Author: Kanayan Tamar

O’FARRELL FACES GALLIPOLI THREAT

Fairfield Champion, Australia
August 28, 2013 Wednesday
First Edition

byBianca Martins

PREMIER Barry O’Farrell and all NSW Parliament members may be banned
from the centenary commemorations in Gallipoli in 2015, the Turkish
Government has warned.

The announcement was made after a motion officially recognising the
genocide of Assyrian people at the hands of the then Turkish Ottoman
was passed unanimously by the NSW Legislative Council in May.

The Turkish government has strongly condemned the motion and says it
is not compatible with historical facts.

Members of the local Assyrian community argue otherwise.

Recently they successfully lobbied Fairfield Council to change
the wording on a monument in Bonnyrigg and a plaque in Fairfield
commemorating what they call the Assyrian genocide.

Fairfield councillor Ninos Khoshaba, who raised the motion in
Parliament when he was the Smithfield MP, said he was disappointed by
the Turkish threat to ban NSW MPs from attending the Gallipoli service.

“I think they are being a little unreasonable and it’s disappointing to
take that stance, but it’s a decision they need to live with,” he said.

“This is something that happened 100 years ago. It’s not a reflection
of the current government or the Turkish people here in Australia.

“This genocide was committed by the then Ottoman Empire and it was
their own people who overthrew the Ottoman Empire during that time.”

Cr Khoshaba said it was also disappointing that people were trying
to defend the genocide.

“As for being barred, it was their decision,” he said.

“I’m not going to lose any sleep over not being allowed to go to
Turkey.”

But the local Turkish community disagree with the Assyrian
interpretation of the incident, which took place during World War I.

Turkish community spokesman Adem Cetinay said he supported the decision
made by the Turkish government.

“I think it’s too soft,” he said.

“You can’t be someone’s friend and then not their friend at the same
time. It was both sides of Parliament that passed this motion, which
was even sadder.

“There’s no evidence than genocide took place. It’s all fabricated
evidence.”

But the Assyrian Universal Alliance’s deputy secretary-general, Hermiz
Shahen, said millions of Christians perished because of the genocide.

“The Ottoman Empire carried out ethnic cleansing against all the
Christian nations – the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians,” he said.

“This is a fact that they cannot deny – millions of indigenous ethnic
people perished because of it. It’s unfortunate that they are trying
to deny the facts. We want to forget the past, but how can we forget
it when Turkey aren’t apologising for what happened and giving relief
for people to leave history behind.

“They are threatening sovereignty to do what they think is the right
thing. And it’s not right.”

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING UNIVERSITIES

Along with rise in tuition fees the problem of funding comes up as a
more urgent issue of public concern. Obviously, limited state funding
can cover only a very small part of operation of universities. Tuition
fees remain the dominant source of revenues of universities. It is
equally evident that funding required for normal functioning and
development of universities is not something static and grows over
time which inevitably leads to rise in tuition fees.

These issues make us focus on the search for alternative sources of
funding universities. One option could be endowment. An essential
difference of endowment from other benevolent foundations is that
the university does not spend the donated sum but profit that it
generates. Nobel Fund is the best-known example of endowment. Awards
are paid from interest earned on shares and investments. The endowment
foundations for universities of the United States and England are
sometimes amazing, they may even exceed our country’s state budget.

Such endowment foundations cover a significant part of the annual
budget of such famous American universities as Princeton (47% of
the annual budget) or Harvard (38% of the annual budget). In some
countries of Eastern Europe, such as the Czech Republic had a law
according to which 5% of each privatization deal was directed at any
of the foundations established for meeting the needs of the given area.

The experience of our post-soviet peers which inherited similar
education systems and had to face adjustment to the new conditions
shows that they also understood the opportunities that this option
will open up and take steps.

For example, in Russia the law on target capital of non-commercial
organizations adopted in 2007 provided legal grounds for introducing
this mechanism of funding. Hence, currently there are 40 endowment
foundations with a threshold of 3 million rubles (about 900,000 USD).

Thanks to good management of financial flows endowment foundations can
cover up to 50% of the annual budget of universities. The state tax
policy is highly important to ensure effectiveness. In many countries
endowment foundations are exempt from tax.

I think this brief overview is enough to understand that development
of such foundations may be a good choice to identification of
alternative mechanisms of funding of the universities of Armenia,
especially considering that universities all over the world view
such foundations as a way of development of research. Meanwhile,
the traditional funding schemes hardly save any money for research.

Zhanna Andreasyan, candidate of sciences in
sociology 14:49 29/08/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

CHILD SAFETY MONTH TO START IN ARMENIA ON SEPTEMBER 1

YEREVAN, August 29. /ARKA/. Armenia’s police will hold a kid
safety month from September 1st to October 1st to ensure safety of
schoolchildren in the streets, the press office of the police reported.

Instructed by the chief of the police Vladimir Gasparyan, public
order and traffic safety measures will be taken in all streets and
yards adjoining the city schools, according to the report.

Road markings and traffic lights are currently being improved nearby
schools; policemen will be helping schoolchildren cross the street
wherever there are no traffic lights.

Armenia’s police hope for support from parents, teachers and common
citizens, according to the report. The event is held also to strengthen
ties between the police and schoolchildren and their parents, as well
as to raise adults’ legal consciousness.

The police urge parents not to give valuable items, mobile phones
and gold jewelry so that criminals do not target kids.

Traffic rules lessons will be given in secondary schools during the
month. -0–

– See more at:

POWERS OF PRINCIPAL OF YEREVAN SCHOOL # 27 SUSPENDED

Thursday,
August
29

During the investigation into abuses revealed at Yerevan secondary
school # 27, a decision was taken – based on the instructions of the
prosecutor of Yerevan’s Shengavit district – to suspend temporarily
the powers of the school principal Ms. Susanna Sargsyan due to the
fact that she may obstruct the investigation in case of continuing
the hold her position.

In particular, investigators discovered that in 2009-2012 the principal
signed 6 labor contracts with various persons who didn’t perform
their duties, but salaries were paid for them, and those sums were
embezzled by the principal.

As part of the criminal case opened by the Shengavit investigative unit
of the police, on August 28 S. Sargsyan was charged under Article 179
parts 1 and 3 and Article 314 of the RA Criminal Code. A recognizance
not to leave the place was chosen as a measure of restraint against
her.

TODAY, 16:56

Aysor.am

NAREK SARGSYAN: CLOSED MARKET IS DISTORTED, AND THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION TO IT

15:56 29/08/2013 ” SOCIETY

Yerevan’s Closed Market – the monument – is distorted, so, the numerous
efforts produced no result, Narek Sargsyan, chairman of the State
Committee of Architecture at the RA government, told a press briefing.

The issue should be kept on the agenda until other solutions are found,
according to him. “I don’t think that this issue should be closed,”
he stressed.

When asked if the authorities are really powerless before the oligarch,
Sargsyan said, “This is such an issue to which I can give no answer
or justification.”

Sargsyan also said that he himself attempted to tackle the situation,
but all his attempts failed.

Source: Panorama.am

FOREIGNERS PREFER TO STUDY AT MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA

12:07, 29 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS: 500 Diaspora Armenian and foreign
students have applied to the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the
Republic of Armenia to enter the institutions of higher education of
Yerevan. This was reported to Armenpress by the Head of the Department
for International Relations of the Ministry of Education and Sciences
of Armenia Tigran Sahakyan.

According to him, the Diaspora Armenian and foreign students, who
want to enter the bachelor’s system, may apply by August 20.

Tigran Sahakyan stated that most of the students applied to the Yerevan
State University, the Pedagogical University and the State Engineering
University of Armenia. As noted by the Head of the Department for
International Relations of the Ministry of Education and Sciences of
Armenia, most of the foreign students apply to the Medical University
of Armenia. “Every year about 300 foreign students from different
countries enter the Medical University”, – said Sahakyan.

Since July 9 the entrance of the foreign students at the Ministry
of Education and Sciences of the Republic of Armenia has been
launched. Students from Greece, India, USA and other countries come
to study in Armenia.

The study at the Armenia’s institutions of higher education is paid
for the foreign students. The payment for foreigners is more expensive
that the one for the Armenian or Armenian Diaspora’s students.

Ani Dalakyan

EXPORT OF ARMENIAN PAINTINGS INCREASED

09:50, 29 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS: The volume of the artistic paints
imported to Armenia in the first half of 2013 has increased by about
54% in comparison with the same period of 2012. According to the
data provided by the State Revenue Committee at the Government of the
Republic of Armenia, the total customs value of the imported artistic
paints made $125,300. As reported by Armenpress, in the first half
of 2013 the paints were imported to the Republic of Armenia mainly
from the Russian Federation (13,1 tons) and China (4,2 tons).

At the same time, in the first half of the year of 2013 the volume of
the paintings, exported from Armenia, has increased by about 11% in
comparison with the same period of the year of 2012, making 323 pieces.

ZHOGHOVURD: CRIMINAL CASE OPENED AGAINST SHIRAK REGIONAL PROSECUTOR

Thursday,
August
29

‘Zhoghovurd’ paper writes that the Special Investigation Service of
Armenia (SIS) opened a criminal case against the prosecutor of Shirak
province Karen Shahbazian. A charge has been brought against him. The
daily notes that it is the first time that a criminal case has been
opened against an incumbent prosecutor.

The reason was a complaint filed by Gohar Hovhannsian, a 60-year-old
woman residing in the city of Gyumri.

According to Sona Truzian, spokeswoman for Armenia’s prosecutor
general, she was not informed about the case. Spokesman for SIS Mikael
Aharonian said that the daily should ask the question in writing.

TODAY, 11:29

Aysor.am

SYRIA RAID COULD TRIGGER RUSSIA RESPONSE – AFSHIN RATTANZI

09:36 29/08/2013 ” INTERVIEWS

Press TV has conducted an interview with Afshin Rattanzi, an author
and journalist in London, about the the US and its allies beating
the drums of war on Syria as well as warnings by other countries that
such a strike would have dire consequences.

– On the issue of an attack, we were speaking to our correspondent and
he said that a question, which was raised by a lot of reporters today
in Damascus is- What would be achieved, what would be the objective
of a Western-led attack in Syria?

We had some interesting remarks by Francois Hollande (French president)
just now, he said that the civil war in Syria is a threat to global
peace and that international law shouldn’t be used as a pretext when
we are seeing massacres take place, to protect the perpetrators.

– Yes, those statements indicate that international law isn’t something
that Paris is too keen on.

I’m speaking to you from London where there has been an emergency
meeting taking place not a mile away from where I’m talking from. How
ironic that as regards objectives that the National Security Council in
Britain was set up after 9/11 to protect Britain from al-Qaeda-linked
atrocities and what threatened them.

And here is Britain threatening to go in with the United States to
support al-Qaeda-linked militancy. I think even American generals
are expressing their concern of the objectives of any attack by these
warships in the Mediterranean. What are those objectives?

– Yes that’s the thing. A lot of people are asking, we have to put
the question of who is going to benefit from this. A lot of observers
are now pointing the finger at Israel. They are asking, who could
have provided these chemical substances and chemical weapons? They
are saying that this is a pre-planned scenario; and Russia has also
been clearly saying that.

Do you think we should be thinking about a scenario here similar for
instance to the one in Iraq and that this actually could that that
military attack is actually going to happen whatever the cost?

– As regards to chemical weapons usage regardless of Israel and Saudi
evidence supporting the threat of war to Obama’s advisors, Samantha
Powers and Susan Rice, we know who uses chemical weapons.

The CIA de-classified a document that the US told Saddam to use them
against Iran. The United States used them in Vietnam and Cambodia;
in Fallujah in Iraq. It’s not normal for any country except the
United States to use chemical weapons; and of course white phosphorus
in Fallujah.

No, I think what the international community needs to do now is
urgently support, ironically, the Syrian government in their quest
to destroy the al-Qaeda-linked rebels.

What started as a pro-democracy movement has deteriorated into this
Islamist al-Nusra Front getting larger and larger and these governments
have to get…

The chemical weapons thing is about as important as the yellow cake
in … – of course those pictures were terrible and appalling, but
we must stop that from happening again.

The way to stop that from happening again, one would have to say
based on reports from Carla Del Ponte … being attacked – the UN
weapons inspector – is to support the government of President Assad.

– What is your prediction for what is going to happen from this stage
on? Obama has been saying that without a UN mandate we are not going
to attack, but it looks like they are really prepared for it.

Do you think that even if the United Nations doesn’t say who used
the weapons or doesn’t give that mandate that we are going to see a
military strike?

– American television is quoting White House sources as saying that
Tomahawk missiles will be fired within 48 hours.

So I suppose the important thing now is to get the relatives of the
thousands of US troops on the USS Mahan and USS Gravely, the USS Barry
and the USS Ramage and tell them that the ferocious attack back at
them from Russian Iskander missiles will be pretty ferocious and that
the United States is endangering their troops yet again in a war that
will have no victors.

Source: Panorama.am

POLICE CASTIGATE HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISOR FOR JUMPING THE GUN ON KOMITAS “GROPING” INCIDENT

13:36, August 28, 2013

Responding to charges made by Anna Safaryan, an advisor with the
Human Rights Defender’s Office, that a policeman groped and kissed
a female protestor during an August 24 demonstration in Yerevan,
the Police Department castigated Safaryan for “jumping the gun”.

Safaryan, who advises the Human Rights Defender on women’s rights
issues, had issued a statement describing the incident as a possible
sexual assault with legal ramifications.

Videos of the incident have been downloaded on YouTube and other sites.

In their response, the police claim that the officer has been relieved
of his duties pending an investitigation.

“While it is understandable when citizens are quick to express an
opinion, we are more than concerned when a representative of such
a credible organization as the Human Rights Defender’s Office jumps
to conclusions in such a biased manner,” reads the response of the
Police Department.