Author: Emil Lazarian

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/07/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) New Karabagh Envoy for US, Abiyev Ties Unstable Armenia to Renewed War 2) ANCC, Canadian Foreign Ministry Reps Take-up Timely Issues 3) Krakow Armenian Officials Tell Turkey to Keep Distance on Monument Issue 4) Russian Official Injured in Georgia Explosion 5) Fierce Fighting Sweeps Iraqi Cities 1) New Karabagh Envoy for US, Abiyev Ties Unstable Armenia to Renewed War YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The United States will soon appoint a new chief negotiator in the long-running international efforts to resolve the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, official Azeri sources revealed on Wednesday, citing the US ambassador in Baku. Azeri news agencies quoted Ambassador Reno Harnish as telling Defense Minister Safar Abiyev on Tuesday that Steven Mann, Washington’s special representative to the Caspian Sea region, will soon take over as the new US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Harnish said he hopes that the appointment will give new impetus to the stalled Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. No other details were reported. In his current capacity, Mann has for years focused on the development of Azerbaijan’s and Kazakhstan's Caspian oil and natural reserves by Western multinational companies. He also successfully lobbied on behalf of the US government for the ongoing construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that will pump Azerbaijani and possibly Kazakh oil to the Turkish Mediterranean coast. The multibillion-dollar oil projects, seen as reducing the ex-Soviet states’ dependence on Russia, have been a key motive for the close US involvement in the Karabagh peace process. The Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact around Karabagh lies only several dozen kilometers south of the nearest section of the future pipeline. Meeting with the US envoy, the Azerbaijani defense chief accused the Armenian side of trying to “obstruct” the $2.5 billion work on the pipeline. Abiyev also claimed that rising political tensions in Armenia make a renewed war in Karabagh more likely. “Should the government lose control over the domestic situation, a war may break out,” he said. As a defense minister, I see this and warn the public. We must be always ready to defend the territorial integrity of our state.” The US State Department has not yet officially announced Mann’s upcoming appointment. An Armenian diplomatic source suggested that the information provided by Harnish was not meant for publication by the Azeri government. The current US co-chair of the Minsk Group, Rudolf Perina, has held the post since September 2001. Perina and his Russian and French counterparts were due to preside over an important meeting between the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers which was scheduled to take place in Prague late last week. The talks were canceled at Baku’s request. This was followed by the weekend dismissal of Vilayat Guliyev, Azerbaijan’s tough-talking foreign minister. Azerbaijani commentators said Guliyev’s replacement, career diplomat Elmar Mamedyarov, will be more pliant to President Ilham Aliyev. 2) ANCC, Canadian Foreign Ministry Reps Take-up Timely Issues OTTAWA--Representative of Canada’s foreign ministry and Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) met on April 2 at the ministry building in Ottawa. ANCC representatives, Chairman Jirayr Basmadjian, and Toros Dimitian held a two-hour meeting with the ministry’s Director General David Preston, and Peter Curtis who heads Canada’s Armenia relations office. Although ANCC representatives stressed the importance of current government efforts to create dialogue between Canada’s minorities, they nevertheless expressed concern about the timing of move that coincides with the vote in the Canadian House of Commons on the Armenian Genocide. Efforts for potential dialogue--presumably between all minorities--could possibly overshadow the motion on the Armenian Genocide due for a vote in late April. Although the Canadian government opposes the use of the word “genocide,” explained Preston, it also opposes a vote against motion, and will allow each member of its party to rule their conscience on the issue. ANCC representatives detailed the necessity of establishing a Canadian embassy in Armenia, considering the vast Canadian Armenian community. They also covered the political situation in the Caucasus, specifically the absurdity of attempts to regulate the Karabagh conflict without the participation of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) in negotiations. Though the meeting participants did not agree on all matters, they nevertheless agreed that the talks were constructive and beneficial. Preston and Curtis requested a follow-up meeting in the near future with ANCC representatives. 