(AINA) — The finding of a mass grave in south eastern Turkey,
believed to date from the 1915 genocide of Assyrians and Armenians,
and the Turkish government’s silence regarding the finding has prompted
a debate in the Swedish parliament on the matter.

It was on October 17 this year that villagers from Xirabebaba (Kuru)
in south eastern Turkey came across a mass grave when digging a grave
for one of their deceased. The villagers took pictures of the skulls
and bones in the mass grave before Turkish military came and blocked
the site. The villagers were certain that they had found remains of
victims of the 1915 genocide. The military personnel forbade the
villagers to tell anyone about the site and then closed it. Some
of the villagers chose not to follow the orders of the military and
told the story to a local newspaper who followed up on the story. As
soon as the military learned that someone has leaked this information
to the press, they pressed the villagers to give the names of those
responsible for this. Since then journalists trying to get near the
mass grave have been denied access by the military.

Turkey still denies that its Christian population of Assyrians (also
called Chaldeans and Syriacs), Greeks and Armenians were subjected
to genocides. That could explain why the Turkish state and most of
the Turkish media has remained silent about the finding. But now one
of Turkey’s most popular weekly magazines, Nokta, has highlighted the
mass grave finding with a cover story in the latest issue with the main
heading "Again acting the three monkeys – a mass grave was found one
month ago in Nusaybin and the jurisdiction, execution and legislation
bodies as well as the media are silent." The writer, Talin Suciyan,
accuses the Turkish state of turning a deaf ear to the mass grave
finding. "None of the three ‘powers’ of our democracy, legislation,
jurisdiction or execution made a move to deal with the issue. And when
the fourth power – the media – swept the bones under the carpet (the
Turkish) public remained completely unaware of the issue." she writes.

In fact, the only Turkish group that has reacted to the finding is
the Turkish Human Rights Association who sent an open letter to the
ministry of interior calling for an investigation into the matter.

The mass grave finding has yet to enter Turkish politics but in
Sweden the matter has stirred up a debate on the highest levels,
much due to the efforts of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Association
(ACSA). The news about the mass finding was distributed by Tidningarnas
Telegrambyrå (TT), Sweden’s top news agency and was thereafter
published in several Swedish media, including the two leading
morning papers Dagens Nyheter (DN) and Svenska Dagbladet (Svd). As
a result of the above the mass grave issue has now entered Swedish
politics as MP Hans Linde from the left party recently submitted an
interpellation to the Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, asking
for an independent commission of scientists and historians to examine
the findings. The foreign minister must now ask the foreign ministry
to launch an investigation into the matter before he can respond to
MP Hans Linde. The response of the foreign minister on this issue is
due to be presented on the 12 of December before parliament.

–Boundary_(ID_baVlMl4GNXomN7l5s+fPwA )–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OPPOSITIONIST: GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA COALESCED WITH BUSINESS, FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION POPULIST

Regnum, Russia
Nov 28 2006

It is not for the first year that the government of Armenia is ruling,
thus it should know very well where the shadow sources are, member
of the Justice parliamentary faction Vardan Lazarian said during
discussion with chairman of the permanent commission on state-legal
issues of the Armenian National Assembly Rafik Petrossyan Nov 28.

The issue arises, why wasn’t it announced earlier about the budget
revenue of 70bn drams, and why have they started to talk about it right
now, REGNUM reports Lazarian to say. "It looks like bureaucratic
administration is more profitable for Armenia than the economic
growth," he observes. All this shows that the country’s government
has coalesced with business, and all the statements of the fight
against corruption are merely populist rhetoric, the deputy argues.

Rafik Petrossyan says that whatever definitions one would give
to Armenian budget 2007, the budget is a planned one. He says the
government is aware of the fact that shadow economy makes about 40%
of the whole national economy; however, the fight against corruption
is not an easy one, and the government should conduct this fight
gradually. "Moscow was not built in one day," the head of the
commission adds.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOUR DENY CHARGES OF STEALING JEWELLERY

Gulf Times, Qatar
Nov 28 2006

The presiding Judge, Mamoun Hamour
Staff Reporter

AN Ukrainian man and three Armenians – two women and a man – have
denied charges of forming a gang to steal gold from several jewellery
shops in Doha during the second and third weeks of September.

The four came to Doha in batches on tourist visas beginning September
11. Qatar was their third stop in the Gulf after Bahrain and Kuwait.

When presented before the trial court on Sunday, the police claimed
that 40gm of gold missing from a Doha shop was found in their
possession.

The Iranian shopkeeper claimed that the accused stole items worth
QR3,850 during their third visit to his shop.

He told the court that three of them came twice to his shop three days
earlier to the theft, asking for prices and striking a conversation
to win his trust as serious customers.

"On September 19, the accused four came to my shop around 6.30pm and
my father was with me in the shop.

