Author: Emil Lazarian

LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO ARMENIA
Baltic News Service
April 24, 2006 Monday 3:06 PM EET
Vilnius
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus is to leave for a two-day official
visit to Armenia on Tuesday.
During the visit, Adamkus is scheduled to meet with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian.
According to a press release from the Lithuanian president’s press
service, the meetings are planned to focus on prospects of bilateral
relations, regional cooperation, Armenia’s reforms and determination
to achieve its Euro-Atlantic goals.
A bilateral agreement on the promotion of investments and mutual
protection will also be signed during the visit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BODY OF INDIAN STUDENT ARRIVES FROM ARMENIA
The Statesman (India)
April 24, 2006 Monday
Statesman News Service SILIGURI, April 23: Shell-shocked family
members received the body of Prashant Anchalia, who died on Thursday
after apparently falling from the sixth floor of the Yerevan State
Medical Universitys hostel in Armenia, at Bagdogra airport around
1.30 pm today. A pall of gloom descended on the town as Prashants
body reached his residence at Church Road here from Bagdogra airport.
A large number of people had gathered outside the residence of
the Anchalias to bid adieu to Prashant, whom they used to know as
a brilliant student, who he died in mysterious circumstances in
Armenia. Puja Goel, who too hails from Siliguri and studies at YSMU
in Armenia, and Abhishek, Prashants friend, accompanied the body as
it reached Siliguri from Armenia, via New Delhi.
The duo was so shocked with the death of their friend that they could
not even speak to the media. Later in the evening, they narrated
the entire incident, and the lackadaisical attitude of the YSMU
authorities, to the victims family members. The grief-stricken family
members of Prashant, after hearing the duo, alleged that Prashant was
murdered. We demand a high-level inquiry into the circumstances that
led to Prashants death, Mr Pankaj Anchalia, the victims elder brother,
said. Puja and Abhishek, eyewitnesses of the incident, alleged that
they wanted to give their friend first aid but policemen and the
medical department dean of YSMU, Ms Anna Sargsayn, didnt allow them,
saying that they must wait for an ambulance.
The ambulance arrived in 50 minutes without any doctor, the necessary
medicine and oxygen. The Indian students approached the YSMUs newly
appointed rector, Mr Gohar Kjalyan, but the latter insulted them,
instead of offering help. Mr Pankaj Anchalia said what they heard from
Puja and Abhishek was unfortunate. Either the CBI or the Interpol
should probe the incident, he demanded. Mr Anchalia also lashed
out at the Prime Ministers Office for not responding to their fax
message. The Government of India should have helped us bring the
body from Armenia. But they did not. Had the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr
Somnath Chatterjee, not intervened, the body would not have reached
Siliguri today, he said. Mr Somnath Chatterjee had contacted the
Indian amabassador in Armenia, Mrs Reena Pandey, and instructed her
to extend all possible help to us. He also sent his condolences to us,
Mr Anchalia added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

APRèS LES PROFANATIONS, L’INAUGURATION
par Emilie Rive
L’Humanite, France
24 avril 2006
Histoire . Le memorial dedie aux victimes du genocide armenien et
de tous les genocides et autres crimes contre l’humanite doit etre
inaugure cet après-midi a Lyon.
Un million cinq cent mille morts. Tel est le bilan de l’extermination
des Armeniens par Ataturk entre 1915 et 1917. Ce fut le premier
genocide du XXe siècle, reconnu, en France, par la loi du 29 janvier
2001 et dont le 91e anniversaire doit etre celebre ce 24 avril. Le
contentieux entre Armeniens et Turcs reste très lourd, puisque
le gouvernement d’Ankara ne reconnaît que trois cent a cinq cent
mille morts pour cette periode et refuse toujours categoriquement
la qualification de genocide. Condition pourtant essentielle afin
de pouvoir mettre le pied, comme le desire la Turquie, dans l’Union
europeenne.
Un enjeu local C’est dans ce contexte que le maire de Lyon,
le socialiste Gerard Collomb, et la communaute armenienne ont
decide l’edification d’un memorial dedie, non seulement aux
victimes armeniennes, mais a celles de tous les genocides, en
plein centre-ville, sur la place Antonin-Poncet qui jouxte la place
Bellecour. Memorial qui doit etre inaugure cet après-midi a 16 h 30,
par le maire de Lyon et le president de l’association du memorial
lyonnais des victimes du genocide armenien, Jules Mardirossian.