3) Krakow Armenian Officials Tell Turkey to Keep Distance on Monument Issue YEREVAN (Arminfo)--A Monument to the Victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 has been erected in Krakow, Poland, and will officially be unveiled on April 17. There has been some degree of controversy surrounding the monument, with the Turkish embassy in Poland repeatedly coming out against the use of the word “Genocide” on the Monument. Not surprised by the move, Armenia’s ambassador to Poland Ashot Hovakimyan, said the time will surely come for Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide, and suggested that a monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide be erected in Istanbul. Hovakimyan thanked Krakow authorities for their ability to brave the onslaught of protests by Turkish diplomats, and expressed confidence that the incident would not bring about a cooling off of Turkish-Polish relations. “The more Poland knows about Turkey, the better,” Hovakimyan added. The Archimandrite of the Krakow Monastery Tadeush Isakakyan-Zaleski, in an open letter to the Turkish Ambassador, stated that any self-respecting historian could not but confirm the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide, and that disputes around the word “Genocide” are senseless. He also asked the Ambassador to stay out of the issue. 4) Russian Official Injured in Georgia Explosion TBILISI (AP)--The commander of Russian forces in the former Soviet republic of Georgia was injured in a bomb blast Tuesday night, officials said Tuesday. Gen. Alexander Studenikin was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, Georgian deputy prosecutor Kakha Koberidze said. Koberidze said the blast occurred as the general walked to his home from the Russian troops' headquarters in the capital Tbilisi, on territory under Russian control. He said preliminary information indicates it was set off by remote. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Studenikin was injured in an explosion, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Russia maintains two bases and about 5,000 troops in Georgia as holdovers from the Soviet era when the republic was a key element in the Kremlin's military strategy. It has about 150 tanks, 240 armored vehicles and 140 artillery pieces on the bases. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia withdrew troops from two other bases, and Georgia has been pushing for the withdrawal of the remaining two. Moscow has said the withdrawal could take from seven to 11 years, but Georgia has pressed for complete pullout in three years. The Georgians have been nervous that Moscow might use the bases to support the defiant leader of Ajaria, the Black Sea province which has been reluctant to cede any powers to Georgian central authorities. One of the Russian bases is located in Ajaria. Despite the tensions over the bases, Russia-Georgian relations have shown signs of thawing since Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was elected in January, after Eduard Shevardnadze resigned under pressure of mass public protests. Georgian Security Council secretary Vano Merabishvili said he suspects those developments could be behind the bombing. "I think that this has happened because there's been an improvement in relations recently between Georgia and Russia and our enemies don't like warm relations between our countries," he said. Koberidze said the explosion would be investigated jointly by Georgian and Russian authorities. 5) Fierce Fighting Sweeps Iraqi Cities "OUR RESOLVE IS FIRM; OUR RESOLVE IS UNSHAKABLE AND WE WILL PREVAIL" --WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN SCOTT MCCLELLAN FALLUJA (Reuters)--US-led forces are battling Sunni Muslim guerrillas and a spreading Shi'ite uprising, as Iraqi anger was inflamed by a blast in the grounds of a mosque that witnesses say killed 25 people. In the last three days 35 American and allied soldiers and at least 200 Iraqis have been killed in some of the heaviest fighting since the fall of Saddam Hussein nearly a year ago. The spiraling two-front war, with new flashpoints flaring across the country as backers of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr take up arms, is calling into question US plans to transfer sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30. US President George W. Bush--campaigning for re-election in November with opinion polls showing plunging support over Iraq--held phone talks with close ally Prime Minister Tony Blair, but officials dismissed any suggestion of a crisis. But some countries with troops in Iraq signaled the situation was growing serious. Ukrainian troops pulled out of the eastern city of Kut after clashes and regrouped at a base camp. Japan said its troops would suspend reconstruction work in Samawa, in the south, because of security concerns. Battles raged between US Marines and guerrillas in the Sunni towns of Falluja and Ramadi west of Baghdad. NEW US "CASUALTIES" A US military spokesman said there were five Marine "casualties" in Falluja on Wednesday, but it was not clear if any had been killed. In Falluja, witnesses said the office of a Muslim organization in the grounds of a mosque was hit by a rocket. Local