"During their third visit, I gave the first suspect (36) a jewellery
item which he put around the neck of the woman – the second suspect
(28).

"When the third suspect, a 26-year-old man, noticed that my father
was watching them, he tried to distract him by seeking information
about another item."

The shopkeeper said the fourth woman, 55, tried to distract him
as well.

He said he "saw" the first suspect throwing gold chains into the
breast pocket of the second suspect, but he was not sure because he
was busy with the 55-year-old second suspect.

"After the four left our shop, we feared that some items were
missing from the shop and when the police called us the next day,
our suspicions were confirmed," he told the judge.

During Sunday’s trial, the second suspect claimed that her confessions
before the police were taken under duress. Three of her accomplices
also gave identical statements before the court.

The judge reminded her that she had not confessed in the first place.

The first accused said he was a famous singer in Ukraine and he was
financially sound. He told the judge that he was staying in a luxury
hotel in Doha at the time of the alleged crime.

Ironically, he told the judge that he could not afford a lawyer and
asked the court to appoint one for him.

The shopkeeper said that the police called him the next day and asked
him whether he could recognise the nine gold chains stolen missing
from his shop.

The first accused said he had presented to the Public Prosecution
original invoices showing that all the items recovered from the gang –
weighing 2.5kg – were purchased from Bahrain and Kuwait.

He told the judge that he came to the Iranian’s shop many times to
bargain and to convince him that other shops were selling ornaments
at reasonable prices.

The Iranian shopkeeper said the accused failed to steal the items
during their first and second visits as he did not part with the
items they were asking about.

The presiding judge, Mamoun Hamour, released the accused on bail
until December 17, when the verdict in the case will be pronounced.

The accused are also facing trial in other cases.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OCCUPATION IS A CRIME
By Laura Taylor

Cornell University
The Cornell Daily Sun, NY

Nov 28 2006

Today, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres will be addressing members
of the Cornell community in Bailey Hall. According to the CIPAC
website, one of the event’s sponsors, the former Prime Minister will
be discussing, "Israel and the prospects for peace in the Middle
East." The visit of such a major foreign leader is sure to be a
packed event.

However, outside Bailey Hall there will also be a number of Cornell
students, Ithaca College students and community members protesting
against Peres. But why protest the proclaimed "man of peace"?

My fellow columnist Jeff Purcell elaborated on one of the many
reasons yesterday in his column, "Peres’ Apartheid Past," which
detailed Israel’s support of Apartheid South Africa while Peres was
Prime Minister.

CIPAC and others praise Peres as a Nobel laureate for the peace prize
he won in 1994 jointly with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. However,
they do not discuss the fact that, in 2002, members of the Nobel
committee publicly opposed Peres’ actions as a member of the Israeli
cabinet in the re-occupation of Palestinian territory. Hanna Kvanmo,
a Nobel committee member, stated that, "what is happening today in
Palestine is grotesque and unbelievable. Peres is responsible, as
part of the government." Committee members expressed regret that,
in response to Peres’ actions, the peace prize could not be recalled.

There are numerous other reasons to oppose Peres, from his role in
developing nuclear weapons in Israel to his work to help cover up
the Armenian genocide in order to establish political ties with Turkey.

However, the protest today will not just be a protest against Peres
exclusively. It will also be a protest against the Israeli government
and its actions in Palestine.

Unfortunately, many Americans, including some on the left, are not
aware of the horrors that occur against Palestinians on a daily
basis. They see the results of suicide bombers in Israel prominently
featured on the news, but not the daily horrors of living in Gaza
or the West Bank. Those who may begin to question Israel’s actions
towards the people of Palestine often silence their dissent for fear
of being labeled an "anti-Semite."

When discussion on the issue of Israel and Palestine emerges, it is
important to note the distinction between being Israeli and supporting
Israel’s policies. There are some Israelis who oppose the government’s
policies and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, with
some even refusing to serve in the Israeli Army.

In the same vein, there is a distinction between supporters of Israel
and Jewish people. Not all Jewish people support the state of Israel,
despite the fear of being called anti-Semitic by people of their own
religion and ancestry.

In order to explain why I will be protesting Peres tomorrow, there
are many things that I could discuss. I could go into the origins of
Zionism, and the collaboration of some early Zionists with anti-Semitic
leaders. I could discuss the creation of the state of Israel and the
unequal distribution of land between Arabs and Zionists. However,
those things are in the past. I could debate for hours with supporters
of Israel about the history of Zionism and Israel, and nothing would
be gained.

What matters most, both to the people there and to activists here,
is what’s happening in Palestine today. If life was wonderful for
the Palestinians now, Israel’s past transgressions might seem less
pressing.

But life is not wonderful for the people of Palestine today.

Appalling would be a better description of the daily struggles they
must face.