Mais tout ne s’est pas passe aussi simplement que prevu.
Curieusement, ce n’est pas l’extreme droite turque qui est montee la
première au creneau, mais les riverains, epaules par Marie-Chantal
Debazeille, conseillère municipale UMP et ancien maire d’un autre
arrondissement de la ville. L’histoire de Lyon n’aurait rien a voir
avec l’histoire armenienne, le monument deparerait dans un site
classe au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO… Tous les arguments ont
ete utilises, y compris les recours juridiques dont certains sont
encore en cours, pour faire de ce memorial un sujet de polemique
electorale au service du candidat UMP a la mairie de Lyon, l’actuel
ministre des Transports, Dominique Perben.
Deja profane L’extreme droite turque a pris le relais avec une
manifestation le 18 mars, curieusement autorisee par le prefet du
Rhône, et soutenue, sans ambiguïte, par le consul de Turquie. Il y a eu
egalement des profanations, le week-end dernier, dont les inscriptions
proclamaient, en francais et en turc, que le genocide n’existait pas.
Toutes actions qui ont souleve des protestations de la communaute
armenienne, des elus socialistes et communistes et, pour la dernière
en date, du ministre de l’Interieur, Nicolas Sarkozy. Guy Fischer,
vice-president communiste du Senat, et Maurice Charrier, maire de
Vaulx-en-Velin, ont, a cette occasion, precise que leur presence a
l’inauguration serait aussi une condamnation de ces profanations.
Le 18 mai prochain, le groupe parlementaire socialiste va proposer
de completer la loi du 29 janvier 2001, par un texte permettant de
sanctionner la negation du genocide armenien. La proposition emane
des deputes socialistes des Bouches-du-Rhône. Un autre memorial
est, en effet, inaugure aujourd’hui a Marseille, avec le prefet de
region, les presidents socialistes du conseil regional et du conseil
general, le maire de Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, et le president
de l’Assemblee nationale d’Armenie.
Lire aussi en p. 18 le point de vue commun de deux communistes,
l’un d’origine turque, l’autre d’origine armenienne, sur ce genocide.
–Boundary_(ID_ItQ25aZtuH+m8bWqKYFYwA)- –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMEMORATION. LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN INSCRIT AU COEUR DE LYON
par TOSSERI Benevent
La Croix , France
24 avril 2006
Malgre l’hostilite de la communaute turque et des riverains, le
memorial du genocide doit etre inaugure aujourd’hui. Lyon (Rhône),
de notre correspondant.
Sous une première couche de dissolvant se detachaient encore en
fin de semaine dernière, sur les lames de pierre blanche dressees
place Antonin-Poncet, ces mots traces au feutre: “Il n’y a pas eu de
genocide.” S’il n’en paraîtra rien aujourd’hui, alors que doit etre
inaugure le memorial du genocide armenien, la plaie reste a vif. “La
memoire du genocide a ete effacee, elle est aujourd’hui attaquee,
non pas par des illumines, mais par un Etat, qui a les moyens de faire
peur a ceux qui manquent de courage et de determination”, pointe Hilda
Tchoboian, directrice de la Maison de la culture armenienne de Decines,
commune de l’est lyonnais où fut erige le premier memorial de ce type
en France, en 1972.
Marseille, seconde ville a accueillir ce lundi un memorial, fut victime
de pressions diplomatiques a la fin des annees soixante. Une simple
stèle, posee loin des regards dans l’enceinte de l’eglise armenienne
du Prado, fut alors substituee a un monument. Trente ans après,
alors que la France a reconnu le genocide armenien par la loi du 29
janvier 2001, les pressions exercees par le consulat turc, relayees
par une manifestation marquee par des slogans negationnistes (lire La
Croix du 22 mars), ne seront pas venues a bout du projet lyonnais. Pas
plus que les quatre recours deposes devant le tribunal administratif
par une association de riverains favorables a un emplacement plus
discret. Le voeu de la communaute armenienne, interpeller le plus de
monde possible sur la realite du genocide, aura ete respecte.
C’est donc entre la place Bellecour et les berges du Rhône, dans
un lieu qui invite plus a la reflexion qu’au recueillement, qu’ont
ete dressees trente-six feuilles de pierre hautes de trois mètres,
sur trois rangees, dans un ordre apparemment chaotique suggerant la
multitude des victimes. La disposition de ces pierres correspond
a une mesure de la messe du compositeur armenien Komitas, une
composition silencieuse que ne percevront pas les badauds. “C’est
un element caracteristique de ce qui fait le genocide armenien,
explique l’architecte du monument, Leonardo Basmadyian, Argentin
d’origine armenienne. Ce compositeur a survecu au genocide avec une
incapacite a la sensibilite.”