residents said at least 25 people were killed. A US official at the Pentagon said a bomb had been dropped but "did not hit the mosque--that was made very clear to us". In a small alleyway in the back streets of Ramadi, a dozen Iraqis crouched on the floor of a house, sheltering from gunfire as Marines and masked insurgents fought outside. In a room close by, women and children were crying. Mosques broadcast calls for a holy war against US troops, blasts echoed across the town and black smoke rose from a building blocks away. Twelve Marines were killed on Tuesday in a seven-hour battle in Ramadi--one of the costliest single losses for US forces since the war that toppled Saddam began last March. A US soldier was killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Baghdad on Wednesday, bringing to 443 the number of US troops killed in action in Iraq since last year's invasion. Since Sunday, clashes across Iraq have killed 33 US troops, a Ukrainian soldier and a Salvadoran soldier. MAJOR US OPERATION The US military launched a major operation this week to secure Ramadi and Falluja, where four US private security guards were killed last week and their bodies set ablaze and mutilated by a jubilant crowd of Iraqis. North of Baghdad, a US helicopter landed after being hit by gunfire. The US army said there were no casualties. Followers of Sadr have fought running battles with US-led forces in the southern cities of Nassiriya, Amara, Kut, and Kerbala. An aide to Sadr told a news conference some US soldiers had been captured in the fighting. "Some tribes have captured some occupation forces on the streets," Qays al-Khazali told a news conference in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf. US military spokesman, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, said US-led forces would destroy Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and that the cleric would be arrested. "In the central and southern regions of Iraq the coalition and Iraqi security forces are conducting operations to destroy the Mehdi Army," he said. The upsurge in violence has prompted critics of Bush to suggest US forces face a Vietnam-style quagmire. Bulgaria summoned ambassadors of the United States, Britain, Spain and Poland to the foreign ministry on Wednesday asking for back-up for 450 Bulgarian soldiers stationed in Kerbala. The base has come under attack several times by Shi'ite militiamen, and a Bulgarian civilian truck driver was killed in an attack on a convoy in southern Iraq on Tuesday. Sadr has appealed to all Iraqis, whatever their religion, to help expel the US-led occupying forces. "This insurrection shows that the Iraqi people are not satisfied with the occupation and they will not accept oppression," he said in a statement on Tuesday. Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Wednesday condemned the way US-led forces were tackling the uprising and called for calm on all sides and an end to violence. Bush has vowed the campaign by Sadr's supporters would not derail Washington's plans. "We will pass sovereignty on June 30," he told a rally in Arkansas on Tuesday. "We're not going to be intimidated by thugs and assassins." A US opinion poll on Monday showed support for Bush's handling of Iraq at a new low of 40 percent, with 44 percent wanting US troops withdrawn. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 4, 2004
AID DISTRIBUTION
Ten years ago the German organization “Image of Hope” started its
humanitarian mission in Artsakh. Cooperating with the Orthopedic
Prosthesis Center after C. Cox, the organization distributes
humanitarian aid, food and clothes, to the parentless children of the
republic. The center of prosthesis recently organized another action
of distribution of aid. According to the director of the center Levon
Babayan, presently 69 parentless children are registered in the
republic, of which 40 in the capital. The mentioned children are under
constant state care. On March 31 the direction of the center visited
the regions of the republic to deliver the aid to the children. The
organization “Image of Hope” implements humanitarian programs in
almost 50 countries of the world.
LAURA GRIGORIAN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 6, 2004
NEW STRUCTURE
On April 1 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian signed a decree according
to which the interdepartmental commission of the Security Council of
NKR on information security and radio-telecommunication was
established. Member of the Security Council, advisor of the NKR
president Georgy Petrossian was appointed chairman of the commission.
AA
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Edicom, Suisse
5 Avril 2004
Sylvie Vartan: 2004 ou l’année du grand retour
par Rachid Aouli
PARIS (AP) – Après un silence radio de quelques années et de brèves
incursions au cinéma, 2004 marque le grand retour de Sylvie Vartan.
Avec d’abord un retour en chansons et un nouvel album sobrement
baptisé «Sylvie» (Mercury/Universal) dans les bacs depuis ce lundi,
en même temps que le premier extrait «Ce n’est pas rien».
