Author: Emil Lazarian

MONEY IN THE FACE OF YEREVAN
Lragir.am
17 April 06
In the first quarter of 2006 over 14 billion 986 million drams was
spent on social programs in Yerevan instead of the foreseen 14 billion
920 million drams, which is 100.44 per cent of the estimated sum,
informs ARKA News Agency. Mayor Yervand Zakharyan gave these facts on
April 17. Besides, the mayor said the collections of community budgets
totaled 294.7 million drams in the first quarter of 2006 instead of
the estimated 323.8 million. At the same time, the mayor said against
the same period of the previous year the community budget receipts
were more by 680.5 million drams.
Hence it is good luck that heavy snow came this winter and not last
year. Because if with a 680 million increase the snow remained in
the street until spring, it is impossible to imagine the state of
the city with less money.

COMMISSION TO BE RENEWED
Lragir.am
17 April 06
During the April meetings of the PACE the delegates of Armenia and
Azerbaijan met with Lord Russell Johnston, Chair of the CoE Ad-hoc
Committee on Nagorno Karabakh.
The committee deals with control over recommendations of the
resolution. The parties agreed on reviewing the staff of the
committee. There are already arrangements, and the committee will
finally be ready in summer. There is a preliminary agreement on
setting up the committee by the following principle: two persons from
each party – the head of the delegation and a representative of the
opposition, two reporters for each country and “the representatives
of the groups to be invited.”
The old committee with its new staff will visit the region in October,
and will meet in the June session of the PACE.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THERE IS NO OPPOSITION LOYAL TO GEORGIA IN ABKHAZIA, ABKHAZIAN JOURNALIST SAYS
Prime News Agency, Georgia
April 17 2006
Tbilisi. April 17 (Prime-News) – Marta Ardashelia, Prime-News reporter
interviewed Beslan Kmuzov, journalist from the breakaway Abkhazia.
Beslan Kmuzov, 1975, graduated from the secondary school in Sokhumi.
During the Georgian-Abkhazian hostilities he left for Cherkessia
and got enrolled in the Karachay-Cherkessia State University in
1993. In 1997 he continued his instruction by correspondence in the
Pyatigorsk Linguistic University. In 1997-1999 he was working in
the newspaper of the town of Cherkassy, in 2000-2001 – in the Exo
Abkhazia newspaper. In 2001-2002 served in the de facto armed forces
of Abkhazia. 2002-2004 was working as a marshal arts instructor in the
Sokhumi police academy. In 2004 he was working in the press service
of Sergey Baghapsh, Abkhazian Foreign Minister. In 2005 entered GIPA
(Zurab Zhvania Georgian Institute of Public Affairs). Presently he
is an editor of Abkhazia.info Internet edition.
It is difficult to say exact origin of this two-meter tall guy
immediately at the first sight. But even short conversation is enough
to make sure that he is Abkhazian – only residents of Sokhumi are
able to speak such Russian, combining slang with phraseological
expressions. One may even wonder how he can write his articles in
quite good Russian.
Beslan Kmuzov has been living in Tbilisi and studying in the
magistrates of GIPA for almost one year and a half. He is satisfied
with education, but says that he is too busy to continue his work
in journalism.
Beslan Kmuzov is one of few journalists who are well aware of the
situation in both parties in conflict. And what is more important he
is able to speak frankly about it.
According to him, the present situation in Abkhazia is simply another
struggle for redistribution of assets, as it happens in all parts of
the world. Only 10% of the local population is engaged in political
developments. They generate ideology and account for brainwashing.
Those most crafty residents of the breakaway region are only looking
for as much profits as possible.
“The authority in Abkhazia is close to people; Baghapsh (de facto
president) visits Akop’s coffee shop every day. But both the president
and the government depend on many institutions in Abkhazia, as well as
abroad. Baghapsh and Ankvab, de facto Prime Minister have been meeting
the representatives of different organizations in their offices for
three months. Leonid Lakerbaia, Chairman of the de facto Parliament
still puzzles over healthcare and pensions. But there are some criminal
factions that make everything worse in Abkhazia. They seized some
industrial units, including recreation houses and restaurants. They do
nothing to them and prevent others from business too. The government
is incapable to deal with them – they have power and money. This is
a transient period”, Beslan Kmuzov says.
