France… Par Markar Esayan

FRANCE… PAR MARKAR ESAYAN
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 20 fevrier 2012

Je suis alle a Paris pour quelques jours pour y faire un expose dans
une reunion organisee pour le cinquième anniversaire de la mort de
Hrant Dink.

J’etais invite par l’Acort (Association des Citoyens d’Originaire
Turque en France*), qui s’occupe depuis 1980 des personnes venues de
Turquie. Nous ous sommes reunis pour nous souvenir de la vie de Dink.

A la reunion, un documentaire sur Dink d’Osman Okkan a ete projete.

L’audience remplissait la salle municipale de la Mairie du Xème. La
salle etait tellement pleine que eaucoup sont restes debout tout le
temps. ; Dink est un tel symbole d’unite.

Je pense qu’en Hrant Dink, les gens trouvent un esprit anatolien pur,
intact. Son authenticite et son esprit anatolien nous rappelle notre
riche histoire multiculturelle, ou en d’autres termes, les bons
vieux jours. Il st particulièrement triste qu’on nous l’ait enleve
a un moment où nous nous fforcions de ‘ressusciter’ la Turquie ;
ce n’est qu’un des elements de la iste des regrets, dans laquelle
figurent aussi ceux de n’avoir pas su roteger Hrant Dink et de ne
pas l’avoir mieux connu du temps de son vivant.

En fait, non seulement nous sommes attristes par la mort de Hrant,
mais nous portons en plus le deuil de tout ce qu’on nous a vole. Ce
sauvage assassinat ‘un homme innocent, frappe en plein vol comme
une colombe craintive, commis par une organisation violente, c’est
une attaque contre toutes les personnes, qu’elles aiment ou non les
Armeniens. Peut-etre que si Dink avait te assassine dans les annees
1980 ou 1990, alors que nous avons perdu ellement de personnes de
valeur, n’aurions nous pas eu autant de poids sur la conscience. La
perte de Dink s’est produite trop tôt. L’enquete Ergenekon a commence
quelques mois après son assassinat. Un an après Veli Kucuk a ete
arrete. Est-il possible qu’il n’y ait pas aucun rapport du tout entre
les assassinats non resolus et l’enquete sur Ergenekon ?

A Paris, France, où j’ecris ces lignes, les Turcs, les Kurdes et
les Armeniens ont tenu une reunion a la memoire de Hrant Dink peu
de temps après sa mort. J’avais trouve cela bien alors. Je me rends
compte cependant, cette annee, que les relations bilaterales se sont
deteriorees a la suite de l’adoption de la loi sur la negation du
genocide au Senat de la France. Des milliers de Turcs qui se sont
reunis autour de l’edifice du Senat pour protester ont ete très
influents. On dit que la Turquie a organise ces manifestations. Au
cours des recentes discussions sur les delicats incidents de 1915-
discussions qui se sont deroulees dans ce pays nouveau où leurs
ancetres ont choisi de vivre – les Armeniens ont percu la forte
influence de la Turquie comme une continuation du harcèlement et des
persecutions subies pendant de nombreuses annees.

C’est pour cette raison que la participation des Armeniens a
la reunion dans laquelle j’ai fait un expose etait limitee. Un
journaliste francais m’a bien sûr demande ce que je pensais de la
decision du Senat.

Et j’ai donne la reponse suivante, qui je pense n’a fait plaisir a
personne : “J’ai exprime mon opinion sur ce sujet a de nombreuses
reprises en Turquie ; je vous le repète, je suis en faveur du droit
d’exprimer toute opinion qui n’implique pas de violence, ne contienne
aucune remarque raciste ou n’atteigne a la dignite des autres. Cela
etant dit, je suis conscient que cette loi s’efforce de creer et nommer
un nouveau crime pour eviter de futurs genocides. Cela ne peut pas
s’expliquer uniquement par l’ambition politique de Sarkozy. Mais comme
democrate, c’est ma facon de voir les choses. Si j’etais un senateur
investi du droit de vote, je ferais a la loi Gayssot et a cette loi
la meme objection. Mais comme fils d’un peuple dont les ancetres
ont ete assassines par le Comite Union et Progrès et dont on nie
son droit au respect depuis 96 ans, ces decisions me font eprouver
du plaisir quelque part dans le coeur ; pour parler franchement,
je ne peux le nier. Et je crois en outre n’etre pas responsable de
ce dilemme et contradiction”.

