Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIAN FREEDOM FIGHTER COMPLAINS ABOUT NEGLECT

21:26 ~U 16.04.13

Artur Nikoghosyan, a veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh war of liberation,
is earning his living in Russia.

Talking to Tert.am, the freedom fighter said that he had to go to
Russia to work at construction projects not only because he could
not find a job in Armenia, but also because no one appreciates their
services to the homeland.

“We construct churches in Russia, and that country’s government
appreciates it. I mean that we are appreciated in foreign lands. For
45 years we worked for Armenia, but they do not appreciate. But we
shed blood for our homeland. We feel hurt,” says Artur.

Armenia’s government has no specific policy to the Artsakh war
veterans. “We do not want to be protected by an oligarch. We only
want a policy we developed ourselves,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

AEROFLOT MAY REPLACE TURKISH AIRLINES AS AIR CARRIER OF MANCHESTER UNITED

April 16, 2013

Russian airline Aeroflot may become an official carrier of Manchester
United. The contract is likely to be signed this summer, The Daily
Mail reported.

The contract will come into force from next season. At the moment
the official airline of Manchester Unites is Turkish Airlines.

NEWS.am Spor

OVER 420 TREES PLANTED IN YEREVAN’S AVAN DISTRICT

April 16, 2013 – 16:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – More than 420 trees were planted by the
representatives of the UN Office in Armenia, Government, international
community and civil society during a Tree PlantingDay organized
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN Office in Armenia, the
CharitableFoundation “Armenia Tree Project” in the Avan administrative
district of Yerevan. The event was supported by the administration
of the Avan district.

The tree planting was organized to celebrate the International Mother
Earth Day within the framework of the International Year of Water
Cooperation. The trees and all necessary plantingequipment were kindly
provided by the “Armenia Tree Project”.

Bradley Busetto, UN Resident Coordinator said: “Every citizen has a
right to live in a safe andhealthy environment and it is our obligation
to protect it. That is why protection and sustainableuse of natural
resources is absolutely vital, and a focus of the UN here in Armenia. I
am happyto join this tradition, introduced by our Armenian partners
and plant trees, thus contributingpersonally to the restoration of
the green areas in this beautiful country, thus protecting natural
resources as well.”

Edward Nalbandian, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighted that
Armenian government attaches special attention to the protection of
forests, and preservation of other natural resources through broader
involvement of local communities. Together we work to strengthen the
management, conservation, and sustainable development of forests for
the benefit of current and future generations.

The event was organized within the framework of activities aimed to
achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, since on April 5th, the world
marked 1,000 Days to the end of 2015 – thedeadline for achieving MDGs,
press service of UN Armenia Office reported.

BAKO SAHAKYAN HANDED IN STATE AWARDS AND CONFERRED TITLES TO A GROUP OF WORKERS ON POLICE DAY

16:26, 16 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. On 16 April President of the Artsakh
Republic Bako Sahakyan took part at a solemn event held in connection
with the Day of the Police. The Central Information Department of the
Artsakh Republic President’s Office informed “Armenpress” that the
Head of State congratulated the policemen as well as the veterans of
the system, handed in state awards and conferred titles to a group
of people.

In his speech the President stressed the importance of the Police
in the Artsakh’s state building process, noting that lawfulness,
public order and rule, security and stability, the interests of the
citizens and human rights are maintained in the republic also with
the active participation of the system.

Bako Sahakyan emphasized that the issues faced by the Police were
and would remain at the spotlight of the state, and the authorities
would do everything possible to improve working and social conditions
of the policemen.

DID YOU CALL ME A BOURGEOIS?

Revolutions are necessitated by time when the entire economic system
lives in a new form while the old governance hinders it. Revolutions,
more exactly coups, happen when more brazen and armed political groups
come to replace inert political groups.

There are also revolutions with pathetic post-revolutionary statements
like “Great October Socialist revolution is done, friends, hooray” but
perhaps only in Armenia is it possible to make a pathetic statement
before a revolution distorting the history and terminology of that
revolution.

So, when and how does a classic bourgeois-democratic but in reality
a bourgeois revolution take place? First, it comes to replace firm
feudal relations with its sovereign monarch, aristocracy formed and
filtered for centuries, and most importantly, with a sovereign and
independent economy. A bourgeois revolution is unlikely in a colony
because there is no national bourgeoisie in colonies.

Against this background Robert Kocharyan’s words that he has come to
create a national bourgeoisie sound oracular. In fact, a national
bourgeoisie is the basis of every state, the carrier of economic
progress and the guarantor of political stability.

As one fully agrees with the thought that having bourgeoisie is
something good, do not forget to add that bourgeoisie in Armenia was
not created but was designated. Judge yourself.

1. Even the most miserable bourgeois revolution is based on
scientific progress and brings about economic progress. Both are
absent in Armenia.

2. Competition is furious for major economic entities, most of them
go bankrupt.

3. New bourgeois are as a rule representatives belong to the lower
class and have zero education, and they try to compensate it with
marriage with aristocracy or upgrade of their own education. The
first is not practiced due to absence of aristocracy, the second due
to lack of wish.

Hence, the question occurs what bourgeois-democracy revolution is
meant. In fact, everyone understands that it is an anachronism in
the 21st century. Most probably, this is a new term which will mark
the alliance of the PAP and the ANC where the PAP will symbolize
bourgeoisie while the ANC will symbolize democracy.

Here is a medley which does not include the society, civil standards
and most probably Samvel Alexanyan and Ruben Hairapetyan. But they
are bourgeoisie, aren’t they?

Artur Remyan 16:01 16/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

PAP DENOUNCES VOTE BUYING, PLEDGES TO TAKE ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES AHEAD OF MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

POLITICS | 16.04.13 | 14:58

Photolure

By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) press secretary gives assurances
that during the May 5 municipal ballot his party will do everything
possible to minimize election fraud, and is urging those witnessing
cases of vote buying to turn either to party representatives or the
police.

During his Tuesday meeting with the press, PAP spokesman Tigran
Urikhanyan said that the party has started preparatory works prior to
the Yerevan city council elections and that together with other
parties they are discussing cooperation possibilities to ensure
quality elections.

“Unfortunately it is impossible to eliminate all the shortcomings, but
we will try to at least minimize them, and that requires human
resources, who would be engaged in cleaning up the voter lists before
the election day, keeping a close watch on those, forcing respective
state bodies to make them as perfect as possible,” said Urikhanyan,
adding that on the voting day PAP will install surveillance cameras at
every polling station.

He said that the faction’s list for the city council has changed by 90
percent and that to PAP this ballot is a chance to assume
responsibility.

Urikhanyan laughed at the speculation that PAP is giving away
elections bribes. He suggested that should anyone witness such a
thing, they report either personally to him or the police.

Meanwhile, in the Avan district of Yerevan, where current mayor and
head of the Republican Party list Taron Margaryan lives, PAP offered a
free charity bus (to run from Avan to downtown and back), but Avan
residents declined it with anger and made them remove the bus saying
that prior to the elections they do not need such “charity” aiming at
“buying” them. They added that they do not complain of their public
transportation network, while the offered bus is old.

Earlier, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia released a statement
saying that for the sake of “proper organization and implementation”
of the municipal electoral processes in Yerevan, the party condemns
all kinds of illegal activities, including electoral bribes.

PRESS RELEASE
CHARLIE KEYAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Contact: Randy Baloian at [email protected]
Zaroohi Der Mugrdechian, Principal
108 N. Villa, Clovis, California 93612
Tel: 559-323-1955
Fax: 559-323-1959
Email: [email protected]
Web:

KEYAN STUDENTS JOURNEY TO ARMENIA

For students of the Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School, the
images of the homeland that were previously limited to books and the
walls of the classroom came to life when they journeyed to Armenia
this past Spring break. CKACS Principal Zar Der Mugrdechian and
parents accompanied the 5th and 6th graders on their tour of the
Republic of Armenia.

Among the more memorable stops were school sites at Karin, Dzovinar,
and Digranashen. At the Armenia Tree Project’s nursery in Karin the
CKACS joined with students from Yerevan School #135 to prepare
saplings that will eventually be planted throughout the country as
part of the project’s reforestation effort. At Dzovinar, CKACS and
the town’s students exchanged greetings in the community church before
venturing outside to play in the snow. The CKACS group also enjoyed
the hospitality of the school’s principal, staff, and students at
Digranashen, located only a few miles from the border between Armenia
and Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan).

In Yerevan students met with parliamentarian and political activist
Raffi Hovanissian during his hunger strike staged in the square of the
great Opera Theater. Hovanissian, a Fresno native and the republic’s
first foreign minister, emerged as Armenia’s primary opposition leader
after a hotly disputed presidential election in February.

The CKACS group visited the country’s major cultural sites – including
Sartarabad, the Madenataran manuscript repository, the National
Museum, Dzidzernagapert (the Genocide Memorial and Museum), Yeraplur
(the veteran’s cemetery), and the Sassoontzi Tavit statue. Also on
the itinerary were such centuries-old churches and monasteries as
Etchmiadzin, Khor Virap, Lake Sevan, Noravank, and Keghart. On the
road to Gyumri, CKACS stopped to see the Varaz Samuelian Cultural
Center in Artik. A long-time resident of Fresno, Samuelian was a
noted artist and sculptor as well as friend to author William Saroyan.
Students and parents additionally attended a performance of the State
Dance Ensemble and watched Team Armenia square-off against the Czech
Republic in a World Cup qualifying soccer match.

The CKACS looks forward to 2015 when the school will make its next
trek to the homeland.

PRESS RELEASE
Glendale Public Library
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale CA 91205
Tel: 818-548-2030
Web:

FB:
Land & Technology: A Contemporary Art Project

GLENDALE, CA on Wednesday April 17, 2013, 7pm in the Glendale Central
Library Auditorium five contemporary artists, Charlie Khachadourian,
Henrik Sev Khachatryan, Grigor Kiki Mikayelyan, Ara Oshagan, Samvel
Saghatelian, Vachag Tersarkissian and Harry Vorperian will talk about
their unique artistic experiences in Shushi. The Glendale Central
Library Auditorium, is located at 222 East Harvard Street in
Glendale.The presentation is in both English and Armenian languages.
Admission is free and the seating is limited. Library visitors receive 3
hours FREE parking across the street at The Market Place parking
structure with validation at the Loan Desk.

Shushi Art Project is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization whose
sole purpose is to present extraordinary artistic events that celebrate
diversity, promote discourse and foster change. The first project Land
and Technology, was an international festival of contemporary art that
was held in Shushi, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. The project goal was
to raise awareness about social issues, and to break down barriers to
cross-cultural understanding and global dialogue. This unique project
brought together twenty artists with diverse backgrounds from the US,
Europe, Armenia and Artsakh. Shushi Art Project’s next major event will
take place in 2014 which is still in its planning stages.

Foreign Policy Journal

In Search of Effective Deterrence

by Aram Avetisyan

April 16, 2013

The recent threats of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un about attacks
against the U.S. and its ally South Korea continues to be a source of global
concern. A new wave of aggressive rhetoric elevated tensions to a high level
in the South Asian region, including a risk of nuclear strikes. Regardless
how serious those threats may be, they do threaten stability and regional
security, leading to escalation and increasing possibility of war.

The irresponsible and unpredictable North Korean totalitarian regime
continuously uses escalating rhetoric as a political instrument blackmailing
the world. The aggressive rhetoric and threats of new war have become more
pronounced since the young dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, came to
power after the death of his father in 2012.

American and international figures have reacted. U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry called Pyongyang’s threats of military action against South Korea
and the United States “provocative, dangerous and reckless.” U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (originally from South Korea) described the
North Korean behavior as being on a “collision course with the international
community”. Condemnations came from many other countries as well.

At the other side of Asia, in Azerbaijan, another dictator who also
inherited power from his father, Ilham Aliev, continuously uses bellicose
rhetoric and threatening to restart a war against its neighboring Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. Aliyev and his regime are known as one of the most
corrupted in the world.[1] Fueled by revenues from oil production, Aliyev
and family have stashed their cash in the offshore zones.[2]

Like North Korea’s, Azerbaijan’s warmongering should not be ignored since a
new war in the South Caucasus could also turn quite catastrophic. Taking
into consideration the arms build-up launched by Azerbaijan and its
continuing weapons accumulation, a new war could devastate a whole region
and cause dire humanitarian consequences for all sides of the conflict.

If the international community desires peace and stability in the South
Caucasus, it should take Azerbaijan to task for North Korean style rhetoric.
Azerbaijan’s Aliev should as also stop his hate rhetoric, and prepare his
country for peace by ruling out military solutions and refraining from
threats to use force as urged by the United States and the rest of
international community.[3] Otherwise, while brandishing their arms,
dictators of all kinds will continue to blackmail the world while seeking to
keep their compatriots captive in their dictatorial systems.

Notes

[1] Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), “OCCRP Names
Aliyev “Person Of The Year”, December 31, 2012:

2-occrp-names-aliyev-qperson-of-the-year-q-

[2] “Offshore Companies Link Corporate Mogul, Azerbaijan’s President”,
RFR/RL, April 04, 2013:

947900.html?fb_action_ids=508187335906797&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_s
ource=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%22508187335906797%22%3A4816709685548
94%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22508187335906797%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&acti
on_ref_map=%5B%5D; See also “Pricey real estate deals in Dubai raise
questions about Azerbaijan’s president”, The Washington Post, March 5, 2010:

390.html

[3] U.S. State Department, April 8, 2013:

See also:
OSCE Minsk Group, Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair countries, December 6, 2012:

ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST VANADZOR MAYOR

14:28 ~U 17.04.13

Artur Sakunts, Head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor
office, has lodged a complaint about Vanadzor Mayor Samvel Darbinyan
with the Ethics Commission for High-Ranking Officials.

Artur Sakunts informed Tert.am that the reason for his complaint is
Mayor Darbinyan’s calling the city’s population “unconscious.”

In one of his latest interviews, the Vanadzor mayor said that incumbent
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s defeat in the Feb. 18 elections
in Vanadzor was not his defeat, but “our people being unconscious”
was actually the reason for that.

The Commission proposed that Mayor Darbinyan offer explanations or
refutations within ten days.

Armenian News – Tert.am