Author: Kanayan Tamar

WHERE WAS SELF-DETERMINATION WHEN KOCHARYAN WAS APPOINTED?

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:45:57 – 23/06/2011

In a recent interview with the Moskovskiye Novosti the first
president of Armenia dwelt on the Armenian and Turkish relations and
the settlement of the Karabakh issue. Ter-Petrosyan particularly said
that he doesn’t link these two issues but also noted that Turkey will
normalize its relations with Armenia, only if the Karabakh issue is
solved. Ter-Petrosyan says the Armenian diplomacy has never been able
to separate these issues except the period preceding the capture of
Kelbadjar. Ter-Petrosyan says he thinks Serzh Sargsyan’s step to
normalize relations between Armenia and Turky is right, while the
proposal on the commission of historians is wrong.

The first president said the settlement of the Karabakh issue proposed
13 years ago was better than the current one. According to him, the
settlement proposed 13 years ago has been the best so far because
in this period Armenia and Azerbaijan have different economic
developments, and Azerbaijan is ahead of Armenia.

In answer to the reporter’s question regarding the disadvantage
that Karabakh does not participate in the process of settlement,
Ter-Petrosyan answered: “It’s a disaster. And this is the most
stupid, if not criminal mistake of the Armenian diplomacy to agree
with the absence of Karabakh in the negotiations.” Ter-Petrosyan said
they struggled for the participation of Karabakh for four years when
in 1994, with the help of Russia, Karabakh became the third party
to the negotiations and received an international mandate. He says
if Armenia states to support self-determination how can it sign a
document on the destiny of Karabakh? “Where is self-determination
in that case?” he asks.

The first president is, of course, right. But he has to answer
where self-determination was when he appointed the president of the
self-determined Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as prime minister of Armenia.

Didn’t the de facto violation of the fact of Karabakh’s being a
subject start in this period? Or didn’t this decision eliminate
Karabakh as a subject?

TIME FOR JUSTICE FOR GENOCIDE VICTIMS
By Harry Koundakjian

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Editor

While some criminals guilty of committing genocide (such as those in
Serbia or Germany) are brought to trial, the majority go free, never
penalized for their horrific crimes. In particular, the Armenians
live with the unacknowledged Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians,
and the perpetrators have never been charged. Among the victims
was my great-grandfather, the Reverend Hagop Koundakjian, who was
burned alive near his town church with 28 of his parishioners. My
great-grandmother, Yeretzgin Maryam, reported this in a letter in
which she explains how she had to walk behind the Turkish officers’
horses to collect their manure and try to cook the undigested seeds
for her children and grandchildren.

Great-grandmother Yeretzgin Maryam (Mary) Koundakjian writes: “I wish
I had not been compelled to write about the terrible and frightening
tragedies that took place.

“The catastrophe struck like lightning. With tears in my eyes,
I write to you. Your father (Rev.)

Hagop Koundakjian was luckier than we were, because at the beginning
of the catastrophe, on the road to Adana, he was killed and did not
see the sudden destruction and premeditated attacks on our city. He
did not witness the burning of his city, did not hear the shocking
and frightening shooting by the cruel and heartless enemy.

“He did not see his sisters, brothers and relatives shot to death
indiscriminately.

“On April 11, 1909, we had our communion (at church, during the worship
service). It was a rather heartfelt ceremony. Nobody knew or imagined
that this would be his last sermon.

“On the next day father journeyed for the annual Armenian Evangelical
Church conference.

“As you might have heard already, all in the group of 28 from Osmaniah
were burned alive with your father. I want to assure you, my children,
that all these difficulties, threats of persecutions and doomsday
announcements have strengthened us in our faith – Christianity –
and belief in God.

“On April 16th, a gang of wild Turks, Kurds and Circassians attacked
Hassanbeyli. Our youth, with their limited arms, protected us
heroically but the enemy fighters advanced like locusts, obliging us
to take cover in the nearby hills. We prayed to the Lord to protect us.

“We were driven and took refuge at Bahche, where we still are today.

They (the Ottoman Turks) threatened us with death if we did not
convert to and accept Islam. We are very tired. We are near half-dead.

“Everything was destroyed. The church, in which your father served
for over 30 years, disappeared.”

This is a fraction of the letter written by our great-grandmother
found so far. All our efforts to locate the rest have been in vain.

But we continue the search.

Having been born into an Evangelical family, I only have this portion
of our people’s story, but I understand from very reliable sources
that Bishop Papken Charian of the Apostolic Brotherhood wrote his
dissertation on this same issue. He had collected all the martyrs
from the three denominations (Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical)
and published it in a single volume.

This is also translated into English. You all can get this book under
the title Nahadag Hay Hokevoraganner (Martyred Armenian Clergy).

Last December, during a two-day forum attended by Genocide scholars
from about 20 countries, Armenia’s President Serge Sargisian said
broader international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is essential
for preventing more crimes against humanity:

“The bitter lessons of the Armenian Genocide did not go down in the
history and memory of humankind as mere memories of the past. They
came to be replaced by the horrors of the Holocaust and the tragedies
in Rwanda, Darfur and many other places.”

Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian of Armenia made the same point:
“Genocide denial and impunity pave the way for new crimes against
humanity. Regardless of geopolitical or other interests, the
international community must be united in condemning and preventing
genocide.”

A comment made around the world was, “I want to hear the words,
‘Armenians across the world, along with the Republic of Armenia,
demand reparations for the crime of genocide and the rightful return
of our confiscated lands.”

My anger is because of this: What are our political leaders around
the world doing to compel the great powers – the US, Great Britain,
France, Russia and Germany – to make clear to successive Turkish
governments that either they accept these facts as truly Genocide,
and if not, that they would break off relations with Turkey. Turkey
is acting like a superpower now around the world in order to get into
the European Union. This should not happen. Yes, I know they are 80
million now, but surely we can prove that some of them – or perhaps
many, many of them – have Armenian blood in their veins. Many of their
earlier leaders were not Turks anyway; they were known as ‘Deunmeh’
or converts.

Not many people know about our Tricolor flag. It is known as Yerakoouyn
and consists of three horizontal bands of red, blue and orange. The
meaning of the colors have been interpreted in different ways. Red
stood for the blood shed by Armenian soldiers in war, blue for the

Armenian sky and the orange represents for fertile lands of Armenia
and workers who work there. The official definition of the colors,
as stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, is:
The red emblematizes people’s continued struggle for survival,
and for the blood our brave ancestors shed, fighting the enemy and
sacrificing their lives to save the Armenian nation from annihilation,
ensure their freedom to practice their Christian faith, Armenia’s
independence and freedom. The blue is for the people of Armenia to
live beneath peaceful skies and the orange symbolizes the creative
talent and hard-working nature of the people of Armenia. Long live
the flag of Armenia. History of the Armenian flag says it was created
after the First World War between 1918 and 1921, after Armenian gained
independence and was readopted on Aug. 24 1990, just before gaining
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

It is a must for all Armenian families to read about and remember
our Martyrs. They should not and cannot be forgotten.

(Harry Koundakjian was chief photographer for the Associated Press
in the Middle East and North Africa for many years.)

HERITAGE PARTY REMINDS AND CAUTIONS SERZH SARGSYAN WHO HEADS FOR KAZAN

16:13, June 23, 2011

In connection with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents’ meeting
to be held in Kazan, Russia, on 24 June 2011 upon the initiative of
the president of the Russian Federation, the Heritage Party hereby
concludes:

1. We reject the efforts to present as negotiations the
Armenia-Azerbaijan format of meetings, which are held in the absence
of the legitimate authorities of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic
(MKR), or Artsakh, as well as the attempts to impose solutions as
their result. In addition, and while highly evaluating the mediators’
efforts, we consider the adopted path to be not solely at an impasse,
but also a process which poses new perils and leads to destabilization.

2. We assess the distortion of the format of negotiations, as a
product of Azerbaijani pressure, to be a policy of altering the
essence, history, and prospect for a just resolution of the Karabagh
conflict, as a result of which: a) contrary to irrefutable facts,
efforts are made in order to portray the aggressor Azerbaijan as
a victim, to compel respect for Soviet Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity-which no longer exists-and to recognize as “occupant” the
Armenian side which has defended itself against genocidal massacres,
a unilaterally unleashed and failed war of aggression, and continued
sabotage; b) by imposing unilateral concessions upon MKR, an attempt
is made toward violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity;
and c) by method of deeming MKR’s establishment unlawful, an objective
is pursued toward carrying out what can never be achieved: MKR’s
forcible annexation to Azerbaijan.

3. We regard the prospect of Armenia’s endorsement of a document
which is designed under force or duress by Azerbaijan, and in MKR’s
absence, as a criminal plot that is condemned to fail against MKR,
which has lawfully self-determined, decolonized, and established
itself and thus is worthy of international recognition.

4. We remind and caution the Armenian president who heads for Kazan
that:

– any meeting held without the presence of the legitimate
representatives of MKR, or any document which is born from such a
meeting, is legally null and void;

– his commitment under oath is not to foreign leaders, as the Deauville
Statement implies, but rather before the entire Armenian nation;

– the respect and recognition of Artsakh’s fundamental sovereignty
and territorial integrity is the constitutional duty of the Armenian
president, this truth cannot be a bargaining chip, and therefore MKR’s
right to hold direct peace talks and to be recognized must be restored;

– the maintenance of the current format of the talks, or its toleration
hereafter, will mean a readiness not to recognize MKR’s sovereignty
and integrity, de jure and de facto alike; and

– formal participation in this conspiracy will entail his effective
self-resignation from the homeland and his official duty and, in
the event of such unacceptable developments, he must be prepared to
legalize such resignation through the conduct of pre-term presidential
elections.

23 June 2011 Yerevan

###

Son of Ruling Party Official Appointed to Top Post

[2386.jpg] 15:02, June 23, 2011

Arman Sahakyan, the son of ruling Republican Party MP Galust Sahakyan,
has been appointed to head the State Property Management Department.

Announcing the appointment, RA Prime Minster Tigran Sargsyan noted
that despite Arman Sahakyan’s young age, he is a capable functionary
with much government experience.

Galust Sahakyan is a member of the board of the Republican Party of
Armenia and often serves as the mouthpiece for the party.

###

Civic Group Accuses Republican Party of “Cultural Genocide”

[2382.jpg] 12:57, June 23, 2011

A civic group calling itself “We are the owners of this city” is
charging the ruling Republican Party with carrying out “cultural
genocide” in Yerevan.

The group points to the resumption of construction in Dragons’
Garden, a park in the Nor Nork section of Yerevan, despite court
rulings calling for a halt of all such activity pending a review.

The citizens’ group says that a number of public spaces in Yerevan
are being destroyed due to the neglect and lack of concern by the
appropriate government agencies.

It also criticizes the recently reappointed Yerevan Chief Architect
for pushing through senseless projects like the building of a tower
in the courtyard of the Government Building in Republic Square.

###

Graduate Wants to Debate Dean of Universite Francaise

[2383.jpg] 13:20, June 23, 2011

Socrat Mkhitaryan, a graduate of the Universite Francaise in Armenia,
has invited the school’s dean, Mr. Navoyan, to a public debate on
the issues the former student claims are troubling the school.

Mr. Mkhitaryan says the university faces a variety of systematic
problems that include the lack of a concise business model and
deficiencies in management.

CONVERSATION TELEPHONIQUE ENTRE AHMADINEJAD ET LES PRESIDENTS ARMENIEN
ET AZERI Stephane

armenews.com jeudi 23 juin 2011

Le president iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a telephone a ses homologues
armenien et azeri avant leurs negociations sur le conflit de
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Selon le bureau du President Serge Sarkissian, les leaders armenien et
iranien ont discute des voies pour le ” developpement des relations
bilaterales et l’intensification de la cooperation dans quelques
secteurs d’interet mutuel “.

Ils ont aussi parle des ” evenements regionaux et du partenariat ” a
precise la declaration du bureau du President. ” La conversation
telephonique a eu lieu a l’initiative de la partie iranienne ” est-il
ajoute.

Les officiels a Bakou ont aussi donne peu de details du coup de fil
d’Ahmadinejad avec le President azeri Ilham Aliyev. Le service de
presse d’Aliyev a dit seulement qu’ils ont discute des relations
Azero-iraniennes, de la securite regionale et du ” combat contre le
terrorisme “.

Les coups de fil d’Ahmadinejad ont ete suivis par une annonce
officielle a Erevan que Sarkissian et Aliyev tiendront vendredi leur
prochaine reunion trilaterale avec le President russe Dmitry Medvedev.

Le sommet aura lieu a Kazan, la capitale de la Republique du
Tatarstan.

MISE EN GARDE DE GEORGI PETROSSIAN
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 23 juin 2011

Dans une interview a RFE/RL, le ” Ministre des AE ” du HK, Georgi
Petrossian, avertit qu’un possible accord de paix entre l’Armenie et
l’Azerbaïdjan ne pourra pas etre applique sans etre approuve par le
HK. ” On peut nous detruire, mais on ne peut pas prendre des decisions
sans nous “, a-t-il affirme. Il a egalement refuse de commenter les
chances d’une percee dans les negociations au sommet de Kazan. ”
Les documents internationaux concernant le HK reconnaissent que la ”
Republique du Haut-Karabagh ” represente l’une des parties au conflit.

Si nous, en tant que partie, avons reussi a arreter la guerre et
a signer un cessez-le-feu [en 1994], nous avons aussi le droit de
construire notre avenir, un avenir pacifique “, a-t-il ajoute.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

LES MILITANTS KURDES DE TURQUIE FURIEUX APRES L’INVALIDATION D’UN DEPUTE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 23 juin 2011

Un important politicien kurde de Turquie a prevenu mercredi d’un risque
de nouvelles violences après une decision des autorites electorales
invalidant l’election au Parlement d’un militant kurde celèbre,
a rapporte l’agence de presse Anatolie.

“Il s’agit d’une decision visant a mener la Turquie au chaos (…)
pour pousser notre peuple vers un environnement de conflit”, a
declare Ahmet Turk, dirigeant d’une plateforme d’associations kurdes,
a Diyarbakir, la principale ville du sud-est anatolien peuple en
majorite de Kurdes.

“L’Etat, le gouvernement et la justice essaient de bloquer nos efforts
pour creer un socle politique democratique” en vue d’une resolution
du conflit kurde, qui dure depuis 1984 en Turquie, a-t-il accuse,
selon Anatolie.

Ses declarations font suite a une decision prise mardi soir par le
Haut conseil des elections (YSK) estimant que Hatip Dicle, un candidat
independant mais soutenu par le principal parti pro-kurde de Turquie,
le Parti pour la paix et la democratie (BDP), ne pouvait pas avoir ete
elu, arguant qu’il n’etait pas eligible a ces legislatives du 12 juin.

Le YSK a justifie sa decision par le fait que le candidat a ete
condamne a 20 mois de prison pour “propagande terroriste”, et que
cette condamnation a ete maintenue par la Cour d’appel seulement
quatre jours avant les elections, après la confirmation des listes
de candidats pour le scrutin.

Hatip Dicle, qui est actuellement en detention preventive pour une
autre affaire, devait sortir de prison en raison de son election
au parlement dans la circonscription de Diyarbakir. Cette election
devait en effet lui octroyer une immunite parlementaire.

Il avait ete condamne pour un discours qualifie de “propagande pour une
organisation terroriste armee”, reference au Parti des Travailleurs du
Kurdistan (PKK), en lutte armee contre l’autorite centrale depuis 1984.

C’est dans ce contexte tendu qu’une mine a explose mercredi au passage
d’un vehicule de police dans la province de Tunceli (est), tuant deux
agents, a rapporte l’agence de presse Anatolie.

Anatolie ne donne pas d’indication sur l’origine de l’engin explosif
mais le PKK est actif dans cette province et a souvent eu recours a
des mines dans ses operations contre les forces de securite.

Le BDP, considere comme proche du PKK, est devenu avec les dernières
legislatives une force politique importante avec 36 elus -bloque par
un seuil electoral de 10% au niveau national, le parti a presente
ses candidats sous l’etiquette “independants”-, un record pour une
formation kurde.

Hatip Dicle, 57 ans, avait fait partie des premiers nationalistes
kurdes a enlever un siège au parlement, en 1991.

Ces deputes avaient ete arretes en 1994 après l’interdiction de leur
parti pour liens avec le PKK, passant 10 ans en prison. Parmi eux se
trouvait Leyla Zana, la pasionaria kurde, qui a egalement ete elue
le 12 juin.

Hatip Dicle est retourne en prison en 2010, dans le cadre d’une
enquete portant sur de presumees branches urbaines du PKK.

Le PKK est considere comme une organisation terroriste par Ankara et
de nombreux pays. Il a pose lundi comme conditions pour reconduire
un treve unilaterale decretee le 13 août 2010 un arret de operations
militaires et la reconnaissance de son chef emprisonne, Abdullah
Ocalan, comme interlocuteur pour un règlement de la question kurde.

Le conflit kurde en Turquie a fait plus de 45.000 morts, selon l’armee.

RUSSIA’S WEAPONS SUPPLY TO MAKE ARMENIA MILITARIST STATE IN REGION – MP

news.az
June 22 2011
Azerbaijan

The reports that surplus armament from Russian military base in Armenia
will be given to this aggressor country free of charge raise concerns.

The statement came from Fazail Agamali, MP and head of the
pro-government Ana Vatan Party.

He said one should not forget that as one of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs, Russia is engaged in peaceful resolution of the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Agamali said Russia should not present itself as a country that arms
Armenia and a country that implements a peace mission at the same
time. The MP said the fact that Russia arms Armenia leads to formation
of a militarist state in the region which is totally unacceptable.

ARMENIA NEVER PREPARED PEOPLE FOR WAR – PRESIDENT

news.am
June 22, 2011
Armenia

Council of Europe’s activities are very useful: we learn not to answer
by intolerance to intolerance, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said
on Wednesday answering questions of the PACE delegates in Strasbourg.

“For instance, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved for
years. In my capacity as a defense minister I have been speaking about
resolution of the conflict by mutual concessions for 15 years. Have
you heard this from Azerbaijani officials? This is what I mean when
speaking of intolerance. I highly appreciate the statement made by
U.S., French and Russian Presidents in Deauville which indicates we
should prepare people for peace, not war. We have not been preparing
our people for war for 20 years,” he said.

ARS SENDS $23,679 TO JAPAN QUAKE VICTIMS

Armenian Weekly
Wed, Jun 22 2011

Immediately following the natural disasters in Japan in March, the
Armenian Relief Society (ARS) initiated a fundraiser for the relief
of the victims of the earthquake and its aftermath. All ARS entities
took part in the fundraiser, with the ARS entity in Javakhk being the
first to respond to the call of the ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board.

Ambassador Koichi Kawakami with the ARS delegation.

The donations, totaling $23,679.40, were delivered to the Japanese
Embassy in Lebanon through the Armenian Relief Cross of Lebanon
(ARCL). For many years, the ARCL Araxie Boulghourdjian Socio-Medical
Center in Bourj Hammoud has enjoyed cordial relations with the Embassy
of Japan. On June 21, a delegation from the ARCL, representing the
pan-Armenian ARS family and accompanied by Tamar Der Bedrossian
representing the ARS, Inc. Central Executive Board, visited the
Japanese Embassy in Beirut. After offering its condolences for the
victims of the earthquake and the ensuing calamities, the chairperson
of the ARCL, Taline Kelbashian, presented Ambassador Koichi Kawakami
with a check in the name of the Armenian Relief Society.

On this occasion, the Armenian-Japanese friendship and cooperation
were discussed between the ambassador and the ARS delegation. Speaking
on behalf of the Japanese people, the ambassador conveyed his deep
gratitude to the Armenian people, and particularly to the ARS, for
this assistance, stating that cooperation between the two peoples
shall continue unabated.

After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Japan was among the first
countries to extend a helping hand to the stricken Armenian population
of Spitak.

MINISTER: WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARS INVESTMENTS IN ORE MINING INDUSTRY OF ARMENIA MAY AMOUNT TO $3-4 BILLION

arminfo
Wednesday, June 22, 20:47

Within the next few years investments in ore mining industry of
Armenia may amount to $3-4 billion, which will be conditioned by
adoption of a new Code on Mineral Resources, Armenian Minister of
Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan said in parliament when
presenting the draft Code on Mineral Resources on Wednesday.

“According to our estimations, within the next few years the
investments will total 3-4 billion USD. I talked to the potential
investors, who are waiting for the adoption of this Code”, the
minister said. Movsisyan added that investments are expected for the
metallic and non-metallic deposits, which have already passed a certain
stage of exploration or have not been explored at all. The minister
clarified that the current legislation has a lot of contradictions,
and it does not stimulate investments in this sphere, and the Code
on Mineral Resources is meant to regulate all the problems and
contradictions. “This field attracts no large investments, because
the mechanisms in the current laws contain big risks”, he said and
added that if a legal entity carries out geological exploration of a
deposit, the current legislation gives no guarantees that this legal
entity will exploit the given deposit.

Movsisyan pointed out that the Code on Mineral Resources is aimed
at regulating the tax field and simplify it. From now on the taxes
will be linked to the sales of mineral products at world prices at
stock exchanges, he said. The Code maximally protects the interests
of the state and brings the environmental requirements in compliance
with international standards. It regulates the issues of mining of
all mineral products in Armenia, except oil, gas and radioactive raw
materials, for which a certain bill will be submitted for consideration
of parliament in autumn. For permission for mining of mineral products,
the mineral developer is to submit the project of deposit closure to
the regulatory body. The regulatory body will carry out monitoring
after the closure of the deposit at the mineral developer’s expense.