Evidemment, je suis influence par de telles reunions ; en particulier
celles de pays etrangers où les gens d’Anatolie ont cherche refuge
contre la mort, les persecutions et la pauvrete ; le bagage que nous
transportons est assez lourd. Vivre loin de chez soi est deja rude.

Compte tenu des problèmes qui s’y ajoutent, notre bagage ne fait que
s’appesantir. Je leur dit que nous ne sommes pas a ce point en Turquie
dans un piège, je leur demande de comprendre que les changements
positifs en Turquie sont toujours perceptibles avec retard, alors
que les developpements destructeurs sont ressentis immediatement. On
pourrait dire que les Turcs, les Kurdes et la diaspora armenienne en
sont encore a la Turquie des annees 1980.

Le fait que la Turquie ait quelque peu efface son image en partie
positive en sur-reagissant a la recente decision est pour moi une
reelle frustration.

Le sujet est très vaste. Je continuerai a faire mes commentaires.

Traduction et commentaire de Gilbert Beguian

(*) Dans l’article IV de ses statuts, l’Acort, en realite, Assemblee
Citoyenne des Originaires de Turquie s’engage ‘ lutter contre
toute forme de racisme, de xenophobie, d’exclusion, de sexisme et de
discrimination raciale conformement a l’esprit de la loi du 1er Juillet
1972 et de la Loi Gayssot’. Si tel est le cas, cette Association est
favorable a la loi Boyer, a moins qu’elle ne nie que les Armeniens
ont ete victimes d’un genocide en 1915. Dans les deux cas, on en
droit d’attendre de sa part une mise au point.

Le deni de justice du procès de ses assassins est a Hrant Dink ce
que la negation du genocide est aux victimes. Memes auteurs, memes
methodes. On peut regretter que l’auteur ait recours a l’expression :
“delicats incidents”. En francais, un incident, c’est quelque chose de
non essentiel, qui se produit par hasard. Ce mot traduit en francais
le meme mot en anglais, qui definit quelque chose de desagreable,
d’inattendu. Esperons que l’auteur ne l’emploie que pour marquer sa
desapprobation. Par contre, sa reponse a la question “pour ou contre
la loi Boyer’ est tout simplement parfaite. Rien a ajouter ou retirer.

“Le fait que la Turquie ait quelque peu efface son image en partie
positive en sur-reagissant a la recente decision est pour moi une
reelle frustration” : pour leur part, non seulement vis-a-vis de l’etat
turc, mais aussi face aux manifestations turques des 21 et 23 janvier,
les citoyens francais d’origine armenienne sont plus que frustres ;
ils sont inquiets de la myopie de certains de leurs elus.

We Need New Bright Identities

WE NEED NEW BRIGHT IDENTITIES
Siranuysh Papyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:46:40 – 20/02/2012

Interview with ethnographer Aghasi Tadevosyan

What is the difference between the pre-election campaigns of 2007 and
2012? Will the parties put the public interest above the distribution
of public goods?

The parties don’t protect public interests, they just play their
roles protecting the interests of the oligarchs. I would not say much
has changed since then. Many of them speak about representation of
business interests to the political field. But these affirmations are
groundless – the small and midsize businesses go on living with the
snooze around their neck. And there is little hope that after coming
to power the Republican or Bargavach Hayastan parties will start
defending the interests of small business. I think the affirmation
that the relation between the two coalition parties are tense due to
disagreements on public tasks is groundless too.

But the society demands protection of its interest.

The greater part of the society does not understand its interest and
cannot formulate it. It is ready to self-organize only for primitive
and generic values. Those, who chose the path of formation of power
through elections, had long gone beyond the circle of ethnic plane and
domestic security interests. The majority of our society appreciates
its interest at AMD 5-15 thousand. Oligarchic RPA and BHP act in the
plane of the primitive interest and build on this their pre-election
strategy. In other words, a large part of the society due to their
ignorance came to a consensus with the oligarchic parties.

As to the disagreements between the RPA and BHP, I tend to see
election tactics in this. Once a black cat walked between us though
both parties evidently defend the interests of the oligarchy, just
in different camps. But in 2008, both camps united against the people.

Do you think Serzh Sargsyan’s commitments on fair elections are
also PR?

Who hinders him to hold fair elections? The people or his own party?

Or his coalition partner BHP? There will be no fair elections in
Armenia. The oligarchic parties and the greater part of the population
are inclined to bribery. Elections can be fair in Armenia only if
people who have a sincere wish to hold such elections are found. Now,
the majority of the population of Armenia is unable to elect. Only
those who formulated their interest are able to elect. These groups
are many in Armenia now which are now in Mashtots Park and they differ
from the twins BHP and RPA. These parties were unable to get 40-50%
together, but, disassociated from each other, they could take more.

There are people who believe in this show. Though, I’m not saying no
one wants to elect BHP or RPA. They are quite many.

Why do people want to elect them?

The BHP supports vulnerable people who live in extremely poor
conditions and they are thankful for this aid. These people think that
when in power their benefactors will keep supporting them. But the
greater part of our population votes not to form a democratic power
but it just chooses between the good and the bad which is a completely
different election. Civil thinking is entirely in the secular plane,
and there is nothing sacred here. And our population predominantly
has sacral mentality, so democracy is alien to them. Oligarchs and
their parties fit the images of good masters. Most of the population
is ready to give them their votes because they have long been in talks
with voters, they agree how many votes each will receive and people
will vote for those parties from which they expect more foreclosures.

The only pre-election process in Armenia is the bribe.

Is there alternative to this thinking?

Let it not sound rough but our population is predominantly ignorant
which allows the RPA and BHP to hope they will receive 30-40%. Our
society needs modernization which is the only way to restore the
institute of elections. The modern institute cannot act in the archaic
society. Compare the images of young people who gathered to defend
Mashtots Park and the Republican youths with eagles on their chest.

This is the clash of modern and pre-state archaism. Archaic parties
are unable to build the future.

It is necessary to understand that modern states are formed thanks to
the leadership of progressive people. The authorities should be modern
in everything. People eating in places where our oligarchs usually
are, build a modern state. The problem is related to cultural capital
and habitus. We need new, enlightened people, educated and modern
identities. The majority of the parties are guided by group interests.

How can we fight this total ignorance?

It is not necessary to fight, it is necessary to create the new one,
new images who should act during civil actions. This process has
already started. People in power will also change because there are
people who are not present within the authorities yet but they are
also the government. Tomorrow, this government will shape the state.

The type of the RPA and the BHP is dying, these parties live in the
past. Look, in the meantime while people in the Mashtots Park have
been fighting for future, young Republicans looking at the past
honored Vardan. None of the people suffering from false patriotism
ever thought that patriotism is a subject that manifests itself in
the defense of their city from the oligarchs.

Regardless of the victory in the upcoming elections, the RPA and
BHP have already lost. The time for ethno-religious Nzhdeh ideology
has already passed. The construction of the state and international
competition cannot be based on these ideologies. It is necessary to
archive the national ideologies.

The reality shows the current conservative forces are unable to
assess the realities which go beyond the limits of their intellectual
diapason. The inability to assess, to accept and to try the new can
be the proof of the crisis of realization of the power. Or, these
forces need to modernize.

It is evident today where these retrogrades have led the country. The
progressive part of the Armenian society cannot tolerate this for a
long time.

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview25182.html

Armenia follows US among countries dangerous for web surfing

Armenia follows US among countries dangerous for web surfing

NEWS.AM
February 18, 2012 | 21:10

In 2011 Armenia ranked 4th in the list of hacker attacks through
internet surfing, Russian Kaspersky Lab anti-virus producer company
informs.

Russian ranked on the first place, Oman is the second, and the USA is
third. In the top ten of the rating Armenia is followed by Belarus,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Ukraine, Guinea-Bissau, Information
Security informs.

We will die if Armenian President orders – Yerkrapah

We will die if Armenian President orders – Yerkrapah

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 18:45

YEREVAN. – Armenian Volunteers’ Union Yerkrapah will support the
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan and will die if he orders that,
head of the Union Manvel Grigoryan told the journalists on Saturday
after the ninth congress of the Union.

`We will support our friends regardless what party they belong to.
Meantime, Yerkrapah cannot be anti-authoritative,’ Grigoryan said
adding participants of the Artsakh liberation war and not party
representatives have been invited for the congress.

Asked why the Union opposition members Sasun Mikaelyan, Myasnik
Malkhasyan and Gagik Jhangiryan have not been invited, Grigoryan
recommended to address the question to those people.

New Crowd Control Rules Approved For Armenian Police

New Crowd Control Rules Approved For Armenian Police

Armenia — Riot police guard Yerevan’s Liberty Square moments before
allowing the opposition Armenian National Congress to hold a
demonstration there, 17Mar2011

Ruzanna Stepanian

17.02.2012

Security forces should avoid using force against peaceful protesters
and resort to firearms only in case of extremely violent riots,
according to new rules for crowd control adopted by Armenian police.

The detailed `guidelines’ for riot police were elaborated with expert
assistance from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe and approved by Vladimir Gasparian, chief of the national
police, late last year.

The guidelines specify the types of `special means’ which the police
can use to deal with `armed resistance’ and demonstrations that turn
violent and `endanger public safety.’ Those include batons,
electric-shock guns, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

There is no reference to Russian-made tear gas capsules that were
mishandled by police officers during the March 2008 post-election
clashes [read: state-sponsored slaughter and military coup] in Yerevan
which left eight opposition protesters and two police personnel dead.
Four of the civilian victims are believed to haven killed by such
capsules. The others were shot dead by live rounds fired by security
forces.

The March 2008 events [read: slaughter and coup] were the worst street
violence in Armenia’s history that still reverberates on the local
political scene. The Armenian authorities insist that they used deadly
force to end `mass disturbances’ organized by close associates of
opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian with the aim of
forcibly toppling the government. Ter-Petrosian and his Armenian
National Congress (HAK) vehemently deny the official theory, saying
that the authorities deliberately killed people to enforce the results
of a fraudulent presidential election.

The new police guidelines stipulate that police officers can use
firearms only if the conventional riot gear and other `special means’
fail to contain a violent crowd. But they are not allowed to open fire
when there are `substantial concentrations of people’ carrying a high
risk of injuring innocent civilians. They should not use force at all
if a demonstration proceeds peacefully, according to the document.

`The purpose of such changes is to minimize all those cases where a
police officer could act in an inadequate way,’ Artur Osikian, a
deputy chief of the police, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). But he would not say if they are specifically aimed at
preventing a repeat of the 2008 bloodshed.

Nikol Pashinian, a senior HAK figure who spent about two years in
prison for his role in that unrest [read: slaughter and coup],
dismissed the guidelines, saying that their absence in 2008 was not
the main reason for the loss of life. `These guidelines say nothing
about what should be done if the authorities themselves organize mass
riots to use force against a peaceful demonstration,’ he said.

Pashinian argued that the authorities should simply stop rigging
elections if they really want to avert such violence in the future.
`Mass disturbances simply won’t happen if legitimate elections are
held in the country,’ he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.

http://www.armenialiberty.org/content/article/24487962.html

Recognition Of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Independence Is In Interest Of Aze

RECOGNITION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH’S INDEPENDENCE IS IN INTEREST OF AZERBAIJAN – RUSSIAN EXPERT

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 12:28

STEPANAKERT.- Armenia should immediately recognize independence of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian political analyst Aleksey Martinov said
during a conference in Stepanakert.

Martinov, Director of International Institute of the Newest States,
said recognition by Armenia will mark the end of confrontation and
at the same time will prevent a new one.

Many in Nagorno-Karabakh have no doubt that if the situation remains
the same, Azerbaijan will try to return Karabakh by force, Martinov
said.

“Recognition of Karabakh is in Armenia’s interests. In this case it
will get rid of leverage,” he added. Azerbaijan’s attempts to begin
hostilities will not receive approval from the international community.

In this regard, the expert expressed confidence that Azerbaijan
must begin to develop relations with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,
given that the current arms race initiated by Azerbaijan is a serious
burden on country’s budget.

“This does not contribute to the development of Azerbaijan.

Recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh will give impetus to the development
of the region,” he added. At the moment the peace process reached
a stage of making decisions. First, Armenia should decide. “It may
sound strange but it is in the interests of Azerbaijan,” he concluded.

Armenian News-NEWS.am is the information partner of the conference
dedicated to 20thanniversary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence.

La Diaspora Sollicitee Pour Le Retour De La Statue D’Anahid En Armen

LA DIASPORA SOLLICITEE POUR LE RETOUR DE LA STATUE D’ANAHID EN ARMENIE
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 18 fevrier 2012

L’Armenie tente de recuperer la statue en bronze -le visage seulement-
de la deesse armenienne Anahid, un bien du patrimoine armenien
qui est aujourd’hui au departement de l’archeologie dediee a la
Grèce antique au British Museum a Londres. Aux Etats-Unis, Kevork
Mardirossian demande a la diaspora de reagir afin que l’Armenie
recupère cet objet incontournable du patrimoine armenien. ” Nombreux
sont ceux qui ne croient pas que la British Museum puisse restituer
un quelconque objet. Mais l’Egypte a reussi a recuperer près de 5 000
objets d’art antique dont près de 400 se trouvaient au British Museum
” ecrit Kevork Mardirossian sur son site de Facebook. Rappelons
que le ministère armenien de la Culture proposer de donner une
carte d’identite armenienne a ces biens detenus a l’etranger par
des collectionneurs ou des musees, afin de les repertorier, les
proteger…et au final les rapatrier vers Erevan.

Les Azeris Furieux Contre L’Ambassadeur De France À Bakou

LES AZERIS FURIEUX CONTRE L’AMBASSADEUR DE FRANCE A BAKOU
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
samedi 18 fevrier 2012

Selon l’agence de presse azerie APA, les Azeris sont furieux de
l’absence de Gabriel Keller, l’Ambassadeur d’Armenie a Bakou pour les
ceremonies marquant ” le 20e anniversaire des evènements de Kartagheli
” (Karabagh), un rassemblement anti-armenien manipule par le pouvoir.

Lors de cette manifestation, Ali Hassanov, vice-Premier ministre et
president du Comite gouvernemental charge des refugies a affirme ” nous
avions invite l’Ambassadeur de France en Azerbaïdjan, mais il n’est pas
venu et n’a meme pas delegue eu representant “. Les autres diplomates
en poste a Bakou etaient de leur côte presents ou representes.

"Il Genocidio Armeno": Presentato Dagli Studenti Del Liceo Majorana

“IL GENOCIDIO ARMENO”: PRESENTATO DAGLI STUDENTI DEL LICEO MAJORANA DI DESIO

MB News

Venerde 17 Febbraio 2012
Italia

[“The Armenian Genocide”: Presentation by the students of the Majorana
Di Desio School]

Scritto da Valentina VItagliano

“I giusti contro il negazionismo: il genocidio armeno”: questo il tema
della serata presentata dagli studenti della classe 5B classico del
“Liceo Majorana”, di Desio. L’appuntamento è per lunedì 20 febbraio,
alle ore 21, nell’aula magna del lliceo, in via Agnesi 20.

Alla serata, che sara aperta al pubblico, interverra Pietro Kuciukian,
console onorario della Repubblica di Armenia in Italia, nonche figlio
di un sopravvissuto al genocidio armeno del 1915. Attualmente Kuciukian
collabora con il Museo del Genocidio di Yerevan in Armenia, dove ha
fondato il Comitato internazionale dei giusti per gli armeni.

http://www.mbnews.it/newsin-flash/23479-qil-genocidio-armenoq-presentato-dagli-studenti-del-liceo-majorana-di-desio.html

We Have Always Been Friends With Armenians – Georgian National Boxin

WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS WITH ARMENIANS – GEORGIAN NATIONAL BOXING TEAM HEAD COACH
By Khachik Chakhoyan

news.am
February 18, 2012 | 14:42

ABOVYAN. – Georgia’s national boxing team is currently holding
trainings in Armenia’s Abovyan city, and Armenian News-NEWS.am caught
up with the team’s head coach, Ramaz Paliani. Below is an excerpt
from the interview.

Why did you choose to hold trainings in Armenia?

First and foremost, I am very familiar with the trainers of Armenia’s
national team. Also, I believe it will be very good for the boxers
of the two countries to train together.

Only one boxer from Armenia has so far qualified for the Olympic
Games. What is the situation in your team?

Unfortunately, none [of our boxers] has yet qualified.

If Armenian and Georgian boxers face each other in the Olympic ring,
will you remember your friendship [with the Armenians]?

Of course I will remember. This is not something new, and we have
always been friends with Armenians. Everyone will certainly try to
win in the ring, but there is a life outside of the ring, too. And
if the Armenian boxer were to win, I would want for him to become
the champion.