According to him, there is no opposition loyal to Georgia in Abkhazia.
“There are opposition forces in Abkhazia but none of them speaks for
return within the Georgian borders. The main problem is redistribution
of assets. Despite of the fact that everyone declares about his
commitment to Russia, their only intention is to be in the driving
seat in Abkhazia, without interference of Russian”, Beslan Kmuzov says.
But the local elections are to be held in the breakaway region soon.
Amtsakhara, public political movement of veterans and Aytayra will
run in the elections against the ruling United Abkhazia party.
According to Beslan Kmuzov, the government will easily negotiate with
its contenders.
“Sergey Baghapsh was a common candidate of Amtsakhara, Aytayra and
United Abkhazia. Besides, headquarter of Baghapsh is located in
the office of Amtsakhara. It’s quite another matter that Amtsakhara
sometimes forwards certain claims against the government – one can’t
always get what one is looking for. So if they face serious rivals,
part of Amtsakhara is likely to join the ruling party”, Beslan says.
Abkhazia makes slow progress with regard to media diversity – all
Abkhazian web sites feature the same news, as if dictated.
“The Abkhazian mass media does not feature any opposition opinions
on the policy of the government of Abkhazia. The guiding light
is independence and that’s all. But there are many debates on
privatization, pensions, and protection of ethnic minorities, including
the residents of the Gali District in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict
zone. The information war has been raging in Abkhazia for one year. The
Nujnaia newspaper drove Vladislav Ardzinba (former de facto president)
up a tree. Means to the end are another subject of discussion. In fact
there is no uninterrupted flow of news, everyone features news without
profound knowledge of background story, rule of Five W is completely
denied. Experienced professionals are leaving”, Beslan Kmuzov says.
Migration in Abkhazia is intensive. Russians are not too willing to
go to Abkhazia owing to harsh living conditions. According to the
de facto State Committee, there are 60 000 Georgians in the Gali
District only. Besides, Georgians live in Ochamchire and Tkvarcheli
districts. The least number of Georgians lives in Sockhumi, Capital
City. But Armenians still account for the largest part of the
foreigners arriving in Abkhazia.
The issue of migration is the most urgent before the forthcoming
presidential elections. Alexander Ankvab, de facto Prime Minister
demands immediate address to the problem of illegal registration of
Armenians in Abkhazia, in defiance of the residential qualification,
as those registrations are used in application for the Abkhazian and
later for Russian passports.
“I think that there are more Armenians than Abkhazians there. By the
way, even Georgians population prevails, however they are not allowed
to take any offices. Abkhazians are the only part of the population
that lives in freedom. It’s quite another matter that rate of Armenian
migration to Abkhazia is growing above other ethnic groups.
Their presence in Abkhazia becomes more and more evident”, Beslan
Kmuzov says.
When asked what Abkhazia is looking n from Russia, Beslan Kmuzov
shrugs shoulders.
“It is strange; we kind of have gained independence, now we want to
be bound to some other party. But in fact this is the only choice for
us. 2004 presidential elections was successful test for determination
of the Abkhazians. But murder of one of the most powerful relatives
of the former president in Moscow came of surprise. If he has not
he been murdered he would probably become a president and leave all
other contenders far behind”, Beslan Kmuzov said.
But as the popular saying goes, new it is well forgotten old.
Therefore I remind him of Ubykhs that used to live in Sochi and now
there are none of them.
“No, the Ubykhs must blame themselves. They had to make up their
minds in time. To fight with Russia means to fight indeed. To live in
peace means to live in peace. Englishmen deceived them, they promised
to support and betrayed in the decisive moment. As for Abkhazians,
they do not count on anyone’s help”, Beslan Kmuzov claims.
