Author: Kalantarian Kevo

NEW BOOK HIGHLIGHTS SEX TRAFFICKING IN FORMER SOVIET UNION
By Contributor

May 2, 2013

Sex trafficking is a global problem. And yet, it is often baffling how
that dark world can co-exist parallel to ours, with the vast majority
of us unaware of its horrors. The collapse of the Soviet Union and
the ensuing chaos in almost all of its former republics created a
particularly fertile ground for the spread of, among other crimes,
sex trafficking from that region. A new novel by Vahan Zanoyan,
entitled A Place Far Away, exposes the nature of that beast and
touches upon a variety of social and cultural issues rarely seen in
today’s literary and entertainment world.

“This is a powerful and well organized crime network that targets
the most vulnerable elements in society,” says Zanoyan. “Young and
underage girls from broken homes, orphans and children from extremely
poor families and remote villages are the primary targets of sex
traffickers.”

Zanoyan felt compelled to write the book after encountering an
underage Armenian victim of the sex trade in Dubai. “It was not easy
to extract her story from her,” he says, “but once I managed to do
so, I was obsessed with the phenomenon.” So he spent the next 18
months researching that world, interviewing over a dozen other girls,
visiting their hometowns back in Armenia, talking to officials in a
few countries, and meeting with organizations committed to fighting
human trafficking. He then decided to write a novel based largely on
real events.

Why fiction? “I wanted to reach the widest possible audience in
order to create the widest possible public awareness of the problem,”
says Zanoyan. “I believe silence encourages this phenomenon, while
exposure can act as a deterrent.” By choosing fiction, he could combine
several different stories into one plot, providing the widest possible
illustration of the various aspects of sex trafficking.

A Place Far Away tells the story of Lara Galian, a hauntingly beautiful
16-year-old from a poor village in Armenia. When a ruthless oligarch
approaches Lara’s father with an offer to manage her through a
wonderful and successful modeling career, her father refuses and
is subsequently murdered. A month later, Lara’s mother accepts the
offer and Lara is whisked away, only to be violently raped and sent
to Moscow. Forced into prostitution, Lara refuses to accept her fate
and goes through the motions as she’s moved from Moscow to Dubai and
eventually sold for one year to a local VIP. She sets forth to escape
while a Swiss investigative reporter works to help her and her family
from back in Armenia. As plots begin to unfold and crumble all around
her, Lara’s chances of escape begin to look increasingly slim, but
with unlikely allies, the extraordinary courage and moral fiber of her
family, and a spirit that never dies, Lara’s fate is far from sealed.

Zanoyan will donate the net proceeds to organizations engaged in
either fighting sex trafficking or in rehabilitating rescued victims,
who often suffer from prolonged psychological and physical damage.

At least two well-known professional reviews give the book a thumbs
up: Kirkus Reviews writes, “Zanoyan illuminates the seedy world
of sex trafficking in the newly independent states of the former
USSR. … The rarely discussed subject matter from a seldom-seen
part of the world makes for a compelling storyline. … With his deft
handling of personalities and the atmosphere of village life, Zanoyan
gives depth to the narrative while individualizing his characters as
the community exerts incredible effort to protect one of its own.”

Clarion Review writes, “A Place Far Away is a compelling novel by a
skilled writer who knows how to build narrative tension. … Zanoyan
does not sugarcoat the horrific reality of human trafficking;
from the outset, readers will be drawn right into Lara’s
nightmare. … [in this] thought-provoking novel, Zanoyan takes
the reader from poverty-stricken villages in Armenia to Moscow
and Dubai in a straightforward depiction of the horrors of human
trafficking. … [his] description of the different lands and cultures
is thorough, resulting in a credible and realistic setting

The book can be ordered through Createspace and Amazon,
and is also available on Kindle. For more information, visit

LES INTERVIEWS DE L’AMBASSADEUR DE FRANCE A L’OCCASION DE L’ANNIVERSAIRE DU GENOCIDE

Deux chaînes de television, ATV et Kentron, ont diffuse un entretien
avec l’Ambassadeur, qui a rappele que la France avait ete le premier
pays a reconnaître le Genocide armenien par une loi, le 29 janvier
2001. L’ensemble des chaînes de television ont par ailleurs retransmis
l’interview de l’Ambassadeur realisee lors de la ceremonie au Memorial
du genocide, soulignant la signification de cette commemoration pour
la France.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 25 avril 2013

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.co

RAMIZ MEHDIYEV TO MAHMOUD AHMADINEJED: WEST ATTEMPTED TO CARRY OUT COLOR REVOLUTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN

14:38 02/05/2013 ” MISCELLANEOUS

Tehran intervenes in our foreign policy, so we want the United States
to know it and assist us, Asim Mollazade, a member of a delegation
of the Center for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani President,
announced during a Washington visit, says an article in Arannews.ir.

The author of the article, titled “Azerbaijan carries out double
foreign policy,” commented on the recent Iran visit of head of the
Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, “In Tehran,
Mehdiyev accused the West of attempting to carry out a color revolution
in Azerbaijan, while almost at the same time a delegation of the Center
for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani President announced in
Washington that Iran poses danger for the region.”

“We are here to inform the Americans that Iran puts pressure on
Azerbaijan. Tehran intervenes in our foreign policy, so we want the
United States to know it and assist us,” Asim Mollazade said during
the U.S. visit.

According to the official website of the Iranian President,
during a recent visit to Iran, head of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration, Secretary of Azerbaijan’s National Security Council
Ramiz Mehdiyev said to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
“Iran is a great friend of Azerbaijan. The West attempted to carry
out color revolutions in Azerbaijan. Strengthening and development
of Azerbaijan has upset the West, so they have taken certain steps
to disturb the peace and stability in Azerbaijan. As an example,
I would like to bring the actions of an NDI representative in Baku,
who gave one million dollars to various entities and citizens in
Azerbaijan to compromise the security of the country.”

“Heydar Aliyev gave much importance to Iranian-Azerbaijani relations.

Azerbaijan highly appreciates the assistance provided by Iran.

Azerbaijan wants to see a strong and stable Iran; this is in our
interests,” Mehdiyev said.

At the end of the meeting, the head of the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration told the Iranian President, “Your name and actions
will be inscribed in gold letters in global, regional and domestic
policies, and we have a special respect for you in this connection.”

Source: Panorama.am

USA BUYS THE ENTIRE EXPORT OF ARMENIAN HONEY

10:27, 2 May, 2013

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. The volume of honey exported from
Armenia during the first three months of 2013 recorded a growth
of 66,6 percent in comparison with the same period of the previous
year. The State Revenue Committee of the Government of the Republic
of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that Armenia has exported 2 tones of
honey during the first three months of the current year. In the same
period of 2012 the amount of exported honey equaled to 1,2 tones. The
total customs value of the exported honey for 2013 is USD 20 thousand
and the entire volume was send to the U.S.

In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Chairman of National Beekeepers
Association Telman Nazaryan stated that the expected amount of honey
depends upon the weather conditions, level of bee deceases, and a
number of other conditions as well.

TURQUIE : HEURTS ET BLESSES A ISTANBUL POUR LE 1ER MAI

(AFP) – Plusieurs personnes, dont un photographe de l’AFP et deux
policiers, ont ete blesses dans des heurts survenus mercredi entre
la police et des manifestants de gauche a l’occasion du 1er mai a
Istanbul où les autorites ont interdit tout rassemblement en raison
de travaux de renovation en cours sur la place emblematique Taksim,
ont rapporte les journalistes de l’AFP.

Une dizaine de manifestants, dont la plupart on subi des malaises
cardiaques en raison du gaz lacrymogène utilise en abondance par la
police anti-emeutes, ont ete hospitalises.

Un photographe de l’AFP a ete violemment pris a partie par des
manifestants anarchistes cagoules qui ont brise son materiel. Le
gouvernorat d’Istanbul a annonce en outre que 20 manifestants ont
ete interpelles par la police.

Dès le petit matin, les unites anti-emeutes de la police sont entrees
en action en faisant usage de canons a eau et de grenades lacrymogènes
pour empecher les regroupements dans le quartier de Besiktas, a 2 km
de Taksim, sur la rive europeenne de la ville.

Les manifestants, quelques centaines de personnes, reunies a l’appel de
partis de gauche et de syndicats, ont riposte par des jets de pierre.

“Mort au fascisme”, “longue vie au 1er mai”, ont scande les
manifestants.

Des echauffourees ont ete signales dans trois quartiers menant a
Taksim vers lesquels les routes ont ete fermees et barricadees pour
empecher les manifestants d’y acceder.

De nombreux riverains et passants ont ete incommodes par les gaz. Les
petits restaurateurs du quartier ont offert des quartiers de citron
aux manifestants, le jus de citron apaisant les effets des gaz
lacrymogènes.

Les bureaux stambouliotes du Premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
situes dans le quartier avoisinant de Besiktas, etaient barricades
et defendus par plusieurs dizaines de policiers soutenus par un
blinde anti-emeute.

Un groupe d’une trentaine de feministes, agitant leurs drapeaux violets
et scandant “tous ensemble contre le fascisme”, a ete repousse par
la police a coups de grenades lacrymogènes qui ont fait suffoquer
les manifestantes.

Des manifestants ont interpelle l’helicoptère de la police qui
surveillait et filmait les heurts en brandissant vers lui le drapeau
turc : “Tu le vois ? Tu vois ce que vous etes en train de faire ?”.

“Assassins, sans honneur”, hurlait d’autre part un vieillard a la
barbe blanche, alors que la police continuait de jeter des grenades
en depit des appels a l’aide pour soigner les victimes de malaise.

Vingt-deux mille policiers ont ete mobilises pour cette journee.

En milieu de journee, la tension etait retombee avec une dispersion
graduelle des manifestants venus aux abords de Taksim. En revanche,
la Fete du travail a ete celebree sans incident dans au moins deux
autres places de la megapole turque et dans d’autres villes de Turquie,
ont rapporte les chaînes de television.

Le gouvernement turc a decide d’interdire le rendez-vous du 1er mai
sur la place de Taksim, jugeant que le chantier engage en novembre
dernier pour en detourner la circulation automobile empechait d’assurer
la securite des dizaines de milliers de manifestants attendus.

La centrale syndicale des ouvriers Disk (gauche) a toutefois decide de
passer outre. La police est aussi intervenue mercredi près des bureaux
de ce syndicat situes aux abords de Taksim contre les manifestants,
utilisant encore une fois des grenades lacrymogènes.

Des deputes du principal parti d’opposition (CHP, social-democrate)
qui etaient sur les lieux ont dû se proteger dans des immeubles
avoisinants.

“C’est une repression inacceptable contre les travailleurs”, a declare
aux journalistes le vice-president de cette formation, Gursel Tekin,
denoncant l’agissement des “mentalites fascistes”, en reference au
gouvernement islamo-conservateur.

Le 1er mai 1977, des inconnus avaient ouvert le feu lors du
rassemblement du 1er mai, provoquant la panique parmi la foule et la
mort de 34 personnes.

Le Parlement turc a retabli le 1er mai comme jour ferie en 2009 et
le gouvernement a autorise les rassemblements l’an suivant a Taksim.

Le gouvernement a toutefois autorise pour mercredi le depôt d’une
gerbe a la memoire des victimes de 1977, ainsi que la lecture d’une
declaration.

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

DEPARDIEU FAIT LA PROMOTION DE LA CUISINE AZERIE

Ayant recemment acquis un passeport russe et un appartement a Grozny,
l’acteur francais Gerard Depardieu est maintenant la star d’une
nouvelle pub visant a promouvoir la cuisine azerbaïdjanaise.

Dans un spot pour les autorites du tourisme de l’Azerbaïdjan
passant sur Euronews, l’acteur francais fait l’eloge de la cuisine
azerbaïdjanaise.

L’intrigue tourne autour de Depardieu goutant un large eventail de
plats azeris.

” Le pays qui a ce genre de nourriture est evidemment un pays
intelligent “, note Gerard Depardieu qui parle d'” un reve devenu
realite “.

Ce n’est pas la première fois que Gerard Depardieu fait la promotion
d’un pays du Caucase. En 2011, il a joue dans une pub pour la compagnie
aerienne Armavia.

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

6 MORTS DANS UN ACCIDENT DE LA ROUTE HIER EN ARMENIE PRES DU MONASTERE DE DATEV

Hier 1er mai a 17 heures, les services de secours d’Armenie recevaient
un appel. Sur la route Datev-Halitzor une voiture etait sortie de
route et avait plonge dans un ravin a plusieurs mètres en contrebas.

Les pompiers arrives aussitôt sur place constataient la gravite de
l’accident. La voiture avait dans son trajet fauche des personnes qui
qui etaient sur une aire de repos. Les premiers constats de la police
font etat de 6 morts et 3 blesses. L’identite de deux des six victimes
tuees lors de cet accident fut aussitôt revelee. Il s’agit de H.

Mardikian (40 ans) habitant du village Nerkin Guedachen dans la region
de Kegharkounik et V. Ghazarian (37 ans), un habitant du village de
Karahountch dans la region de Siyunik.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 2 mai 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

MY FATHER

Today’s Zaman, TUrkey
April 30, 2013 Tuesday 12:49 PM EST

My father died in 1995. Everybody’s parents are special and unique. No
matter how ordinary they are, every child believes that his or her
parents are able to do whatever they want. This is pretty normal for a
child. What he or she is aware of since birth is the fact that parents
fulfill their needs and requirements to live.

My father was my hero. He became a real hero as I grew up because he
was really a special man. His father, who was a leading figure and a
rich man, lost everything in the aftermath of the 1915 tragedy; he was
orphaned at age 6 and had to deal with a state of poverty that could
only be depicted in Dickens novels. I did not believe it when he told
me, but our relatives confirmed a story that appalled me: My father
sold ring-shaped doughnuts (simit) he bought from the bakery at 5
a.m., then delivered newspapers and finally went to class at his
school in Taksim. How could a 6-year-old do this? But it can be done.

This is how life is. My father was eventually expelled from the school
because he could not afford it. He experienced pain and agony his
whole life because he was not able to study further.

Next my father started to work in a shoemaker’s workshop where he made
custom-made shoes. After completing his military service, he started a
small business. Then, he bought the store next door to expand the
business. In the end, he made a mid-sized shopping mall out of this
small store. This mall was one of the few enterprises in Turkey
offering sales in installments. Almost everything was offered in the
store, from ladies’ dresses to watches and refrigerators.

He became very rich, but he never forgot his past. He did a lot of
charity work; he funded the studies and marriages of many young
people, helped the poor and the elderly. He never discriminated among
the people he helped based on their ethnicity or religion. He lost
half of his family in 1915. He struggled with extreme poverty. He paid
the bill for being an Armenian. His nationalism was limited to
demanding the survival of the Armenian language, churches, schools and
orphanages. His nationalism was so moderate that his third wife was a
Circassian woman – my mother – and he had such a universal conscience
that he asked his wife to remain Muslim.

The 100th anniversary of 1915 is approaching. My father died in the
mid-1990s, one of the darkest periods in Turkey. When he died, he was
worried about his country and about us. I wanted him to see these
days. Turkey has created an important democratic base and
infrastructure to confront its past. We are now able to look at the
present time and the future more freely. This enables the country to
get rid of the burdens and baggage of the past. The huge rupture and
tragedy experienced in 1915 now stands as a phenomenon that Turkey
needs to confront with its reason and conscience. Will we keep
carrying the sins and crimes of a racist group that seized power in
the past by relying on the policy of denial or will we confront it
bravely? Will we leave this sphere of confrontation to the radicals or
will we deal with this darkness by relying on a mutual effort of
understanding and empathy?

Today, we have a huge chance to do it. Societies are getting freer and
more liberal. The Turks and the Armenians are the two victimized
communities of this trauma. Have we not realized that we are actually
on the same side by virtue of this fellowship of victimization? I
think that this process has begun. I do not care about politics. I
look at the conscience of people and believe that the enlightenment
there will change the world. True, the people could be intimidated or
conned for a while. However, this is just temporary and no poisonous
ideology or administration can survive in the face of the people’s
struggle.

LACK OF NAGORNO KARABAKH SOLUTION SADDENING: AZIMOV

, Turkey
May 1 2013

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said that the Minsk
Group’s inability to reach a result on Nagorno Karabakh was saddening.

World Bulletin/News Desk

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said that the Minsk
Group’s inability to reach a result on Nagorno Karabakh was saddening.

Speaking to Turkish press in Ankara where he arrived to hold bilateral
talks, Azimov underlined that “while the Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani territory continued for over 20 years, the Minsk Group
could not reach a result on the issue yet”.

“Armenia must understand well what it gained and what it lost,”
Azimov underlined.

Touching on the airport in Khojaly, Azimov said that it was not
possible for them to open the airport legally and politically.

Azimov added that Russia had a special mission to solve the problem
between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

ARMENIA INCREASES GOLD EXPORTS 1%, DOUBLES CUT DIAMOND EXPORTS IN Q1

Interfax, Russia
April 30, 2013 Tuesday 2:07 PM MSK

Armenia increased exports of gold equivalent by 0.9% year-on-year to
494.3 kilograms (including galvanic plating) in Q1 2013, and it
boosted cut diamond exports 130% to 67,300 carats, the country’s
Customs Service reported.

The customs value of the exported gold rose 11% to $17 million,
and that of the exported cut diamonds jumped 31% to $24.5 million.

Imports of gold to Armenia soared 43% year-on-year to 535.8 kg
(including galvanic plating). In monetary terms, imports were up 40%
to $28.3 million.

Imports of rough diamonds climbed 49% to 104,500 carats. In monetary
terms, they were up 30.6% to $30.7 million.

The Armenian Economy Ministry told Interfax that this growth was
spurred by an increase in orders for rough diamond processing, which
could be an episodic phenomenon, given the fact that as yet there is
no rising trend in global demand for cut diamonds. Besides finished
cut diamonds, Armenia also re-exports unprocessed rough diamonds –
for example, from Russia and Belgium. There are no statistics on the
amount of re-exports of unprocessed rough diamonds, although it could
reach up to 50% of all exports at different times, the ministry noted.

Armenia exports Dore gold bars with gold content of up to 92%. The
country does not produce pure (bank) gold.

Because Armenia does not possess its own deposits, it imports raw
diamonds for processing then exports cut diamonds predominantly to the
countries from which it imports the raw material – Russia and Belgium.

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