Author: Kanayan Tamar

CALL TO SUPPORT THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN SYRIA

Thursday, August 16th, 2012 | Posted by Asbarez
Staff

A group of Armenian volunteers clean up the streets of Aleppo

GLENDALE – All religious denominations, political parties and relief
organizations in the Western United States have come together to form a
joint committee to assist the Armenian community of Syria. On Thursday, the
group issued a call to support the efforts, the text of which is presented
below:

During the past weeks, the 17-month conflict in Syria has escalated to
dangerous proportions. Caught in the crossfire of this growing conflict are
the innocent citizens of Syria, among them the large Armenian community.

The presence of Armenians in Syria dates back many centuries, and
throughout that time, the community has had an important role in the
Armenian Diaspora reality. Especially after the Armenian Genocide, the
growing Armenian community, through its hard
workand
determination has created beneficial situation for nurturing families
and establishing national institutions such as churches and schools, and
preserving our heritage and traditions. Today, due to the current conflict,
the Armenian community is facing a crisis. The Armenian community
organizations in Syria, by adhering to the survivalist spirit of the
Armenian people, have already mobilized to effectively and in an organized
manner cater to the needs of the community.

In light of this mounting humanitarian crisis, Armenians will not remain
indifferent, and will get to work to extend a helping hand and assist the
Syrian-Armenian community.

The Armenian American community of Western United States is equally
concerned with these developments, which impact the entire Armenian nation.
Any harm inflicted upon any member of our dispersed Armenian family equally
impacts the rest of the family be they in Armenia or the Diaspora. With
increased resolve and conviction we must be ready to support the
Syrian-Armenian population, just as we have come to aid of our brethren in
Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon and Iraq, in their time of need.

We call upon the Armenian American community of the Western United States
to facilitate the needs of the Syrian Armenian community and to contribute
for the preservation of the Armenian community. The Syrian Armenian
community has fulfilled its centuries-old mission proudly, and today as it
holds on to its home, the community is aware of its exceptional and unique
role it has had in the Diaspora, which unequivocally needs to be preserved.

We hereby announce the formation of a Joint Committee in Support of the
Syrian Armenian Community.

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Bishop Mikayel Mouradian
Rev. Joe Matossian
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
Armenian General Benevolent Union
Armenian Relief Society
AMAA

August 15, 2012

SLICE OF THE PAST
Dark street
Jaideep Mazumdar | July 28, 2012

Kolkata’s Park Street was once both fun and fashionable. But, as a new
film shows, the good-life street has fallen on bad days.

Kolkata’s Park Street was the first fun street this side of the
Suez. It can boast of many firsts – the subcontinent’s first
departmental store, the first ice-cream parlour, the first soda
fountain, the first restaurants offering live entertainment, all these
and more stood proudly on this street where only the city’s
well-heeled trod. It was, in fact, more than just a street. This was
where Indians got their first taste of fine dining, of cabarets and
can-can dancers and of the good life – but that was till the swinging
sixties. Naxalism, the flight of capital, militant trade unionism and
the migration of many communities like theAnglo-Indians, Parsis, Jews
and Armenians from Kolkata led to the city losing its cosmopolitan
character and dealt a death blow to the good life of Park
Street. Today, despite efforts to revive it, the street is a pale
shadow of its former self. Park Street’s epitaph was written when it
was rechristened ‘Mother Teresa Sarani’ a few years ago.

This state is vividly portrayed in Life In Park Street, which released
last weekend. In this movie starring thespian Soumitra Chatterjee,
Park Street is depicted in a sleazy light and as the fief of an
underworld don. Unfortunately, this isn’t very far from reality. Many
of the restaurants on Park Street where dinner jackets were de rigueur
are, as Olympian Leslie Claudius tells TOI-Crest, “frequented by the
riff-raff and shady people”. “Park Street used to be washed every
morning. Elegant and genteel ladies and gentlemen clad in formals
would get down from their cars to dine and make merry in the
restaurants, ” recalls Deepak Purie of Trincas, one of the oldest
restaurants here and the only one that still has live music and a
crooner.