Des pierres brutes incrustees en haut des stèles, provenant d’Armenie
pour la plupart, rappellent l’entre-deux dans lequel flotte la memoire
du genocide armenien. Deux ont ete rapportees des villes syriennes
de Deir-es-Zor et d’Alep, principaux lieux du supplice du peuple
armenien. Une autre provient de l’île senegalaise deGoree, lieu de
memoire de la traite des Noirs. D’autres, d’Israël ou du Cambodge,
devraient les rejoindre. C’est le sens des plaques commemoratives “a
la memoire des 1 500 000 Armeniens victimes du premier genocide du XXe
siècle” et “de tous les genocides et crimes contre l’humanite”. Elles
ne seront posees que quelques heures avant la ceremonie pour prevenir
toute nouvelle degradation. Pour Mgr Norvan Zakarian, eveque armenien
de Lyon, le memorial est une manière de “consolation, qui permet de
ne pas laisser les victimes seules face au genocide”. Dans l’espoir
qu’il conduise a la “reconciliation”.
BENEVENT TOSSERI
Le cardinal Barbarin soutient les Armeniens
À la veille de l’inauguration du memorial lyonnais, le cardinal
Philippe Barbarin rappelle, dans un communique, que ce genocide
perpetre par les Turcs en 1915 est “reconnu en France par la loi de
2001”. L’archeveque de Lyon fait part de son “amitie fraternelle” et
toute sa “compassion a la communaute armenienne qui continue d’etre
l’objet d’une haine revoltante”. Il demande aussi de proteger la
necropole chretienne de Djoulfa (dans le Nakhitchevan, en Azerbaïdjan),
profanee en decembre dernier.
–Boundary_(ID_mJiOHvehtwauiTeRPUwLQA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: 2000 PERSONNES A L’INAUGURATION D’UN MEMORIAL A MARSEILLE
Agence France Presse
24 avril 2006 lundi 11:52 AM GMT
Près de 2.000 personnes ont assiste a l’inauguration d’un memorial
du genocide armenien, lundi a Marseille, ville qui a la plus forte
communaute armenienne en France avec 80.000 personnes.
La ceremonie s’est deroulee en presence du president de l’Assemblee
nationale de la Republique d’Armenie, Arthur Baghdassarian, qui
a devoile avec les personnalites politiques locales le monument,
entièrement finance par des fonds publics (Etat et collectivites). Il
est une replique a plus petite echelle de celui d’Erevan et presente
“douze pierres disposees en cercle qui symbolisent les douze provinces
spoliees par la Turquie”.
“A la memoire des 1.500.000 Armeniens victimes du 1er genocide du XXe
siècle perpetre par le gouvernement turc de 1915” est l’inscription
gravee sur la stèle en francais et en armenien.
Le depute PS des Bouches-du-Rhône Christophe Masse a indique qu’il
serait le rapporteur d’une proposition de loi sanctionnant la negation
du genocide armenien lors de la seance d’initiative parlementaire le
18 mai.
“La manifestation du 18 mars a Lyon (où avaient ete cries des slogans
negationnistes lors d’une manifestation pro-turque, ndlr) montre la
necessite d’une telle loi”, a affirme Michel Vauzelle, president PS
de la region PACA.
De son côte, Jean-Claude Gaudin, le senateur-maire de Marseille, a
rappele son hostilite a l’entree de la Turquie dans l’Union europeenne:
“lorsque j’etais prof d’histoire geographie, j’ai enseigne pendant
15 ans a mes elèves que la Turquie est en Asie mineure, elle n’est
pas en Europe et nous n’en voulons pas”.
Une manifestation de la communaute armenienne est prevue a 16H00
a Marseille, elle passera devant le consulat turc pour y deposer
une motion.
Les Armeniens affirment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre par l’empire ottoman (1915-1917). Ankara
soutient que 300.000 Armeniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont ete
tues au cours de troubles suscites par des soulèvements d’Armeniens et
leur ralliement aux armees russes en guerre contre l’empire ottoman,
et lors des deportations qui ont suivi.
–Boundary_(ID_yyWtsixhpf1ep17v1RX23A)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD MARK 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENOCIDE
Armenpress
Apr 24 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: Hundreds of thousands of Armenians from
Armenia proper and its vast Diaspora went today uphill to the Genocide
Memorial in Yerevan to remember 1.5 million of their ancestors killed
brutally at the orders of the government of Turkey between 1915-1923.
President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian,
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and other top government
officials and senior clergy were the first today to remember the
victims by visiting the Memorial and laying flours to it. The
nationwide minute of silence will be observed at 7 p.m. local time.
On Saturday 22 April, around a thousand Armenians living in the UK
marched from Marble Arch to the Cenotaph in Westminster where a wreath
was laid to draw attention to their demands for the recognition of
the Turkish genocide of 1915-23. The march was one of a number of
events this year organized by the Campaign for the Recognition of
the Armenian Genocide, CRAG, together with other Armenian community
groups. Among those leading the march was Bishop Nathan Hovhanesian,
Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain.
Various motions in the British parliament have called upon the
government to take some action. The most recent, sponsored by Stephen
Pound MP, “calls upon the UK and Turkish governments publicly and
officially to recognize the Assyrian and Armenian genocide of 1915”
and for the “UK Government to call on the European Union to make
official Turkish recognition … one of the pre-conditions for
Turkey’s membership of the EU.” So far this has only attracted 38
signatures – only one from a Conservative. Hundreds of Armenians
of Sweden and Swedes gathered on Saturday for commemoration of the
Genocide victims. The commemoration event was organized by Armenian
organizations of Sweden and the Union of Churches.
Klas-Joran Karlson, a professor of Lund University, spoke about
the history of Armenians in the last century with a focus on the
united international efforts for recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian genocide. Ulla Hoffmann, a member of the Swedish parliament,
who paid numerous visits to Armenia, urged European nations to give
their support to Armenia and press for Turkey’s acknowledgment of
the Genocide.
The Nor Seround (New Generation) Armenian organization in Tbilisi,
the capital of neighboring Georgia, and the Armenian Center for
Cooperation of Georgia marched today through the capital’s streets
to the Turkish embassy demanding that Ankara recognizes the Genocide.
A liturgy was also served at Saint Gregory Armenian Church in
Tbilisi in memory of the victims. In the evening the church is
to host a concert of holy music and another march from the church
will be held towards the Armenian-populated Havlabar quarter for a
candle-lit ceremony.
Also on Sunday evening a liturgy was served at the Saint Sarkis
Armenian Church in Tehran with young Armenians gathering around
a memorial to the Genocide to pay homage to its victims. A bigger
ceremony is expected today evening in the Ararat athletic center
in Tehran. Local Iranian newspapers and news agencies have posted
extensive stories and reports about the Armenian genocide.
Extensive events to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian
genocide began Saturday in California, USA, that hosts the biggest
Armenian community worldwide, after Russia, with a flag-raising
ceremony in Fresno. Commemorations also include church and cemetery
services, vigils and a poetry reading.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: UKRAINE SHARES PAIN OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.04.2006 23:48 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “We share the pain of the Armenian people. This day
reminds us that we must derive lessons from the dark pages of the
history,” Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia Alexander Bozhko stated
in Tsitsernakaberd today. “The tragedy of the Armenian people was
followed by fascist concentration camps and then hunger in Ukraine
that claimed the lives of 5 million people. One should not forget
Stalin’s repressions, when many representatives of Armenian, Russian
and Ukrainian intelligentsia died,” Bozhko said.

MESKHETIAN TURKS ARE RETURNING TO GEORGIA, BUT NOT TO JAVAKHK
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.04.2006 GMT+04:00
Georgian government has initiated the repatriation of people whose
ancestors were deported for supporting Turkish invasion.
The visit of Georgian state minister for conflicts resolution
Georgy Khaindrava to Ankara has drawn to an end. During the visit
Khaindrava discussed the issue of returning Meskhetian Turks who
were once deported from Samtskhe Javekhetia. It is worth reminding
that recently Georgian President Michael Saakashvili gave an order
to start the repatriation process during the coming few weeks.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is no doubt that the efforts of official
Tbilisi are for the beginning aimed at showing activity towards
solving the Turks’ repatriation problem. Up to now the issue concerns
the repatriation of only six families. But it is quite possible that
external forces interested in destabilizing situation in the region
might make use of the careless order of the Georgian President.
Currently Azerbaijan and Turkey are creating funds for organizing
mass relocation of Turks to the Armenian-populated regions of Samtskhe
Javakhetia.
Azeri journalists write that the settlement of Turks in Javakhk is
of great importance for Azerbaijan, since it will allow to weaken
the Armenian factor in the strategic region and strengthening Tusk’
and Azeris’ position, it will create a Turkic region, separating
Georgia from Armenia and Iran. Ankara and Baku openly speculate
with the difficulties of official Tbilisi, heavily influenced by the
European Council which yet in 1999 obliged Georgia to repatriate Turks.
However, it is well known that in reality the number of Meskhetian
Turks wishing to move to Georgia voluntarily is not so large. In 1944
around 94000 Turks were deported from Georgia to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
and Kyrgizia. The majority of deported people were assimilated in Asia
because of religious, language and cultural commonness. Thus, today the
overall number of Meskhetian Turks in the world cannot be more than
60-70 thousands. Meanwhile, Baku and Ankara speak about 600 thousand
Turks wishing to return to Samtskhe Javakhetia. This is an open
provocation also aimed at influencing Georgian political leadership.
Azeris principally call Meskhetian Turks “Akhaltsikhe Turks”, whereas
it is known that before deportation there were not many Turks in
Akhaltsikhe and other Armenian populated regions. Akhaltsikhe Turks
mainly lived in the northern regions of Samtskhe Djavakhetia, which
was not populated by Armenians. For example it is known that there
were only 44 Turkish families in Akhalkalaki region. Thus, it is quite
easy to prove that the before the deportation of Turks, the number of
Armenians in Javakhk was more than it is now. It is easy to understand
Azeri propaganda. They are doing everything possible to underline
that Turks have to return to Armenian populated regions. Georgian
authorities are on one hand interested in dissolving Armenians in
the representatives of other ethnic groups. This can be proved by the
fact that the Armenian populated regions were populated by Svans and
Ajars. But at the same time, Georgian rulers cannot but realize the
explosiveness of the situation in case of the inevitable conflict
between native Armenians and Turks whom they will try to settle
in Javakhk.
This is why Michael Saakashvili and Georgy Khaindrava never
promise that repatriated Turks will be settled exactly in Samtskhe
Javakhetia. Obligations taken by Georgia before the European Council
do not suppose territorial restrictions.
The Soviet government’s decision made in 1944 can easily be
understood. It was made with an aim to improve the security of state
border, since Meskhetian Turks actively cooperated with the agents
of Fascist Germany and prepared grounds for Turkish invasion.
Georgians do not forget that. This is why not all of them welcome
Saakashvili’s decision. The late Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Jvnaia
never concealed that taking the obligation on the repatriation of
Meskhetian Turks was a mistake. He repeatedly announced that his
government did not consider it possible to realize the repatriation
due to a number of reasons connected with the national security
of Georgia. Similar announcements were made also by other members
of Jvania’s team who are still in power. One of them was state
minister Georgy Baramidze who said: “Georgia is not able to fulfill
the obligation to repatriate Meskhetian Turks. Mass repatriation may
bring to the breach of stability in the region and create new grounds
for international tension”.
However, today when Baku and Ankara have found mechanisms of influence,
the top political leadership of Georgia, Baramidze and his associates
keep silence…
“PanARMENIAN.Net” analytical department
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE WORLD MUST RECOGNIZE
Panorama.am
14:15 24/04/06
“We have to think about our steps and deeds. It’s Turkey’s problem
where it will be at that time,” NA vice Speaker Tigran Torosyan said
today touching upon the statement that Armenia and Turkey have to
become members of the EU at the same time.
What refers to recognition of the fact of Armenian Genocide by Turkey
T. Torosyan said: “It’s not our problem, it’s Turkey to think over
that. It’s a matter of Turkey’s and Turkish people’s dignity. They
may not recognize that fact. Nothing is going to change in the world.
The important thing is that the humanity has to realize that it was
a real criminal action, and the attitude towards that is not only a
respect towards the Armenian people but also respect towards humanity
and universal values.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY CONCERNED WITH THE OPENING OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN FRANCE
ArmRadio.am
25.04.2006 12:24
Turkey will submit a complaint to UNESCO against France for raising
monuments dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. The reason was the
opening of memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in Paris
and Lyon.
The releases of Turkish mass media say that “both monuments have been
raised in territories included in the list of international cultural
heritage of the UNESCO International Heritage Committee.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress