Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Baku Armenian tells the story of exile
by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Friday September 28, 2012

Anna Astvatsaturian at ICC in The Hague. Courtesy image

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“Nowhere, a story of exile” by Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte edited by
Tatoul Sonentz-Papazian was published this year by HyBooksOnline.com.
In an e-mail interview, the Armenian Reporter discussed this so far
unique work that tells a gripping personal account of a young Anya
whose family – along with more than 200,000 other Armenians – was
displaced from Baku and struggled to adjust in crisis-riven Yerevan
before settling in U.S.

Q: Prior to publishing your diary, have you seen anything similar by
anyone from among Armenians of Baku? Why do you think there is such
shortage of eyewitness material on this subject?

A: I understood from my editor and the publisher that there wasn’t
anything similar out there that would paint the plight of Armenians
from Azerbaijan in such a personal and intimate way that it touches a
reader. That is the major reason I wanted to go ahead with the
publication.

>From personal observation, I believe the reason there is such a
shortage of eyewitness material is because survival, along with a
desperate need to adapt to our respective new homes, whether it is
U.S., Russia, Armenia, was the number one priority for the refugees.

The lack of media coverage of the conflict and lack of camaraderie and
support by the Armenians of Armenia are also important reasons. This
important historic information was not sought out and captured, and
the Armenians of Baku, Sumgait and Kirovabad were too traumatized to
revisit it themselves. They are still traumatized. They don’t talk
about it at dinner tables. They don’t tell their children about it.
But it is always there on their minds because they haven’t had an
opportunity to heal.

Q: How would you describe the Baku Armenian experience? And what are
the Armenians of Baku – were they a community, are they still?

A: Although as a child I grew up pretty oblivious to these concerns
prior to 1988, my father, Norik Astvatsaturov, has childhood memories
of violence committed against the Armenians in the Azerbaijani
countryside and on the trains to Armenia and Artsakh as early as
1950s.

There was always a sense of “your place” – Azeris had the managing or
superior jobs, Armenians had the subordinate roles. Baku was tolerant
and international, but yet it wasn’t; in a sense that people were
aware of each others’ ethnic backgrounds and it dictated a lot of
things in their everyday lives.

That said, I think the few decades before the atrocities of the 1980s
Baku Armenians lived happy, fulfilling lives in a beautiful city by
the sea. There was a place of belonging, a community, weddings, food,
dancing. This peaceful life is what made the events of 1988-1990 so
shocking. People kept repeating that it couldn’t be happening here
and now.

I believe Baku Armenians are a unique group of Armenians. We seek
each other out. We know and feel each other. We adapt anywhere we go
and succeed at pretty much anything we set our minds to, because we
grew up living with a constant expectation that you work a little
harder, to prove yourself a little more because in the end, you are
Armenian or a Bakvetsi, or a refugee. We survived and endured so
much, together and alone.

Absolutely, I think that the Baku Armenian community still exists all
over the world wherever we are located, powered by the memories of the
happy past and silently by the unspoken horrors many witnessed.

Q: Following their displacement, most Baku Armenians did not wish to
or were unable to settle in Armenia. Should anyone be blamed for this?

A: I don’t think that you can blame anyone. It was a difficult
transition in Armenia’s history and one cannot blame one person or one
group of people.

I know from personal experience that Baku Armenians that came to
Armenia had a hard time adjusting, both socially and economically.
Many ended up relocating to Russia hoping for a better future for
their children, whether due to a lack of jobs or intolerance by
Armenia’s Armenians. I believe it’s a combination of those two
things.

When we fled to Armenia in 1989 most of the friends and family we knew
also came from Baku to Armenia, but some went to Russia. The next
three years in Armenia were so very hard, on all Armenians. I believe
the stress of the economic hardships fueled by the war and the
blockade caused many Armenians in Armenia to throw blame around. The
native Armenians began to associate the changes that came with the war
with Azerbaijan and the collapsing of the Soviet Union with the flood
of refugees. I believe in many ways it was an unfortunate but natural
reaction immediately as it was happening. As I hear of intolerance
toward Baku Armenians currently, however, it makes absolutely no sense
to me.

Baku Armenians were blamed for the dire situation, or were
misunderstood in their love for their home city that no longer existed
for them. The trauma they experienced by the atrocities in Sumgait,
Kirovabad, and Baku, compounded by the trauma of verbal abuse and a
sense of being second rate citizens in their ancestral homeland,
caused many to leave and never look back.

Q: Your book touches on the deeply sensitive subjects for any person:
sexual molestation and also domestic violence against children. Why
did you decide to include those instances in your book? Was it a
difficult decision for you?

A: When I wrote the book, the intended audience was always going to be
my children and their families. The intimacy of the information
shared was never too personal to deter me from sharing our entire
experience. I didn’t censor myself, but instead spilled out all of my
memories as record of the events that occurred. I thought it was
important for them to know, fully, the extent of my personal
struggles, and our sacrifices made to establish a happy life for them
in the United States.

Once the decision was made to publish the writings, I painfully
processed these sensitive subjects over and over again in my mind. It
was extremely difficult for me but I went ahead with it.

My family supported me in the decision to keep these instances in the
book to paint the picture of the various abuses suffered at the hands
of the Azeris, even as children, and also to demonstrate how the
experience shaped the refugees themselves and the type of coping
mechanisms some adapted to remain sane.

Q: What are your thoughts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict today?
Will it be over in our lifetime?

A: Although Artsakh today is independent, free and developing steadily
with each year, the conflict, I believe, is at its worst. There is a
whole generation of children in Azerbaijan that is brought up hating
Armenians as a people. The endless propaganda by the Azeri government
shapes their intolerant thoughts.

Even the Azeri friends I grew up with, with whom I recently connected
in preparation for the publication of the book, remember me in one
way, but now view me as an Armenian in a completely warped way. I
find that fascinating. I am their happy childhood memory, and in the
same breath, a deadly enemy.

The rhetoric of continued war is alarming, especially this year. I
believe the recent events shape the way the Artsakh issue will be
resolved – if a sleeping officer is brutally murdered by his classmate
on foreign land and is lauded as a hero and released, how do you think
Azeris will treat Armenian civilians of Artsakh if Artsakh is ever
under Azeri rule?

I do hope for a peaceful resolution of this conflict. I do believe a
resolution (peaceful or not) is possible to occur in our lifetime.
What sacrifices and hurdles it will take to get there, is unfathomable
to me.

About Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte: Born in 1978 in Baku, she was
displaced her family in 1989 and lived in Armenia for the next two
years. After receiving refugee asylum in the United States over 20
years ago, Anna graduated from the University of North Dakota and the
University of Maine School of Law. Anna lives in Portland, Maine with
her husband and two children.

Connect: Anya discusses her book in an ANCA video.

A. Minasyan: ”ARF will discuss the petition”

Armenian deputy of Armenian Revolutionary Federation Artsvik Minasyan
met journalists today and spoke about the untouchability of deputy
Vardan Oskanian and the possibility of stopping it. The deputy
informed that ARF would also discuss the petition and then would
present its decision.

A. Minasyan also presented his own opinion on the issue and underlined
that the current document showed the whole process had a political
context.

”If the petition is satisfied it means that a new dangerous situation
will be created when any donation can be announced as money laundry”.

The deputy asked the chief prosecutor not to protect the petition
which had illegal bases.

29.09.12, 15:16

There Can Be Revolution Even Tomorrow

Siranuysh Papyan
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:44:57 – 29/09/2012

Interview with Saro Saroyan, ACNIS expert, historian

Saro, following the prosecutor’s motion to strip Vartan Oskanian of
immunity and bring accusations against him Republican Vazgen Khachikyan was
arrested. What is happening, what is the scenario?

First of all, let’s keep in mind that we are entering into the pre-election
stage which has a logic stemming from the Armenian political process. The
head of the village improves roads a month before elections, the
administration headed by the president is laying out its path. Following
the tradition, several months before the elections there is an illusion is
that there is political will to end impunity and unlawfulness. However,
since there is a lack of confidence, words and preachers are not enough.
Steps aimed at redirection of finance should be interpreted by the media as
struggle against corruption, Khachikyan should be arrested, other similar
actions should be carried out.

As to Oskanian, there seems to be an intention to use him as a Trojan horse
in the upcoming election. This is not a matter of political persecution,
but a fresh political balloon is being blown. Perhaps it will blast after
the elections when it will become known that the RPA-PAP scramble was
intended to distract the public, and Oskanian was just another persecuted
embodiment of the oppositional idol who has to accept Serzh Sargsyan’s
victory to end his persecution.

What developments should be expected?

Everything is moving along the path drawn by the regime. It is facilitated
by the meaningless existence of the opposition, its flawed and toothless
behavior. There is not a common idea, the parties seem to have run out of
human resources, the famous opposition figures seem to have lost their face
and enjoy miserable confidence, they are unable to put forth new mechanisms
for struggle. The civic
initiatives seem to
be stagnant recently. The last significant step was the
march to the house of Ruben Hairapetyan, which allowed destroying Nemets
Rubo’s charisma and finally ruining him.

However, the thesis that involvement of party
membersin
independent civic initiatives would give them an impetus and lead to
essential changes did not come true because the party members lack the will
to give up their previous useless style of action. For them, the
culmination of any action is a march or a rally with minimum risk to their
own personality, they think so.

In this context, the regime’s reproduction helps forecast developments. If
Serzh Sargsyan keeps moving at this rate, his election will be triumphant,
and there is no hope that the opposition will achieve a run-off election.

So what should be done? The answer to the question is the civic
initiatives. They
are able to turn the situation and topple the criminal and oligarchic
pyramid if new and topical ideas are put forth and mechanisms presupposing
self-denial are used.

Saro, what alternatives can the civil society propose?

It is impossible to unite the oppositional electorate to say no to the
regime or to achieve the victory of their own candidate when the entire
electoral process is organized and controlled by the ruling regime which
has no intention give up power and will hold on to it through force,
criminal ways. The elections turn the civil society into a stage of
struggle where the issue of
removalof the
regime is solved, not the victory of the opposition candidate. It
depends who the participants are, what goals they follow, what ideas they
put forth, what mechanisms they use, their will, determination,
self-denial, other characteristics. Today only the civic initiatives have
such experience who can be united by the idea not by a personality.

Does it mean to wait for another 4-5 years?

You apparently mean the parliamentary or presidential elections. The change
of government is usually linked to elections. However, I believe that the
only way of establishment of Constitutional order is the revolution which
is not time bound. I even believe that the society can write an obituary
for the criminal and oligarchic pyramid as soon as several dozens of
ideological young people with strong will are found who will use the
experience of toppling regimes through civil disobedience.

Then the next elections will legally ratify the revolutionary political
process. We will manage even by tomorrow if we find some thirty figures who
will act skillfully. Running ahead of your next question, I will say that
that most oppositionist figures almost do not differ from sleek and cynical
peddlers.

The real actors are the young people who were arrested in Mashtots Park
thanks to whom a lot of children can continue to play in this park. I tend
to think that those ANC youths whom the regime is trying to silence are
also actors. They will take the test of time. The change of government –
the political pensioners soaked in the soviet political culture – depends
on these young people.

Safarov’s release unacceptable to CoE Secretary General

14:38 29.09.2012

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland on the
sidelines of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly. The parties
discussed the preparations ahead of Armenian’s presidency of the
Council of Europe next year and the process of elaboration of the
priorities of Armenia’s presidency, issues related to the reforms
inside the organization and implementation of the Armenia-CoE Action
Plan.

Touching upon the release and glorification of Azerbaijani murderer
Ramil Safarov, the CoE Secretary General described it as
`unacceptable.’ In this respect Minister Nalbandian highly appreciated
the unequivocal condemning statements of the Secretary General and
different structures of the organization.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Russia Edward Nalbandian and
Sergey Lavrov exchanged views on the situation created as a result of
the release of murderer Safarov and and the continuation of the
process of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue. The
interlocutors referred to a number of issues on international agenda,
as well.Lavrov, coordination of positions within international
organizations.discussed a number of issues on the agenda of
Armenian-Russian relations – the process of implementation of the
agreements reached between the leaders of the two countries, the steps
to be taken towards reinforcement of strategic partnership

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and OSCE Secretary General
Lamberto Zanier discussed issues related to the process of settlement
of the Karabakh issue and the preparations for the forthcoming OSCE
Ministerial in Dublin.

The Armenian and Belarusian Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian and
Vladimir Makey discussed the cooperation within the framework of the
CSTO, CIS and other international structures, the steps taken towards
expansion of economic cooperation.

During the meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos
the parties praised the high level of Armenian-Greek cooperation. The
interlocutors discussed the process of implementation of the
agreements reached during the

Armenian President’s state visit to Greece last year.

The interlocutors touched upon the cooperation between Armenia and the
Council of Europe and the progress registered within that framework.
The Greek Foreign Minister presented the steps taken to overcome the
consequences of the economic crisis.

The Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers discussed a wide range of
issues related to bilateral relations, the regional and international
developments.

American movie My Uncle Rafael with Armenian main hero records
incredible success

12:33, 29 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Since the start of screening of the
Marc Fusco’s My Uncle Rafael first American family comedy in the
United States cinemas from September 21, improbable sale of the
tickets has been recorded. As reported by Armenpress, the inscription
“Sold” is indicated in front of the comedy My Uncle Rafael on the
electronic panels of the films’ list in the cinemas of Los Angeles,
Fresno and New York hours before the film starts.

At the hours of the movie demonstration, dense crowds of people gather
at the cinemas and wait to buy tickets for the next demonstration of
the film. The movie was screened up not only in the USA, but in
Toronto, Canada as well.

The comedy is starred by Vahik Pirhamzei, Missi Pyle, John Michael
Higgins, Antony Clark, Joe Lo Truglio, Rachel Blanchard and others. My
Uncle Rafael is the first American comedy with an Armenian as the main
hero.

They Are Not Goats, They Are Predators
Editorial

September 28, 2012 13:09

The society’s skepticism toward the latest steps taken by the
President is natural – why now and not, say, 2-3 years ago? Really
why? I am asking that question too and the representatives of the
government don’t give me an honest answer, `We are not doing it only
now, we have always done it everywhere’ etc. In reality, we saw the
cases of Hovhannes Tamamyan and Margar Ohanyan in the past –
admittedly, it is very positive that they are in prison, but tens of
high-ranking officials like them continue to serve in the police. This
time, however, the approach seems to be more systemic.

Certainly, all that should have been started in 2008. However, taking
into account the situation in Armenia after the events of March 1 –
tensions were not only political, but also social. In order to change
that situation, one needed roughly three years, although I think one
could have acted more quickly here too. Then came the parliamentary
election. Regardless of how it was held, the result was rather optimal
from the state perspective – the government, maintaining its position,
gained moderate oppositionists represented by the Prosperous Armenia
Party (PAP) and radical oppositionists represented by the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) at the official, parliamentary level. The
sharper the questions are, the better, the more vigilant officials
will be. By the way, the governor of Kotayk shouldn’t be surprised or
angry – he is entrusted with the money of the budget, the taxpayers
and he must personally report to the parliament on every penny of
those sums; this is one of the principles of a democratic state.

At the end of the day, it is about the very people’s money – those
sums are collected from us to serve us. In reality, they often serve
dissolute, impudent officials. They are not poor as it is – they have
their share in different businesses and one will have to deal with
that fact in the future. However, they are not satisfied with the
businesses and want to have a finger in the budget too. It is logical
that after the general talk with the Cabinet, the President started
with the army – the generals who steal from the soldiers standing on
our borders must be condemned to many years in prison. Construction is
as important – businessmen claim that there is NO construction ordered
by the state, for which the ministry or the regional government
doesn’t demand a 10% kickback. The Ministry of Healthcare is a
similar `business’ – according to the Minister of Finance, the price
of one purchase may vary by one billion AMD, so it is understandable
that thousands of socially unprotected people are deprived of medical
treatment.

I am convinced that there will be new dismissals and arrests. Perhaps
the `victims’ of those will be called `scapegoats.’ But one shouldn’t
compare corrupted officials with those harmless animals. They are not
goats, they are real predators.

ARAM ABRAHAMYAN

Grant Thornton to conduct the audit of Central Bank of Armenia

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:48:12 – 29/09/2012

Grant Thornton CJSC will carry out the audit of financial statements
of the year 2012 of the Central Bank of Republic of Armenia.

Grant Thornton CJSC, the Armenian member of Grant Thornton
International, has extensive experience in provision of audit and
advisory services to organizations in the financial sector. Its
portfolio of financial sector clients includes more than 20 banks,
over a dozen of credit and insurance companies and funds, in such
locations as Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and others.
Armen Hovhannisyan, Partner and Director of Financial Institutions
Audit Department at Grant Thornton, comments: `We are very happy to
continue our cooperation with the Central Bank of the Republic of
Armenia. Our professionals have specific expertise in audit of
financial statements of national banks, including the Central Bank of
Armenia and the National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic’.

Ishkhan and Fish

Haik Aramyan
Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:24:33 – 29/09/2012

Every check by the Control Chamber of Armenia in one public
administrationbody
or another causes a blast. The same picture is everywhere. Public
funds are mismanaged, wasted. It is not a surprise for a system based on
stealing, kickback and protectionism.

Revelations by the Control Chamber show that even if the scarce funds were
spent reasonably and targeted, there would be change in Armenia, social
benefits and salaries would grow, roads would be better and so on. And if
informal economy were reduced, changes would be more visible, to say
nothing of billions of foreign grants and loans which seem to have moved
directly into the pockets of government officials.

The problem is not the size of the budget but its management. If the
previous governments spent the budget effectively, there would be welfare
in Armenia.

Instead the budget was torn to parts by those groups who appeared in
government on party lists and destroyed the Constitution and electoral
mechanisms, ensuring the reproduction of the government. In return for
their service to the government they could reach the country’s resource,
turning the budget into slush funds. And the society got a very small part
of it in the form of miserable salaries and
pensionsand
crocodile’s tears for shortage of money and global crisis. As a result
we have misery of people, dirty and ruined villages and cities.

Recently the president of the Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan has
announced in parliament that they only check and submit records to law
enforcement bodies. So far the law enforcement bodies have not proceeded
with any significant case. And the government has mainly used the results
of checks as compromising materials to keep the system under control.

Now after Serzh Sargsyan’s famous meeting some people have been arrested. Some
people say it is an electoral show, others say he is set to render harmless
his opponents. Serzh Sargsyan instructed the law enforcement bodies to
beginwith the head,
and some heads have been affected. After
the election it will already be possible to count the heads. At least few
people believe this is real struggle against corruption because fish rots
from the head down.

An indicator will be how Ishkhan Zakaryan will end up.

Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Jagland qualified
unacceptable Safarov extradition and heroism

10:01, 29 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Affair Minister
Edward Nalbandyan had a meeting with Secretary -General of the
Council of Europe Thobjorn Jagland within his visit to New York on
September 28. As Information and public relation department of
Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry told Armenpress,Armenian Presidency
preparatory work as well as elaboration of Armenian Republic
Presidency priorities, issues pertain to organization reforms as well
as Armenia – Council of Europe Action Plan were envisaged in the
course of the held meeting.

Dwelling on criminal Ramil Safarov extradition and subsequent heroism
Secretary -General of the Council of Europe called it unacceptable. In
this context Nalbandyan high estimated the unanimous and grave
condemnation response by Jagland and various structures of the
organization.

Armenia intends to open Embassy in Mexico

11:06, 29 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia Eduard Nalbandyan during his working visit to
New York met the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Cuba and
Guatemala on September 28.

As Armenpress was informed by the Press, Information and PR Department
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the meeting of Eduard
Nalbandyan with the Secretary of the Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Patricia Espinosa aimed at the fostering of relations between the two
countries.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries discussed the
joint actions towards the development of the cooperation,
particularly, the issues on strengthening of the legal field,
activation of the political dialogue, development of
interparliamentary relations. Eduard Nalbandyan informed his colleague
about the intention of Armenia to establish an Armenian Embassy in
Mexico in 2013.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia presented the Secretary of
the Foreign Affairs of Mexico Patricia Espinosa the efforts made by
Armenian and the international community towards the regulation of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The next meeting of Eduard Nalbandyan was with the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Guatemala Harold Caballeros. The interlocutors, stating
about their bilateral readiness for the development of the relations,
touched upon the establishing of cooperation between the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs of the both countries, discussed the opportunities of
cooperation in the fields of culture and education. To continue the
started dialogue Harold Caballeros invited his Armenian colleague to
visit Guatemala.

During the meeting of Eduard Nalbandyan with the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, the interlocutors touched
upon the steps made towards the development of the bilateral relations
and exchanged opinions on regional issues.

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