Foodie and musician Nondon Bagchi remembers the old times: “Usha Uthup
and Biddu Appaya debuted at Trincas and Mary Wilson (Australia’s best
jazz vocalist now) used to perform there. VJ Luke Kenny’s mother used
to perform at Blue Fox where Louis Banks, Pam Crain and Braz Gonsalves
used to set the evenings on fire. Moulin Rouge was the first to fly in
can-can dancers from Europe and hosted the first cabarets”. Mocambo
was independent India’s first nightclub where Pam Crain debuted. “A
German architect designed the interiors and my grandfather got an
Italian chef flown down to design the menu. A British fashion designer
made the costumes for Crain – a gown flared at the bottom that gave
her a mermaid-like look. The dancefloor was reinforced Belgian glass
with coloured lights below, ” says Mocambo owner Siddharth Kothari,
who also owns the iconic Peter Cat and Bar-B-Q restaurants on Park
Street.

Writer Mani Shankar Mukherjee recalls that no company would hold its
board meeting on a Tuesday since Sky Room used to be closed on that
day and it was a ritual for outstation directors to lunch or dine
there! Sky Room would parcel its signature prawn cocktails to Delhi
for Indira Gandhi while Fish Florentines and Chicken Sicillienes from
Mocambo were Nehru’s favourites. Octogenarian Flower Silliman, one of
Kolkata’s few remaining Jews, recalls shopping at Park Street’s Hall &
Anderson, the first departmental store outside Europe. “Park Street
epitomised fine living. People from Bombay, Delhi and even Lahore
would fly in to Calcutta to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve at
Park Street’s restaurants which would have special dinners and balls
on these occasions, ” she recalls.

A group of activists under the banner of Society for Park Street
Rejuvenation has been striving to restore the street’s lost glory, but
it has been a largely disappointing exercise. Apart from restoring a
couple of mansions and holding a Park Street carnival during the
Christmas-New Year’s week, the society has been able to do little
else, primarily because it has taken on an impossible task. “The
character of Park Street has changed and I doubt if we can recreate
the past, ” says historian Barun De, who used to live in a mansion on
Park Street. In Life In Park Street, Soumitra Chatterjee, disgusted by
its degeneration, vows never to return to Park Street. Flower
Silliman, too, doesn’t go there anymore, and nor do many of Kolkata’s
swish set for whom Park Street was a prime evening destination. It is
just another thoroughfare now.

MICHAEL STEPHEN

Syrian-Armenians Accuse Reporters in Armenia for Making Unfounded Statements

hetq
11:43, August 16, 2012

A group of Syrian-Armenians who have recently arrived in Armenia have
taken the local press to task for making unwanted and unfounded
remarks about the situation of the Armenian community in Syria. What
follows is their statement.

A reporter from Armenia, who had recently visited Haleb, , organized a
press conference upon returning to Yerevan and had the gall to make a
series of general statements regarding the issues confronting the
Armenian community in Aleppo.

According to the reporter, Syrian Armenians `are hostages to the
so-called national community leadership’ and that `those leaders do
not allow the community to develop by taking logical decisions’ and
that it’s a result of ignorance or a planned conspiracy.

At this crucial time, such attempts to drive a wedge between Armenia,
the Syrian-Armenian community and the leaders of Syrian-Armenian
organizations can’t be regarded as sincere by us Syrian-Armenians.

Those who have spoken out regarding the attitudes of the
Syrian-Armenians include Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of
Cilicia, Armenia’s Ambassador to Syria Levon Sargsyan and ARF Bureau
member Hrand Margaryan.

They have stressed on numerous occasions that the Syrian-Armenian
community has no intention of leaving Syria.

These are individuals who are intimately acquainted with the
Syrian-Armenian community and not those who have visited for a few
days.

The stance of the RA Minister for the Diaspora, shaped through daily
telephone conversations, meetings and consultations with appropriate
individuals, expresses the attitude of the vast majority of
Syrian-Armenians.

We, a group of Syrian-Armenian youth now in Armenia, can confirm that
it’s impossible to speak in generalities culled from a few days’
experience on the ground.

There are no anti-Armenian tendencies in Syria and no violence
directed towards the Armenian community.

The community now has its joint coordinating committee, comprised of
the three spiritual dioceses and representatives of the political
parties and unions.

We can proudly say that the community has never been more united and,
during this difficult time, the coordinating committee is confronting
all challenges confronting the community.

We find it intolerable and painful for any one individual to speak on
behalf of the community or attempt to hurl accusations against the
community leadership, political parties, or other responsible
individuals.

Armenian authorities’ true demeanor toward the diaspora – newspaper

August 16, 2012 | 07:05

YEREVAN. – `Our correspondent, who, together with [Armenia’s Diaspora
Minister] Hranush Hakobyan, visited Hankavan [city’s] Hasmik and
Tsaghkadzor [city’s] sport complex, was shocked by the contrast eye
witnessed in these two places,’ Hraparak daily writes and continues:

`In the first, there were Syrian-Armenian children, [who] survived the
war [in Syria] and returned to the Motherland. In the second, [there
were] the well-known [young] `Falcons,’ [who are] pampered by the
authorities, [and are] always in elite camps.

It would seem the state should first have cared for the
Diaspora-Armenian children, many of whom are in Armenia for the first
time. And this is a good opportunity for the Motherland to leave a
good impression and be very hospitable before their eyes.

Yet the object of our state’s special care is not them, but rather the
elite `birds,’ who render very important services during elections.
They need to live under special conditions, in expensive recreation
homes, at the very least.

That’s all right that the children who arrived from the diaspora will
be placed in camps that are virtually non-renovated since [the] Soviet
[era].

In reality, this is a demeanor toward the [Armenian] diaspora, whom
our state sees as a milking cow and remembers when the time comes for
the all-Armenian begging. And the [Diaspora Ministry’s] `Come Home’
Program] is nothing but an action thought up by Ms. Hranush and
secures her employment.’

ARMENIE
Après un puissant séisme, les habitants du sud du pays ne peuvent plus
dormir chez eux

Après un puissant séisme dans le nord-ouest de l’Iran, qui a tué au
moins 250 personnes, les habitants d’un village arménien proche de la
frontière iranienne n’ont pas dormi chez eux pendant quatre jours. La
plupart des habitants ont dormi dans leurs lits hors de la maison,
dans la cour. Certains ont dormi dans les voitures ces quatre
dernières nuits. Ils se sont plaints mercredi qu’aucun fonctionnaire
de l’administration provinciale de Syunik n’ait visité la communauté
pour le moment.

L’épicentre du tremblement de terre était situé à moins de 70
kilomètres de la frontière arméno-iranienne. Les secousses ont été
ressenties dans une grande partie de l’Arménie et surtout dans la
province du Syunik. Des maisons ont été endommagées dans plusieurs
villes de province et dans les villages proche de l’Araxe. Les dégts
étaient visibles dans le village de Varhavar. La maison appartenant à
un homme gé, Sokrat Arakelian, a apparemment été le plus durement
touchée. Arakelian a dit qu’il était allongé sur un canapé quand son
mur frontal s’est émietté après la première secousse. Il s’est
précipité hors de la maison et n’y est pas retourné depuis.

« Que dois-je faire de ma maison endommagée ? », a-t-il déclaré à RFE
/ RL service (Azatutyun.am).« J’ai 73 ans. Comment puis-je vivre dans
cette maison ? »

S. Arakelian et la plupart des autres villageois ont encore trop peur
de rester dans leurs maisons, craignant qu’un autre séisme ne
démolissent leurs maisons. « Nous craignons le pire à chaque instant,
dit une femme. Notre maison tremblait [pendant le séisme.] »

« Seul notre maire du village tente de prendre soin de nous », a
déclaré une dame. Le gouvernement arménien n’a pas encore fourni
d’assistance à ces habitants.

jeudi 16 août 2012,
Laetitia ©armenews.com

Trend, Azerbaijan
Aug 15 2012

Azerbaijan’s ruling party: Turkey can seriously affect processes in region

Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 15 / Trend E.Mehdiyev /

Turkey is an influential state of the region and can affect the
processes occurring there. From this perspective, visit of the U.S.
Secretary of State to Turkey and the discussions held during the visit
are in the spotlight. This visit confirms the growing influence of
Turkey in the region, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan party, MP Mubariz Gurbanli told the party’s official
website.

Turkey has influence in the South Caucasus as well, Gurbanli said.

“The South Caucasus is one of the most sensitive regions of the world
from the geopolitical and geo-economic points of view,” Gurbanli said.

According to the MP, from this point of view Turkey’s initiatives to
resolve conflicts in the region are commendable.

Regional conflicts, including the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, impede the implementation of important projects
throughout the region, deputy executive secretary of the NAP noted.

Gurbanli said the world is undergoing great changes, and today leading
place in the world is taken not by military force, not the number of
troops, but new technology, science and economic power of states.

“The economic projects play a special role in the growth of economic
potential. But this is prevented by conflicts. Therefore, the world
countries are interested in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
>From this perspective, Turkey’s initiatives are very valuable.
Azerbaijan and Turkey are strategic allies, friendly and brotherly
countries. And as a brotherly country Turkey supports a fair position
of Azerbaijan in the conflict resolution process. From the perspective
of the state model, Turkey plays an important role in the Islamic
world,” the MP said.

He said Azerbaijan is a secular state is also an attractive country in
terms of economic and political model.

“With Turkey we have more common interests than with other countries.
Periodically speaking with such initiatives, Turkey wants to turn the
Caucasus into a region of peace and stability, tries to achieve
economic union of regional states. Karabakh problem prevents it. It
should be noted that this conflict harms all the regional states.
Armenia no longer represents a value for Russia in the South Caucasus
as before, because Turkey, as a strong state in the region, increases
the pressure on the processes. Therefore, Turkey’s initiatives to
address Karabakh problem are very valuable and commendable,” Gurbanli
stressed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. – are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 15 2012

Armenian opposition activists accused of street crime

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK

Civil activity doesn’t calm down in Armenia despite the political
“holiday” season. Numerous protests are aimed at the conservation of
the environment, against illegal construction in green areas, against
the promotion of violence on Armenian TV. The central even was
movement for freedom of four young opposition activists of the
Armenian National Congress (ANC) condemned of street crimes for
various terms.

The persuasion began a year ago after the clash between `red burettes’
and seven ANC activists in the center of Yerevan. A criminal case was
initiated. The court freed from the charge three young people.

According to the police, the clash took place after policemen remarked
on disturbance of public peace by one of citizens. At that moment a
group of young people came and interfere with the police work and
insulted the police officers.

The opposition stated that the police activities towards members of
ANC were provocative. ANC accused the police of violence against its
activists and demanded their immediate freedom.

This summer the legal proceeding began. On July 20 the court of
Yerevan communities Center and Nork-Marash sent Tigran Arakelyan to 6
years in prison, Artak Karapetyan to 3 years in prison, David
Kiramijyan and Sarkis Gevorkyan to 2 years in prison for `resistance
to an officer using violence or threats of violence’ and for `street
crime.’

The lawyer of the condemned stated that he would appeal to the Court
of Appeal. The legal procedure was followed by the opposition and
human rights defenders. The verdict caused heavy dissatisfaction of
society.

The member of the executive council of the party Heritage, Stepan
Safaryan, believes that the very strict and inadequate punishment of
ANC activists proves that political background lies on the basement of
the court decision.

The same opinion is shared by the head of Vanadzor office of Helsinki
Civil Assembly, Artur Sakunts: `Regarding the opposition activists,
they are politically persuaded. The police officers who got known that
the participants of the incident were ANC members began to act
aggressively. It confirms political character of the charge.’

According to the head of the Law and Liberty Center, Vardan
Arutyunyan, the young people were sent to prison without proving their
guilty in court. `Such a charge to the opposition members confirms
once again that violence and political persuasion which followed the
presidential election of 2008 have not stopped; and ahead of the next
presidential elections they have gained new forms,’ Arutyunyan
believes.

Representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia deny
political background in this issue. The Minister of Justice of
Armenia, Graijr Tovmasyan, refused to comment the verdict to the ANC
activists: `The judge heads the court, not me. My response can be
considered pressure on the court.’ .

Gyumri’s Mher Lazarian museum director charged with bribery (video)

18:04 – 15.08.12

Director of Mher Lazarian museum of Armenia’s second largest city of
Gyumri Shoghik Melkonyan has been charged with bribery.

On May 6, 2012, the day of parliamentary elections in Armenia,
Melkonyan was distributing bribes amounting to 5,000 drams to the
Gyumri residents for them to vote for the Republican party.

Gyumri GALA TV has fixed the moment and showed it on TV. On the basis
of the collected proofs Melkonyan has been charged under Article 1542,
Part 2 of Armenia’s Criminal code.

The criminal case has been sent to Shirak province’s first instance court.

TBILISI DECLARATION

15-08-2012 11:23:32 | Georgia | Politics

On August 11-12, 2012, the representatives of the European Movements
of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, together with the European
Movement International, met in Tbilisi, Georgia. After having jointly
analysed the situation of the South Caucasus region and the ways in
which the prevalent conflicts, especially Nagorno Karabakh, negatively
affect its populations and states, they have agreed to work together
towards a shared vision of their common future.

The organisations of the European Movement in Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia reaffirm their belief that the peaceful resolution of such
conflicts is the only acceptable path and thus call on the authorities
to put all the necessary efforts into peace building. They recognise
the economic, social and political problems caused by the existing
conflicts on every side of the dividing lines, and the need for all
sides to withdraw from the current rhetoric that leads to hatred; and
are firmly convinced that the peaceful resolution of the conflicts
would contribute in tackling the current democratic shortcomings and
improve the situation of human rights in the entire region.

The European Movement has peace at the core of its founding values and
objectives. Although it recognizes its limitations as a civil society
actor, it is also willing to live up to its responsibilities towards
the development of an ever united Europe, based on the fundamental
principles of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Therefore, because the South Caucasus states are an integral part of
Europe, the European Movements in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
with the support of the European Movement International, have agreed
to:

ï – place peace in the region as the main priority for their work in
favour of the European integration of their countries;
ï – develop together a shared vision for the future of the region in the
European context;
ï – work on concrete confidence building measures, involving citizens
and civil society organisations of the region.

More specifically, the organisations of the European Movement have
agreed to continue this dialogue with a follow up meeting in Baku,
Azerbaijan, this upcoming November. They have also agreed to jointly
promote people-to-people exchange, thus contributing to a better
mutual understanding. Last but not least, the European Movement
organisations of the South Caucasus have decided to jointly develop
projects aimed at promoting friendship and peace in the region, such
as an internet-based video channel called `Peace TV,’ a joint
electronic newsletter and visually impacting actions which cross the
border lines.

The European Movement understands the complexity and sensitivity of
the existing conflicts, and is aware of the difficulties and obstacles
that it will face in the journey that it will now initiate. At the
same time, the European Movement’s organisations in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia believe that standing and working together is
the best way to face these obstacles and the approach most likely to
be successful; they invite all interested EMI Members to support their
efforts, and to exert pressure over the EU institutions to show deeper
commitment and engage more decisively in the peaceful resolution of
the conflicts.

Tbilisi, 12 August 2012

– Politics
News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan

Paper: Armenian Urban Development Minister unable to sack employees

August 15, 2012 – 14:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – According to Hraparak paper, Minister of Urban
Development Samvel Tadevosyan has been instructed by Armenian
President to prevent corruption risks.

Corruption is mainly a crucial problem in the ministry’s Urban
Development Inspectorate, headed by Sevada Hayrapetyan, the latter
backed by President Sargsyan himself.

This time, too, Mr. Hayrapetyan managed to avoid possible dismissal,
with less than a year left until his retirement, the paper said.