C’est en musique que Sylvie Vartan fait son retour sous les feux de
la rampe avec un album enregistré en Italie et à Los Angeles. Réalisé
par Paul Manners, qui a oeuvré pour Kelly Joyce ou Tina Arena,
«Sylvie» a également fait appel pour les textes et les compositions à
de jeunes talents, parmi lesquels Frédéric Lô, Laurent Marchet ou
Daran. Beaucoup plus connu, son fils David, né en août 1966 de son
union avec Johnny Hallyday, signe un texte, «Au rythme du coeur».
Egalement publiée lundi, une autobiographie intitulée «Entre l’ombre
et la lumière» (Editions XO). Sylvie Vartan, icône des années
«yé-yé», y raconte une enfance vécue, malgré les difficultés, dans
l’amour d’une famille attentionnée, entourée de parents très soudés
et d’un grand-père francophile averti.
Sa mère hongroise, son père bulgare d’ascendance arménienne, tous
deux voulaient le bonheur de Sylvie sur cette terre d’accueil
qu’était la France. Le père, tout artiste qu’il était, avait même
accepté un emploi de tripier aux Halles à Paris, tandis que la
famille vivait dans une petite chambre d’hôtel.
Mais qui dit nouvel album dit aussi nouveau spectacle: c’est à partir
du 28 septembre que Sylvie Vartan foulera à nouveau la scène du
Palais des Congrès de Paris pour douze représentations
exceptionnelles dans une mise en scène de Walter Painter.
Et si Sylvie Vartan n’a jamais caché son goût pour les mises en scène
sophistiquées des «shows» à l’Américaine, c’est tout naturellement
qu’elle exposera à partir du 16 octobre et jusqu’au 27 février 2005
au Musée parisien de la mode Galliera ses plus belles robes de scène.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Glendale News Press
March 20, 2004
FROM THE MARGINS
Giovanni, Arash and the tunnel

PATRICK AZADIAN
The ordeal is almost over. This is the last of three parts sparked by
a quote by Malcolm X: “The only thing I like integrated is my coffee.”
I took the analogy further in describing my high school’s racially
divided social scene: “Milk producers, coffee growers and sugar
planters rarely came together to produce a smooth cappuccino.” Readers
have been inquiring about the true identity of these categories; my
response has been consistent: “They are irrelevant.” It is the late
1970s; I live in Sacramento, and being an Armenian is still
mysterious.
Giovanni was one of my buddies on the soccer team. As far as I knew,
he was the only Italian at our school. He was a product of a broken
home and a jet-setter father. The most exciting things in his life
were his athletic involvements and his sweet girlfriend, Karen. And
she was the envy of everyone, including the football team’s
quarterback, Kenny. She was a victory for all of us on the unglamorous
soccer team.
Karen had a sweet way of filling the family void in Giovanni’s
life. She was one of the rare sweethearts who actually made and
delivered sandwiches for her boyfriend after each and every soccer
match. My Italian mate was smitten.
Giovanni was popular among “sugar planters” and enjoyed all the
benefits of having a solid peer group. One problem: Giovanni’s friends
did not approve of Karen. So one day, after a brutal two-hour soccer
practice, Giovanni broke down in tears. His intensity suggested that
his sobbing was not a product of his howling misses in front of the
empty net during scrimmage; he had broken up with Karen. His official
reason: “Hmmm ’cause I am stupid, man, just stupid.”
Translation: “Sugar planters” did not approve of her. My opinion:
“Dumb move.”
Dumb got even dumber. Within a week Giovanni had a new girl from the
more accepted scene, and within a month, she was pregnant. Beautiful
an expectant father at the green age of 17. My Dodo bird curiosity
immediately kicked in, and I posed the obvious question to his friend,
Joaquin: “I personally have not seen this contraption with my own
eyes, but isn’t there something called contraception in this country?”
Dodo bird received his answer in the form of “Hush that is against the
teachings of the church.”
The grand lesson is quite clear, but allow me to be redundant. Lesson
No. 1: Peer pressure can lead to losing your hot girlfriend,
especially if your homies are involuntarily single throughout high
school. Lesson No. 2: If you are going to be selective in following
the teachings of Christ, pick and choose wisely.