Although Israel claims to have withdrawn from Gaza and the West
Bank, Palestinians continue to live under occupation. There are
many facets to the occupation, which Israel claims are needed for
"security." In reality, they are methods for control of the people of
Palestine Checkpoints serve as a major restriction on the day-to-day
lives of Palestinians. The vast majority of these checkpoints are
set up between Palestinian towns and villages and are exclusively
for Palestinians. People are often held up for hours at these
checkpoints at random, then suddenly allowed to pass. This makes it
nearly impossible to go to school or have a job outside of your own
small town, crippling the Palestinian economy.

There are also separate highways for Israelis and Palestinians, and
each group has different license plates to ensure that they are driving
on the "correct" highway. It is no surprise that the Israeli highway
is much better maintained. Beyond being a daily frustration, it is also
a subtle reminder to Palestinians that they are less than Israelis.

Roadblocks. Settlements. Outposts. The Wall. The list of tactics by
which the Israeli government seeks to upset the lives of Palestinians
goes on and on. What it adds up to is an Apartheid state, in which
there are two classes of citizens: Israeli and Palestinian.

It can be difficult to support the cause of justice in Palestine,
especially when the U.S. media and government are so consistently
pro-Israel. Often, it is easier to shy away from the topic and focus
on "safer" issues. However, we cannot ignore our duty to stand
in solidarity with the people of Palestine, in opposition to the
oppressive Israeli regime.

If you believe in justice, come to Bailey Hall at 2:45 pm today to
proclaim: "From Iraq to Palestine, Occupation Is A Crime."

Correction: In last week’s column on the tasering incident at UCLA,
I mistakenly referred to the Iranian-American student involved in
the incident, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, as Arabic. I do not know the
ethnicity of Tabatabainejad, as Iran has a diversity of ethnicities
within its borders. I sincerely regret the error.

Laura Taylor is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor
Relations. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Kind of a Big
Deal appears Tuesdays.

ARMENIA IS THE CONTRARY OF EUROPE

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

We accept 80-90 percent of European values, and we must adopt them,
said the leader of the National Democratic Union Vazgen Manukyan on
November 28. He thinks we should adopt them before Europe imposes.

Especially that under this government "these values are adopted in
a distorted way."

Nevertheless, Vazgen Manukyan thinks that in the upcoming 15-20 years
Armenia will not enter the European Union, and maybe it will never
do. "The current processes are such that Turkey cannot be admitted
to the EU."

Vazgen Manukyan also announced that the world, including Europe,
realizes that Armenia needs a modern nuclear power plant. "But as
long as there is not a new one, the old one must keep on working."

This is the response to the EU stipulation on closing down the
nuclear plant in the upcoming decade. Vazgen Manukyan thinks that
the European values are based on political competition, whereas in
Armenia it is the opposite. The quality drops with every election,
and the tools of falsification are improved.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIRST PRESIDENT IS RESPONSIBLE, SECOND GOVERNMENT

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

Republican Member of Parliament Rafik Petrosyan stated November 28 at
the Friday Club that the bill on expropriation passed on November 27
has a number of drawbacks. Amazingly, however, lawyer Rafik Petrosyan
voted for the bill. His logic is that no law is worse than a bad law.

Rafik Petrosyan thought so when he voted. Now he thinks that the
opposition will go to the Constitutional Court, and as a result the
law will be refined and made constitutional and almost perfect. If the
opposition does not go to the Constitutional Court, Rafik Petrosyan
thinks that the Republican majority will gradually improve the bill it
passed. In answer to the question whether it was so urgent to adopt
the bill with so many disadvantages, and whether it was adopted to
legalize the past expropriation and decisions on future expropriation,
Rafik Petrosyan says no. According to him, the law, even though it
is imperfect, was necessary to regulate this sphere.

Vardan Mkrtichyan from the opposition thinks that even after the
adoption of the bill the field is not legal because the law is
unconstitutional, and therefore Ardarutiun Alliance is likely to
go to the Constitutional Court. It is clear what it will change –
nothing. The Constitutional Court has already made a decision that the
government decisions on expropriation are unconstitutional, however,
nobody was punished for unconstitutional actions. Republican Rafik
Petrosyan cannot say who should be punished for the illegal eviction
of the citizens.

"Some member of the government? This is already the internal problem
of the government. If they wish, they can reprimand an official who
pushed through the bill in the National Assembly. In fact, there is
not a definite person who could be accountable," Rafik Petrosyan says.

Vardan Mkrtichyan, a member of Ardarutiun Alliance, enumerates people
who are responsible. "First, it is Robert Kocharyan, second it is
the government, the whole government. Why? In 1998 the Constitutional
Court passed a decision that the government does not have the right
to make a decision on this issue, it should be regulated by the law.

The government, however, made a decision, and Robert Kocharyan signed
it," Vardan Mkrtichyan said.