But here is another question – what about the fraternal Caucasian
nations and their help?
“The representatives of the ethnic groups of Adygh origin express
their sympathy with Abkhazia. But they also suffer lack of unbiased
information. They do not even exactly know what happened in Abkhazia
before 1992 and are not well aware of the present developments too.
The local vendible politicos do not let Cherkesians, Adyghs and
Kabardians unite to be able to deny political course dictated by
Russia. They also hinder economic development of the region. This is
the core problem of the North Caucasus. But saying that those nations
will join hostilities in Abkhazia once again is contradictory –
Russia will simply step aside to let those nations mangle each other.
We have already experienced it during the Georgian-Abkhazian
hostilities in 1992”, he says
The Abkhazian journalist also does not like the recent developments
in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.
“I have spoken to Mikheil Makharadze, Chairman of Parliament of the
Autonomous Republic. It is evident that the local regional authority
of the autonomous republic is formal. They are not able to make any
decisions without prior agreement with the center”, Beslan Kmuzov
says in disappointment.
The conversation with Beslan Kmuzov makes the lamentable state of the
Abkhazian people evident – they might take their crave for independence
to extreme edge. However Beslan Kmuzov is optimistic over the future.
“Time will cross all “t’s” and dot all “i’s”, he says.
Let’s wait and see.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SYMPOSIUM TO BE ORGANIZED IN ERCIYES UNIVERSITY ON TURKISH – ARMENIAN RELATIONS
Anatolian Times, Turkey
April 17 2006
KAYSERI – Plenary discussion panel on: “The Art of Living Together
in the Ottoman Society: The Case of Turkish-Armenian Relations” will
be organized in Erciyes University (EU) in Central Anatolian city of
Kayseri, it was reported on Sunday.
EU Rector Prof. Cengiz Utas held a news conference and said the
university will host the symposium between April 20 and 22
Utas said 125 scientists from various countries and Turkish Armenians
Patriarch Mesrob II would attend the symposium where social dimensions
of the Turkish-Armenian relations would be examined rather than
political dimensions.
Prof. Metin Hulagu, the Chairman of the Symposium Organization
Committee said they hoped the symposium to be a new start in
Turkish-Armenian relations, stating that issues based on documents
would be discussed.
“We want the symposium to establish a new bridge between Turkey and
Armenia. We hope to organize the second symposium in Armenia. Peace,
tolerance and dialogue between Turks and Armenian will be taken up,”
he noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
April 17, 2006
___________________
APRIL 30 GATHERING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO CALL ATTENTION TO KILLING
IN DARFUR
The Save Darfur Coalition, a coalition of organizations including
religious institutions such as the Armenian Church, will hold a
rally in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2006, to call attention to
the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The Rally to Stop Genocide will feature leading voices in the
effort to stop the genocide in Darfur, including a broad spectrum of
prominent faith leaders, political figures, human rights activists,
celebrities, survivors of the Holocaust and genocides in Cambodia,
Kosovo, Srebrenica, Rwanda, South Sudan and Darfur.
The rally will run from 2 to 4 p.m., with participants asked to
gather at 1:30 on the National Mall, between 3rd and 4th Streets
in front of the U.S. Capitol. The Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern) asks all members able to attend to join the rally.
Before the rally, Fr. Tateos Abdalian, pastor of the Holy Trinity
Church of Cheltenham, PA, will celebrate the badarak at the St. Mary
Church of Washington, D.C.
Armenians are also asked to take part in a related postcard campaign,
in which organizers are aiming to flood the White House with messages
to prompt action against the Darfur genocide.
“We, the Armenians who have suffered a lot like other nations, we have
to be a part of this demonstration and send cards as much as possible
to President Bush to stop this genocide,” said Bishop Vicken Aykazian,
legate and ecumenical officer of the Diocese, who will be unable to
attend the protest because of a previous commitment in the Midwest.
“We encourage all our Armenian communities around greater Washington
to attend.”
In the Sudan, the Janjaweed — a government-backed nomadic Arab tribe
— has raped, killed, and burnt the homes of black, non-Arab residents
in the nation’s Darfur region since 2003. The violence is an attempt to
get them to leave their lands, which the Arab government has promised
to the mercenaries. According to reports by the World Food Program,
the United Nations, and the Coalition for International Justice,
3.5 million people are now hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced
due to violence, and 400,000 people have died in Darfur so far.
The Diocese has been advocating for increased international pressure to
stop the violence. Along with coordinating a Diocesan-wide fund-raising
effort to provide relief supplies to the refugees of the violence,
Bishop Aykazian has also taken part in protests outside the Sudanese
embassy in 2004, during which several leading protestors were arrested
for civil disobedience.
For more on the protest and the postcard campaign, visit
— 4/17/06
# # #

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY POSITION ON MASS. GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE REINFORCED BY SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT RULING
Washington, DC — A recent U.S. Sixth Circuit Court decision virtually
echoed the language used by the Armenian Assembly in its amicus curiae
(“friend of the court”) brief in the Massachusetts Genocide Denial
Case, when it ruled that a state, has in effect, broad discretion
in determining the appropriate framework on policy issues of public
interest.
Ruling that the state of Tennessee can put on its license plates any
message it chooses, the Court said that the tags are “government
speech” and “not a public forum,” and that nothing in the First
Amendment prohibits it.
It went on to say: “Although this exercise of government one-sidedness
with respect to a very contentious political issue may be ill-advised,
we are unable to conclude that the Tennessee statute contravenes the
First Amendment,” Judge John M. Rogers said in his ruling.
Last month, the Assembly filed an amicus brief in response to a
lawsuit brought by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations
(ATAA) and others who are attempting to rewrite history with respect
to the Armenian Genocide. The brief states in part: “There is no
First Amendment basis for objecting to the government’s choice in a
curricular guide simply because it expresses a viewpoint with which
the plaintiffs disagree. Indeed, the fundamental flaw in plaintiffs
suit, and the reason why it must be dismissed, is that the Curricular
Guide is government speech and there is no First Amendment basis for
objecting when the government chooses to speak.”
Citing a Fifth U.S. Circuit Court decision, the Assembly brief
further says, “The Supreme Court repeatedly has emphasized that the
government may speak and that there is no basis for a First Amendment
claim objecting to the government’s expressive choices.”
The Assembly brief also said: “As the Fifth Circuit recently declared:
The government undoubtedly has the authority to control its own
message when it speaks or advocates a position it believes is in the
public interest.”
“. . .the Curricular Guide is speech by the government, and the law
is absolutely clear that government speech inherently does not violate
the First Amendment,” the brief continues.
The ATAA lawsuit seeks the right to inject genocide denial materials
into the Massachusetts school curriculum and claims that doing so
is a violation of the “freedom of speech” protection of the First
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issue. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
####
NR#2006-034
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CPTV SHOWS GENOCIDE DOCUMENTARY
Hartford Courant,
April 17 2006
The Turkish government still denies the overwhelming evidence of the
first genocide of the 20th century: more than 1 million Armenians
killed by Ottoman Turks during World War I.
A new documentary, “The Armenian Genocide” (CPTV, 10 p.m.), lays
out the record in a way that should allay any doubts. But a planned
panel discussion that was to have accompanied the film was scotched,
in part because it was to include a denier.
[parts omitted]

PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE CONCLUDES ITS WORK IN TEHRAN
IRNA website
16 Apr 06
Tehran, 16 April: The Third International Conference on Qods and
Support for the Rights of Palestinian People concluded its work here
on Sunday [16 April].
The final declaration of the conference was read by MP from Tehran and
head of the committee in charge of codification of the declaration,
Hoseyn Sheykholeslam.
The conference kicked off here Friday evening with a keynote speech
by the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed
Ali Khamene’i.
President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel,
judiciary chief Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi as well as domestic and foreign
political and cultural figures participated in the opening ceremony
of the conference, organized upon the initiative of the supreme leader.
The conference was attended by 600 foreign officials including 20
parliament speakers from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Sudan, Indonesia,
Uganda, Cameroon, Congo, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leon, Cuba, Comoros,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Qatar, Mauritania, Mauritius, the Seychelles,
Sri Lanka and Guinea.
Eleven parliament vice-Speakers from Libya, Palestine, Jordan,
Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Tunisia, the Philippines, Gambia, Togo and
Senegal were also present in the conference.
Representatives from parliaments of South Africa, Kuwait, Russia,
Mexico, Kenya, Somalia, Benin, Mali, Bosnia, Armenia and Albania were
among other participants in the conference.
Political figures, personalities, intellectuals discussed Palestine
issues from different points of view as the most basic issue of the
Islamic world.
Over 200 foreign reporters residing in Tehran along with 50 foreign
and 200 domestic reporters covered the conference.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNO KARABAKH IS NOT A TRANSIT ROUTE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
17 April 2006
Recently NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and NKR Police Chief
Armen Isagulov sent a letter to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Anne Petersson, the head of the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs. ” Highly appreciating and commending the
contribution of the United States to the establishment of democratic
values in international relations, as well as the consistent efforts
of the American co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, we would like to draw your
attention to an issue, which is of utter importance for Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. Unlike the previous years when the elucidation
of the Karabakh government helped to reach a mutual understanding,
in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2006 Nagorno
Karabakh and the territories it controls were defined as transit
route of drug trafficking. Being convinced that these invented data
were extended by Azerbaijan, which has adopted falsification and
slander against the Armenian party to the level of state policy, we
disagree with the inaccurate information used in such a authoritative
report, especially that the government of Karabakh have applied to
relevant international organizations for a number of times to send
an independent monitoring group to Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the
situation on the spot. Obviously, by such false accusations Azerbaijan
want to have the international community admit Nagorno Karabakh as an
outlawed and uncontrollable territory. Thereby we assume responsibility
to assure you that Nagorno Karabakh is not a transit route for drug
trafficking not only because of a lack of a developed transport system
but also primarily due to the effective preventive activity of the law
enforcement agencies of NKR.” The letter contains facts proving the
abovementioned arguments. “First of all, we consider it necessary to
remind that since May 1994 the government of NKR has guaranteed the
ceasefire without any peacemaking forces, completely controlling the
front line between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan
and the border area. The letter of the NKR Foreign Minister and Chief
of the Police states that the Office of the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will also deny criminal facts or actions,
which regularly and fully monitors the front line, hence exercising
international control over the conflict area of NKR. It is mentioned
in the letter that in late February and late March 2005 the OSCE
fact-finding mission, including over 30 diplomats and experts from
different countries, visited Karabakh with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. “The OSCE fact-finding mission prepared a significant
report, based on a meticulous monitoring of the areas controlled
by NKR, which contains no such negative facts. With regard to this
we emphasize the commitment of the government of Nagorno Karabakh
Republic to promoting democratic values and a peace settlement
of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, pursuing the international
recognition of NKR and fulfilling their function of government and
guaranteeing the security of their citizens for about 20 years,”
states the letter of NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and
Police Chief Armen Isagulov. A copy of the letter was sent to the
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
Stephen Mann, Director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) John Walters.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AVETIK ISAHAKYAN’S MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED IN BEIRUT
ArmRadio.am
17.04.2006 16:22
April 6-9 the second all-Armenian forum of writers, featuring 51
authors from Armenia, was held in Beirut.
According to the President of the Union of Writers of Armenia Levon
Ananyan, one of the important outcomes of the forum is that Avetik
Isahakyan’s monument will be erected in the center of Beirut in the
nearest future. A youth literary fund will be founded to publish
textbooks for Diaspora- Armenian educational establishments.
The whole revenue for the exhibition-sale held in the framework of
the forum will go to the all-Armenian literary fund.
At the end of the forum Aram A Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilikia awarded Levon Ananyan with a “Saint Mesrop Mashtots” order.