Arash was one of three Iranians at our school. Thanks to him and his
monthly “Animal House” toga parties at his bachelor pad, I enjoyed a
decent level of popularity. In spite of my superior looks, as well as
my lack of a unibrow and a thick black mustache, our classmates could
not tell us apart. They would often thank me for being invited to the
toga bashes.
Arash’s gatherings could not have come at a better time, considering
we were privileged to have experienced all the ill effects of the
Iranian hostage crisis. But no one dared to openly get on our wrong
side, as they feared being axed from the guest list. In exchange, we
were denied entry to gatherings on a couple of occasions, but no
worries, no resentments; we had a firm grip on our own social life.
In addition to being quite popular with the girls, Arash had a
beautiful girlfriend named Kelly. I could safely say Arash was one of
the biggest party animals at our school, and enjoyed all the freedoms
American society offered and tolerated. At the same time, he was
supportive of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
I posed a question to him once about this contradiction: “Would you
like a brutal spanking from a bearded official every time you were out
with Kelly?” His response: “That system is good for those people. I
don’t have to like it to support it.” He went as far as inviting me to
his pad to have his extremist roommate preach to me the virtues of a
fundamentalist revolution. From that day on, our friendship was on
ice.
I am almost certain Arash eventually made a U-turn on his views. Like
most Iranian students of that era, his anti-Shah, pro-democracy
tendencies were temporarily allied with pro-revolution sentiments. His
preaching roommate was a different story, however. He went on to
benefit from the American educational system, only to go back and help
coin the term “Great Satan” for America.
Lesson No. 1: What’s not good for you is probably not good for others,
either. Lesson No. 2: Hypocrisy runs rampant in the world. Lesson
No. 3: Revolutions can mess up good friendships.
High school was my landing ground in America; sink or swim were my
only choices. I left home at 14, traveled above gray waters, trekked
through a jet engine-noise tunnel surrounded by dark clouds, and
emerged in an entirely new universe. The tunnel was then sealed.
Everything before the tunnel is surreal, but intact. Everything after
the tunnel is real yet artificially detached from the past.
The bridge is still under construction.
PATRICK AZADIAN lives and works in Glendale. He is an identity and
branding consultant for the retail industry. Reach him at
[email protected].
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1 Plus | 15:20:31 | 06-04-2004 | Politics |
STATEMENT OF NATIONAL PRESS CLUB ON VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS YESTERDAY
That disgustful action was directed against speech freedom aiming to hamper
unbiased information in Armenia and to reflect the reality in the anomalous
mirror.
National Press Club condemns the violence demanding the Authorities and the
law-enforcement bodies who neglected their professional obligations to take
urgent steps to punish the pogrom-makers and to exclude such accidents in
the future or else violence may spread among our public.
In the 21st century speech freedom has no alternative in Armenia, too, and
the Armenian journalists must strive for it. NPC calls upon its colleagues
who abet the thugs by distorting what happened, to respect their
professional duty.
—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NT Highlights #13 (515)
5 April, 2004
Much Ado About Nothing?
By Haroutiun Khachatrian
Outsiders visiting Armenia on these days may be surprised to learn from mass
media, (including the state-owned ones) that there is a political tension in
this country.
There are almost no real signs to prove this.
In fact, I believe the people saying that there is little basis for
extensive shock and shaking in Armenia are right.
The opposition has declared a single goal: to force Robert Kocharian to
resign, as the results of his re-elections last year were falsified. Event
if one agrees with this allegation, it still remains to see what are the
resources the opposition plans to use to force Kocharian to leave the
President’s office? Its leaders mention one single resource: the people will
organize, in reply to the appeals of these leaders, mass actions of protest
and civil disobedience.
Will they? I doubt deeply. These same opposition leaders failed to persuade
the population to participate in such actions a year ago, immediately after
the presidential elections, when emotions were much higher than now. The
simple fact that Geghamian and Demirchain act jointly now (they failed to
coordinate their actions last year) is evidently insufficient to spark a
large-scale “people movement”now. Despite the high level of negative
emotions towards the authorities and Kocharian personally.