Besides, Rafik Petrosyan says after the decision of the Constitutional
Court and the bill passed by the National Assembly the victims of the
unconstitutional decisions of the government can go to the court and
revise the decision of the court. However, Vardan Mkrtichyan says in
answer that the victims of previous and recent expropriation cannot
go to court because the bill provides for expropriation for primary
interests but does not define what a primary interest is.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH REFUGEES APPLY TO ARKADY GHUKASYAN

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

A group of Karabakh refugees, who are currently residing in Rostov
region of the Russian Federation, submitted a written application
to NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs. "Yerkramas" newspaper of Russian-Armenians reports that
the authors of the application were irritated by statements of
some political figures on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
according to which it is envisaged to hold a "delayed referendum"
featuring "returned Azerbaijani refugees." The authors of the
application note that nothing is said about the Shahumyan region
occupied by Azeri troops, the return of Armenian refugees to NKR
Martakert and Martuni regions and their participation in the "delayed
referendum." "However, the above-mentioned regions are the indivisible
part of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the borders of which were formed
in September-December 1991 through the expression of the free will of
the region’s population. In this regard we inform Mr. Co-Chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group that there can be no referendum and no legal results
of it if the will of the Armenian refugees of Nagorno Karabakh and
adjacent territories is ignored. The authors of the document urge
Arkady Ghukasyan to secure their right to vote in the referendum
scheduled December 10, 2006, to include the Armenian refuges in the
voting lists where it is possible – in Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh or
the current places of residence of the refugees."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SERGE SARGSYAN: MILITARY ACTIONS WILL NOT RESUME IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

"Today the threat of resumption of war has not been completely
eliminated, but I can definitely assert that military actions will
not resume in the foreseeable future," Secretary of the Presidential
Council on National Security, RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan
said in Noyemberyan during the meeting with parents of the region’s
servicemen. According to him, being a frontier settlement, Tavush was
the first to feel the consequences of the war. "The Defense Minister
must be always ready that the war may start tomorrow, but there is
no real threat of war in the nearest future," noted Serge Sargsyan.

Turning to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the
Defense Minister expressed confidence that the issue should be
resolved based on mutual concessions. The main objective is the
following: NKR people should live safely on its land. According to
Serge Sargsyan, the security guarantee is that Artsakh must never
be under Azerbaijani control or exist separately as an enclave and
should have a land border with Armenia. The Minister informed that
today the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan and
Ilham Aliev will meet in Minsk today.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TIGRAN TOROSYAN RECEIVED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FRANCE-ARMENIA DEPUTY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

November 28 Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan received the
Chairman of the France-Armenia Deputy Friendship Group of the French
National Assembly Francois Rochebloine, member of the Group Alen Muan
Bursan and Secretary Jean Pierre Delanouaya.

Greeting the guests, the Parliament Speaker thanked for the efforts
for the sake of Armenia and the friendship between the two peoples,
as well as for the great assistance the French Parliament demonstrates
towards sensitive issues for Armenians, particularly the adoption of
the bill penalizing the negation of the Armenian Genocide.

The Chairman of the France-Armenia Deputy Friendship Group Francois
Rochebloine, who is paying his 15th visit to Armenia, emphasized the
great progress Armenia has registered ever since 1990s in all fields.

At the request of the guest, Tigran Torosyan presented Armenia’s
position on the settlement of the Karabakh issue and Turkey. The
Speaker noted that a favorable situation has been created: for
many years the principles of territorial integrity and the right
for self-determination were contradicting each other, now the
Minsk Group Co-Chairs are proposing a formula, where these two
principles are combined. Turning to the relations with Turkey,
Tigran Torosyan mentioned that Armenia stands for normal relations
without any preconditions. Turkey, however, sets preconditions, which
is unacceptable. Mr. Torosyan said that for a country aspiring to EU
membership having closed borders is inadmissable. It is not consistent
with any European principle or standard.

During the meeting reference was made also to the issues of cooperation
of Armenian and French delegations to PACE.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN POLITICIAN URGES OPPOSITION FORCES TO CLOSE RANKS

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

Yerevan, 28 November: The leader of the National Democratic Union
[NDU], Vazgen Manukyan, today called on Armenia’s opposition parties
"to close ranks and set up a civil front around the idea of building
a state of free citizens".

Vazgen Manukyan, who held the posts of Armenian prime minister and
defence minister in the early 1990s, said that individual political
forces will not be able to achieve desired changes, Mediamax reported.

Moreover, the governance system of the country needs radical reforms
today and "[Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan’s departure from
power will not improve the situation", he believes.

The NDU leader is convinced that the people does not trust the
incumbent authorities which "are ready for new falsifications to
preserve their positions".

Vazgen Manukyan also spoke out in favour of adopting a new Armenian
constitution which he said will make it possible to form an independent
and transparent judiciary system.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress