Author: Kanayan Tamar

FALSIFICATION OF HISTORY OF THE KARABAKH MOVEMENT CONTINUES?
Gagik Avanesyan Hadrut

Lragir

Feb 13 2008
Armenia

During the meeting of the commission for the celebration of the 20th
anniversary of the Karabakh Movement which was covered on the Public
Television of Artsakh, Janna Galstyan suggested publishing the names
of the people who organized the Karabakh movement starting from the
"underground". The co-chair of the commission and speaker of the
NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan gave an answer in the spirit of
the Turkish government denying the Genocide of Armenians in 1915:
"Let historians deal with it."

It is sad but hardly 20 years have passed, and the organizers and
activists of the Karabakh Movement are already mentioned selectively,
proceeding from the political conjuncture. Perhaps the historians
will announce their names many years later, posthumously, like spies.

The names of the alive seem to bother someone. Not everyone has access
to the media, and if someone who has access to the media sees only
"himself in the Movement", distorts facts, falsification of history
starts. Silencing is the same as lying and falsifying history.

Yesterday is already history, and it cannot be changed, independent
from whether someone likes how they lived that day. It concerns not
only the government but also some activists of the Karabakh Movement
who try "not to remember" "inconvenient" names. It also concerns
everyone who is in charge of organizing the celebration of the 20th
anniversary of the beginning of the Karabakh Movement.

Unconscientious attitude toward history is intolerable. In particular,
the presence of Member of Parliament V. Avanesyan from the region
of Hadrut in the commission who has nothing to do with the Karabakh
Movement is also part of falsification. How can this commission
be objective?

Meanwhile, history is that the first meeting in the Autonomous Region
of Nagorno-Karabakh was in the evening of February 12, 1988. The first
declaration on unification was signed and sealed on behalf of the
district soviet of People’s Deputies by E. Navasardyan, president of
the Executive Committee of the district soviet of Hadrut on February
13, 1988. All the meetings in the other towns and Stepanakert took
place afterwards.

First in the NKAR the people of Hadrut protected the head of the
district soviet when the procuracy of Azerbaijan was going to take E.

Navasardyan to Baku on February 17, 1988.

The extraordinary session of the Regional Soviet of People’s Deputies
was held February 20, 1988 after the sessions of district soviets of
people’s deputies.

When history is written, the value of every fact should be realized
instead of fitting history to someone. During the office of the
ex-president Arkady Ghukasyan, for instance, to somehow link him
to the Karabakh Movement, insignificant occasions were presented as
"bold moves". For instance, there was a lot of praising of articles on
the February 20 decision of the Soviet of People’s Deputies published
in the February 22 issue of the Russian version of the Soviet Karabakh.

In the meantime, nobody stated that the same articles were published
in the Armenian version of the newspaper as well, and the editor of
the newspaper was not Arkady Ghukasyan, and the newspaper was the
official newspaper of the Soviet of People’s Deputies and it had no
right not to publish the decisions of the Soviet. If it was a matter
of boldness, why nothing was written about the meetings which shook
Nagorno-Karabakh before February 22?

Reality has nothing to do with those "fairy tales". There was a lot of
ambiguity in those years. In particular, while most party organizations
in Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and the Bureau of the regional
committee of the party in Askeran had to approve the decision of the
Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR,
defining the Karabakh movement as extremism, Hadrut was the first to
boycott it. Not everywhere in Karabakh the leaders were so determined.

As to the evaluation of history, in 20 years time it is obvious that
in the political and time aspect, everything was decided in Karabakh
and Yerevan within 9 days, between February 12 and February 20. The
role of Arkady Karapetyan, Arthur Mkrtichyan, Igor Muradyan, Manvel
Sargsyan and others is tremendous. Over the next three and a half
years it had to be kept up through counteractions out of necessity,
successful or not, meetings and parties for unification until the year
1991 when Karabakh took the initiative and again reached success both
in politics and battlefield.

As to the beginning of the armed struggle, it is the events in
Askeran when several guys with hunting rifles stopped the crowd of
thousands of Azerbaijanis. "When an Armenian with a rifle shows up,
the Azerbaijani female turban appears too to justify the escape
of their men." And maybe the names of those heroes have not been
announced out of fear that Azerbaijan will start searching them all
over the world? Meanwhile, this historic event can also serve as a
model for bringing up the young generation.

ARMENIAN POLICE ARREST PROXY OF POLITICIAN ENDORSING OPPOSITION CANDIDATE

Aravot
Feb 12 2008
Armenia

"Hakob Hakobian in deep trouble"

The officers of the police division of [Yerevan’s] Malatia-Sebastia
district took Shmavon Galstyan to the police station late last night
[11 February].

Galstyan, who is the director of a textile factory, is a close
associate of National Assembly [parliament] member Hakob Hakobyan,
who in turn is the chairman of the non-governmental organization
Test of Spirit: Union of Volunteers [of Karabakh war veterans]
that announced its endorsement of the first president of Armenia,
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, on 9 February.

The organizations supporting Ter-Petrosyan, including Hakobyan and
Galstyan’s friends, gathered at the police station yesterday, demanding
explanations as to why Galstyan was taken to the police station. Smbat
Ayvazyan, a member of the political council of the [opposition]
Republic party, was among those present. Ayvazyan told Aravot that
this act is a sign of the authorities’ recent nervousness. "They are
clutching at straws, let them do what they wish, we are not afraid, it
only recruits people to the army of our supporters who are sick of the
regime," he said. Many of those gathered there claimed that Shmavonyan
was taken to the police station in order to put pressure on Hakobyan,
who had announced his support for Ter-Petrosyan, and compared it with
the political harassment campaign launched against the directors of
businesses owned by another businessman, Khachik Sukiasyan, as well
as against his associates and relatives. Hakobyan told Aravot that
if Galstyan is not released and if there are attempts to harass and
put pressure on the directors and employees of businesses he owns, he
will stage protest demonstrations to speak about why this is happening.

MINISTER: STRATEGY OF TRANSITION FROM SYSTEM OF STATE MANAGEMENT TO THE MODEL OF CORPORATE MANAGEMENT IS INCLUDED IN SERZH SARKISIAN’S PROGRAM

Mediamax
February 13, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. If we leave aside the populist ideas and
statements, the economic programs of all the presidential candidates
copy the program of the government, Minister of Trade and Economic
Development of Armenia Nerses Yeritsian stated in Yerevan today.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today,
Nerses Yeritsian stated that "the given fact evidences the correctness
of the country development course, approved by us".

"In case the program of the candidate lacks the notion of "know-how",
the risk of groundlessness of his program is great. I do not see
reasons to deviate from the strategy, chosen by the government",
Nerses Yeritsian stated.

According to the Minister, the primary tasks of the government are the
establishment of science intensive economy, conditions for dynamic
growth of small and medium enterprises, as well as even territorial
economic development of Armenia.

"There is an item in Serzh Sarkisian’s program, which represents
a whole strategy – the system of state management should make a
transition to a model of corporate management", Nerses Yeritsian
stated, noting that this will in many respects assist the improvement
of the business-environment in Armenia.

FINNISH STATE SECRETARY: THE CONFLICT PARTIES SHOULD SHOW POLITICAL WILL AND COURAGE FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

Azeri Press Agency
Feb 12 2008
Azerbaijan

Vilnius.Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. "All conflicts of Post-Soviet Republics,
as well as Nagorno Karabakh conflict are not less serious than Kosovo
conflict," said Pertti Torstila, Finnish State Secretary during his
visit to Lithuania.

State Secretary delivered speech at International Relations and
Political Science (IIRPS) of Vilnius University and stated that
OSCE Minsk Group continues its activity to help to parties for
the determination of core principles on the settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

"The conflict parties should show political will, courage and mutual
understanding for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. OSCE
will support the peaceful solution to the conflict," he said. Mr.

Torstila noted that, Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva will visit
all conflict zones in OSCE region and carry out talks with conflict
parties. Special Envoy of the Chairman-in-Office Heikki Talvitie will
engaged in analogical activity.

Armenian National Committee of Australia
The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community
259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068 ~ PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
Tel: (02) 9419 8264 ~ Fax: (02) 9411 8898
Email: [email protected] ~ Website:

13 February, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE: For Immediate Release

{CONTACT: Haig Kayserian (Communications Officer) ~ 0403 317 903 ~
[email protected]}

ANC AUSTRALIA WELCOMES PM’S APOLOGY TO THE STOLEN GENERATION

SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) has
welcomed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Aboriginal `Stolen
Generations’ in what is considered a fundamental step toward reconciliation
and righting past wrongs.

Addressing a packed House of Representatives in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr.
Rudd apologised to indigenous Australians, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander, for past laws and policies that had `inflicted profound grief,
suffering and loss on [indigenous] fellow Australians’.

`For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their
descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry,’ the Prime
Minister said.

`To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the
breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry,’ he added. `And for
the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud
culture, we say sorry.’

The Opposition, led by its leader Dr. Brendan Nelson, supported the Prime
Minister’s apology.

In a statement released today, ANC Australia President Mr. Varant
Meguerditchian described Prime Minister Rudd as `a leader with conviction’.

He stated: `Our Prime Minister has set an international moral high bar by
taking responsibility for past human rights violations and apologising
unconditionally for the wrongs of his predecessors.’

Speaking on behalf of the Armenian community of Australia, Mr Meguerditchian
added: `We hope that the Australian Parliament’s apology to the Aboriginal
people for past wrongs will set an example for, and encourage, the
Government of Turkey to abandon its denialist policy, to recognise the
Armenian Genocide and to embrace reconciliation with the Armenian people.’

The Stolen Generations (or Stolen Generation) is a term used to describe the
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, who were removed
>From their families by Australian government agencies and church missions
under various state acts of parliament, denying the rights of parents and
making all Aboriginal children wards of the state, between approximately
1869 and (officially) 1969.
During the last days of the Ottoman Empire, the Government implemented a
policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a result, up
to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives between 1915
and 1922. The Armenian Genocide is yet to be recognised by the Turkish
Government.

Armenian National Committee of Australia
259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068
PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
T: (02) 9419 8264 | F: (02) 9411 8898
E: [email protected] | W:

The Armenian National Committee of Australia is the peak public affairs body
of the Armenian-Australian community. ANC Australia advances the concerns of
the Armenian-Australian community.
 

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PROGRAMS OF SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF YEREVAN IN 2008-2012 TO BE SUBMITTED TO GOVERNMENT FOR APPROVAL SOON

Noyan Tapan
Feb 11, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The programs on socioeconomic
development of Yerevan in 2008-2012 will be soon submitted to the
Armenian government for approval, the mayor of Yerevan Yervand
Zakharian stated at the February 11 press conference.

In his words, a number of urban development projects will be
completed in Yerevan in 2008. In particular, construction of the
transport node at Khanjian-Tigran Mets crossroads, the transport
node crossing Koryun-Heratsi-Nalbandian-Charents streets, and of the
pedestrian subway at the section where Alek Manukian Street and the
Getar River cross, as well as repairs of the bridge in this section
will be completed.

Y. Zakharian said that the construction of the highway from Davitashen
bridge to the Ayrarat Cinema will finish by October. It is also
envisaged to build an overpass in Arshakunyats Avenue – in the area
adjacent to Pantheon.

According to the mayor, reinforcement of ten 3rd-degree accident-prone
apartment buildings will be done, as well as two new apartment
buildings for residents of 4th-degree accident-prone buildings will be
constructed thsi year. Thus, in his words, the problem of 4th-degree
accident-prone buildings in Yerevan will be completely solved.

Y. Zakharian announced that by 2010 it is envisaged installing local
heating systems in all comprehensive schools and kindergartens of
the city. 1.7 billion drams (about 5.5 million USD) was allocated
from the state budget for this purpose in 2008.

It was mentioned that by late 2008, 2,464 elevators in Yerevan will
be repaired with 3 billion drams allocated from the state budget.

ACCORDING TO HANS KOCHLER, PRESERVATION OF NATIONAL AUTOCRACY IS
POSSIBLE ONLY UNDER CONDITIONS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The regional cooperation can be a
factor for providing balance of forces during the formation of a global
security system. This conviction was expressed by Hans Kochler
(Austria), the President of the International Progress Organization and
a Professor of the Innsbruck University, at the press conference
titiled "The countries of the Caucasus and Near East as possible
partners in the process of the formation of a regional security system"
organized on February 7.

According to him, despite the UN efforts, the abolition of the two-pole
world order caused the weakening of the collective security system and
endangered the regional stability. The regions are subject to
contradictary external influences, which restrict the freedom of the
actions of the sides during the regulation of the existing conflicts.
Under such conditions Hans Kochler attached importance to the creation
of such systems of regional cooperation as the European Union, the
partnership of the countries of the South-East Asia, the cooperation
council of the countries of the Persian Gulf, and the recently created
African Union. According to him, the existence of one power pole is a
temporary phenomenon and the regional cooperation can be a considerable
contribution to the creation of a multi-pole world order. "The creation
of the security system between the Caucasus and the Near East was the
very case," Hans Kochler mentioned.

The interregional cooperation will contribute to the relaxation of the
strain inside each region and to the regulation of the existing
conflicts. For the purpose of providing a long-term cooperation, the
countries of the region should renounce or restrict their membership in
such military alliances, the invloved forces in which are outside the
region. He mentioned that NATO, which was a regional organization at
the moment of its creation, was submitted to considerable changes after
the end of the cold war and the unilateral expansion of that
organization can be dangerous for the other countries of the region.
According to Hans Kochler, the creation of inter and intraregional
security systems can save states and countries from becoming the victim
of the "distribute and rule" policy. "The preservation of the national
autocracy is impossible in case of being isolated from regional
developments," the speaker expressed conviction.

PROVOCATION IN ARTASHAT WAS ORGANIZED BY STATE STRUCTURES, IS SAID IN
STATEMENT OF CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS OF LEVON TER-PETROSIAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. During the February 6 meeting of the
RA presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian with voters in Artashat,
"a group of hooligans started throwing stones, pieces of ice and
concrete at meeting participants and in the direction of the platform,
on which there were the first Armenian president and representatives of
the forces supporting him". NT was informed by the central headquarters
of Levon Ter-Petrosian the Nikol Pashinian who was conducting the
meeting asked the policemen present to ensure the meeting’s security to
prevent this provocation and call these persons to order but policemen
did not take any actions. The governor of Ararat marz Alik Sargsian was
inactive too.

"Not calming down, the group of hooligans began throwing stones at the
car of L. Ter-Petrosian. Then 7-8 persons attacked Colonel of State
Security Service Sargis Hovhannisian – the deputy head of L.
Ter-Petrosian’s security service, who was at the car. He received
injuries to the head and was taken to hospital," is said in the
statement issued on the same day.

According to the statement authors, it became known that the
provocation had been organized by the National Assembly deputy Jonik
Abrahamian – brother of Hovik Abrahamian, and by the head of the
regional municipality’s social security unit, who is also the chairman
of the district electoral commission. The police were instructed not to
intervene, and this instruction was carried out.

"We state that no provocation instructed and organized by the criminal
authorities will unsettle us and stop our triumphant election campaign
that will end in our inevitable victory on February 19. What has
happened is the last scratches of the robber-state authorities which
are incapabale of conducting logical debates and are now in agony. We
state that after February 20 all instigators will appear in court and
will be held accountable under law," the statement reads.

SERGE SARGSYAN’S FUND IS THE BIGGEST

A1+
05 February, 2008

Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Garegin Azaryan informs
that Serge Sargsyan’s pre-election fund is the biggest as compared
with the funds of other candidates. Serge Sargsyan’s fund is 69
million 550 thousand drams, Vahan Hovhannisyan’s fund is 45 million 500
thousand drams. Then comes Arthur Baghdasryan (21 million 960 thousand
drams), Levon Ter-Petrsoyan’s fund is (16 million 286 thousand 500
drams), Artashes Geghamyan – (14,6 million drams), Vazgen Manukyan –
(2,4 million drams), Tigran Karapetyan (6000 thousand drams), Aram
Harutyunyan (190 thousand drams). Arman Melikyan’s fund has no
financial means.

According to Garegin Azaryan, in the first place with the spent
means is Vahan Hovhannisyan 44 million 144 thousand drams, Serge
Sarsyan is in the second place 26 million 284 thousand 780 drams,
then follows Arthur Baghdasaryan 21 million 941 thousand 800 drams,
Artashes Geghamyan has spent 14 million 364 thousand drams, Levon
Ter-Petrosyan – 14 million 5 thousand drams, Vazgen Manukyan –
1 million 398 thousand 733 drams, Tigran Karapetyan – 580 thousand
drams, Aram Harutyunyan has spent the whole fund.

TER-PETROSIAN COURTS PRO-KOCHARIAN TYCOON
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
Feb 05 2008

Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian on Tuesday heaped praise on
one of Armenia’s wealthiest businessmen close to President Robert
Kocharian and urged him to defect to the opposition camp.

Ter-Petrosian claimed that Gagik Tsarukian will end up losing his
huge fortune if Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian becomes Armenia’s
next president as he campaigned in areas north of Yerevan where the
influential tycoon holds sway.

"I have come here to preach morality to Gagik Tsarukian because
I believe that that person has not acted against his people to
date," he told hundreds of people attending his rally in the town
of Abovian. "That person has morality. I will not preach morality to
Serzh Sarkisian, Robert Kocharian and their cronies because they have
no morality."

"Dear Mr. Gagik Tsarukian, here are your people," continued
Ter-Petrosian. "Today you will make a choice. Either you will stand
alongside your people, or will be doomed to remain a slave and be
despised by these people forever. The choice is yours."

Ter-Petrosian already issued a similar call to Tsarukian and other
government-connected tycoons during a December rally in Yerevan. He
said they will run the constant risk of losing their assets as long
as Kocharian-Sarkisian duo remains in power. The ex-president went
further during his subsequent campaign speeches, saying that all of
them will become "tramps" if Sarkisian wins the February 19 election.

None of the so-called "oligarchs" has publicly indicated support
for his presidential bid, however. Tsarukian is thought to have
particularly close ties with Armenia’s leadership and Kocharian in
particular. He is also the founding leader of the pro-Kocharian
Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), which boasts the second largest
faction in parliament.

Several BHK lawmakers on Tuesday joined their colleagues from
Sarkisian’s Republican Party (HHK) in voicing support for the prime
minister and condemning Ter-Petrosian during a special parliament
session during which deputies can read out statements on any issue.

Armenian state television is obliged to broadcast those statements in
full. The collective verbal assault on Ter-Petrosian launched by more
than a dozen BHK and HHK parliamentarians was a further indication that
the authorities consider the ex-president their most dangerous foe.

Ter-Petrosian, meanwhile, stuck to his tough anti-government
rhetoric both in Abovian and other, smaller local towns. Speaking
in Nor Hajn, home to most of Armenia’s diamond-processing plants,
he again implicated Sarkisian and Kocharian in the 1999 armed attack
on the National Assembly which left its speaker Karen Demirchian,
then Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and six other officials dead.

"If you elect Serzh Sarkisian on February 19, you will elect Nairi
Hunanian," Ter-Petrosian declared, referring to the jailed leader
of gunmen who sprayed the assembly with bullets. "He who elects
Serzh Sarkisian would [thereby] desecrate the holy graves of Karen
Demirchian and Vazgen Sarkisian," he said.