Those seeing parallels between today’s Armenia and Georgia of the last
November miss an important factor: both the life standards and the
capacities of the state machinery in Armenia are much higher than in the
neighboring country. Hence, the basis for a type of “rose revolution” here
is very small if any.
For this reason, the nervous reaction of authorities to the threats of the
opposition leaders look often exaggerated, to put it mildly. The ridiculous
actions of egg-throwing or organizing faked funeral ceremonies to prevent
the actions of oppositions are followed by criminal cases which cannot be
explained by common reason. The same is true for the anti-opposition
campaign in state-run media. I may be wrong, but it seems that this reaction
roots in peculiarities of the character of Robert Kocharian, who takes every
criticism as a personal insult. Anyway, these actions may bring the
situation to even higher degree of tension (and cause more damage) than it
could be in case if the authorities had a more sober stance.
—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Land and Culture Organization
P.O. Box 1386
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Contact: Raffi Niziblian
Tel: 1-888-LCO-1555
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
LCO IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ITS 2004 SUMMER CAMPAIGNS
The Land and Culture Organization (LCO) has begun recruiting
volunteers for its 2004 summer campaigns.
Established in France in 1977, the Land and Culture Organization is an
international, non-profit organization that has undertaken a variety
of challenging activities ranging from restoration projects of
national historical monuments, to social and economic assistance
programs for Armenian communities living on ancestral lands. The LCO
creates enriching opportunities for men and women of all backgrounds
and interests to directly participate in the process of getting back
to their roots, bridging gaps between past and present and forging
links with today and tomorrow. For over 27 years, Armenians of all
ages have participated in LCO summer campaigns from North and South
America, Europe, Australia, Armenia and the Middle East and
experienced their ancestral homeland beyond the hotels and tourist
spots in Yerevan. They meet and work with local villagers and interact
with their land in a way that deepens their understanding and bonds
them to their heritage.
The LCO first began holding restoration projects in the Aterpatakan
region of northwest Iran and eventually spread its activities to
Kessab in Syria, Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. This year, the LCO is
proud to be celebrating 15 years of activity in Armenia. A few of our
past projects were the reconstruction of the St. Astvadzazin Church
(Holy Mother of God) in Gogaran, the renovation of the St. Minas
Church in Tatev and the restoration of the Saghmosavank Monastery in
the Ashtarak Region. The LCO has also completed social assistance and
economic projects such as the building of solar fruit dryers in
Madrasa (now called Dprevan) and last year in Ayroum, a refugee
village located in the Northern part of the country near the Georgian
border.
The LCO has also been very active in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
(NKR) since 1997, when it adopted the war-torn village of
Karintak. This village, situated below the rock on which the town of
Shushi sits, has earned the reputation of being a heroic village,
particularly during the clashes for the liberation of Shushi by
Armenian forces. The four-year project included the renovation of
their cultural center, the village church, its kindergarten and
finally its school. Since 2001, the LCO has renovated vital parts of
the Shushi polyclinic and General Hospital, including the Delivery
Room, the Maternity Ward and several hospital rooms. In 2003, the LCO
volunteers undertook the renovation of the water pipeline which
provides the hospital with running water and the septic system.
The work sites and projects approved for 2004 during its Annual
Assembly held in Paris in February of this year, the International
Union of Land and Culture Organizations selected (1) the
reconstruction of the school in the refugee village of Shatvan located
in the Vartenis region of Armenia; (2) the continuing effort to
renovate the operating rooms of the Shushi Hospital, and (3),
continuation of our ongoing restoration work in Kessab, Syria.
The reconstruction of the village school in the refugee community of
Shatvan located to the east of Lake Sevan in the province of
Gegharkunik is one of the 34 villages in the Vartenis area that was
predominantly settled by Azeris during the soviet years. As of late
1988, the village of Shatvan has been repopulated by Armenian refugees
who have arrived from 33 different parts of Azerbaijan. The total
number of the current population is 834. The main concern is to
provide the basics for young families to help them settle down
permanently, and as such the village school is a major
priority. Currently it has 114 students with a staff of 20. The
building is in a very dangerous state. The roof is completely damaged
and parts of the floor on both levels are to be replaced. The
renovation of this building demands immediate attention.
The second project is in Nagorno Karabagh. There, LCO will continue
its commitment to the Regional Hospital of Shushi. This picturesque
town which had a population of 17,000 inhabitants before the war, is
now home to only 3000 people. While this is a huge building, it only
needs to cater to 3000-5000 people. In consultation with the chief
physician, Dr Vigen Khachadryan, and the Minister of health Zoya
Balayan, it was decided that only the East Wing of the hospital would
be restored and all the wards would be concentrated there. This
summer, it is expected that our volunteers will renovate the operating
ward.
As for our third site, we will continue our restoration work of the
houses in Kessab that represent typical Armenian architecture. Last
year, twenty-five LCO volunteers renovated a house that is destined to
become an Armenian ethnographic museum. Kessab is a small
Armenian-populated town in Syria, near the Mediterranean Sea. It dates
back to the Cilician Kingdom. The LCO has been holding campaigns in
Kessab for the last 14 years. For 2004, LCO will complete this
project. The campaign in Kessab is held only during the month of
August.
We have already started accepting volunteer applications for these
campaigns and invite volunteers to join us and take a month off this
summer to “Explore – Dream – Discover” Armenia. The effort is
voluntary, the results are far reaching! The deadline to apply for the
campaigns of July and August is May 21, 2004. You will be able to
download all application information and forms from our website or by
asking us to mail you a volunteer package. All applicants must be a
minimum of 18 years of age to be considered. We are also looking to
fill two site leader positions. These positions are open only to
returning LCO participants. For information about applying for a site
leader position, please contact the Projects Coordinator at
[email protected]. The deadline for these positions is April
30, 2004.
For more information about the Land and Culture Organization an dour
activities in the Aterpatakan region, Kessab, Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh, please visit or contact us at
1-888-LCO-1555 or write to [email protected].

A1 Plus | 16:01:27 | 06-04-2004 | Politics |
SERJ SARGSSYAN’S BROTHER’S BODY-GUARDS BEAT JOURNALISTS
“Body-guards of Sashik Sargssyan, brother of Serj Sargssyan, were the main
provokers of yesterday meeting”, “National Unity” Party Chair Artashes
Geghamyan announced at the press conference in the party office.
According to him, the body-guards of other oligarchs were “just watchers”.
Mr Geghamyan has appealed to the Embassies in Armenia over the incidents
occurred in “Nairi” Cinema yesterday. In the appeal he accused “the most
intimate oligarchs of Armenian President” who have attacked journalists.
“All these are the logical continuation of Poghos Poghosyan’s murder by
Robert Kocharyan’s body-guards”, Geghamyan said in the letter to the
Embassies.
He announced that the Armenian Authorities merged with the criminal
elements. “We expect support of USA and Russia in the situations we have”,
Geghamyan said at the end of the letter.
He added that the arrests are senseless since Authorities arrest even those
who have held the flag of Armenia at the rallies.
—
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
April 6 2004
Armenia: Political Standoff Deepens As Opposition Snubs Government
Offers
By Jean-Christophe Peuch

President Kocharian is likely to face increased pressure

Confrontation between the Armenian government and the opposition
deepened yesterday as the country’s two main opposition political
groups said they would proceed with plans to step up pressure on
President Robert Kocharian in a bid to secure his departure. The
announcement came as several opposition activists were being detained
in connection with an investigation into recent anti-Kocharian
rallies across the country.
Prague, 6 April 2004 (RFE/RL) — Addressing reporters in Yerevan
yesterday, the leader of the opposition Justice (Artarutyun)
alliance, Stepan Demirchian, said he and his allies were calling
supporters to massively demonstrate against President Kocharian in
Yerevan on 9 April. Demirchian said the planned rally was set to mark
the beginning of a massive nationwide anti-government campaign.
Justice, which has been regularly boycotting parliamentary sessions
in recent months, accuses the Armenian leader of “usurping power” and
“clamping down on freedom of expression.”
At the core of the dispute are last year’s presidential and
legislative polls, which saw the victory of Kocharian and his allies.
Justice and other opposition groups claim the vote was rigged and
insist that the president be put to a national vote of confidence.
The government has denied any wrongdoing in the elections.
Anxious to avoid a political crisis over the disputed elections,
Armenia’s Constitutional Court last year signaled the constitution
could, in principle, be amended in a way that would allow for a
national referendum on confidence. But government supporters in the
National Assembly (parliament) rejected the idea, saying it had no
legal basis.
One of the three partners in the ruling coalition, the Dashnaktsutyun
Armenian Revolutionary Federation, yesterday demanded that the
opposition cease to question Kocharian’s legitimacy. In return, the
nationalist party said, Justice and its allies should be given seats
in the National Security Council to have a say in domestic affairs.
A Dashnaktsutyun statement said only dialogue would help prevent what
it called “open confrontation.”
But Justice leader Demirchian yesterday rejected the offer, saying
the opposition would accept nothing less than the confidence vote.
“How could we possibly talk about dialogue when opposition members
are being arrested? Arrests are actions inherent with a junta. A real
dialogue would have been to call for a national referendum on
confidence [in Kocharian]. However, there is still room for
introducing constitutional amendments that would pave the way for
such a referendum,” Demirchian said.
Demirchian went on to say the opposition was determined to pursue its
anti-Kocharian campaign regardless of offers made on behalf of the
government and despite counter-steps taken by the authorities.
“I understand the fears of Dashnaktsutyun. The situation in the
country is indeed tense. But the opposition has never asked for any
government post,” Demirchian said. “What we want is that
constitutional order in the country be restored.”
On 31 March, the Prosecutor’-General’s Office in Yerevan launched
criminal proceedings against Justice and its allies, which it blamed
for a series of recent unsanctioned rallies that purportedly called
for a violent change of regime and using what it said was “offensive
language” against senior government officials.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office yesterday said Suren Sureniants of
the opposition Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party — a leading member of
the Justice alliance — was arrested in connection with the
investigation.
Hanrapetutyun spokesman Artak Hakobian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service
that Sureniants was arrested in a village nearby Yerevan and brought
to the capital for questioning. The Prosecutor-General’s Office said
no formal charges had been brought against him yet.
Hakobian also said opposition activists were being detained in many
Armenian regions.
“Today we’ve been receiving phone calls from our people in Yeghvard,
Charentsavan, Stepanavan, Vanadzor, and Gyumri. People are being
either summoned or taken to the police. Some of them are being
released, some are being put into custody,” Hakobian said.
Addressing reporters in Yerevan today, police chief Nerses Nazarian
said nearly 40 opposition activists have been apprehended. He did not
say whether charges were brought against them or how long they would
remain in custody.
Meanwhile, representatives of ruling coalition parties have justified
the detentions.
Dashnaktsutyun member Vahan Hovanessian yesterday said authorities
“have the right to take necessary steps to isolate people
transporting weapons and other instruments that could be used in
possible clashes.”
Republican Party member Tigran Torosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian
Service that harassment of the opposition will stop once it ceases
its anti-Kocharian campaign.
Opposition activists yesterday took to the streets of central Yerevan
to demand that the president step down and that a national referendum
be organized.
Estimates put the number of participants at between 3,000 and 8,000.
Media reports say unidentified youths smashed cameras belonging to
several journalists at the rally near the Matenadaran Library. Also,
eggs and stones were thrown at the protesters from nearby balconies.
No serious clashes were reported, however.
National Unity party leader Artashes Geghamian, who led yesterday’s
protest, claimed the authorities were unwilling to compromise with
the opposition.
“Had authorities called off police from the Matenadaran area, agreed
to come with us to meet with voters, or shown their goodwill [in any
other from], that would have been a starting point for cooperation.
But instead, they attempted to close bridges and roads leading to
Yerevan,” Geghamian said.
Despite uneasy relations stemming from last year’s presidential
polls, Geghamian and Justice leader Demirchian recently forged an
alliance aimed at securing Kocharian’s ouster.
(Ruzanna Khachatrian and Armen Doulian of RFE/RL’s Armenian Service
contributed to this report.)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress