Author: Karapetian Hovik

COMMEMORATION CEREMONIES ON 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN IRAN

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 26, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: The series of commemoration ceremonies,
dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, started
April 23 at Tehran Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. An
official from the press and information department of RA Foreign
Affairs Ministry told Armenpress that a requiem was served in the
evening April 23 near the cross-stone, dedicated to the victims of the
Armenian Genocide of 1915. The officiating priest was Archbishop Sepuh
Sargsyan, leader of Tehran Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Representatives of the Armenian community of Tehran, members of more
than 40 unions and some other organizations attached to the unions, as
well as Gevorg Vardanyan, Armenian deputy of the Iranian Parliament,
Grigor Arakelyan, RA ambassador to Iran, partook in the ceremony of
putting a wreath on the monument, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide.

The Holy Liturgy was chanted the next day at St. Sargis Armenian Church
in Tehran. A protest rally-meeting of Tehran Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church .was held after the liturgy. The main ceremony took
place April 24 at ‘Ararat’ sports complex in Tehran, at which RA
Ambassador to Iran Grigor Arakelyan addressed a speech and expressed
his gratitude to all the states recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

"THE TWO SIDES NEED TO MAKE THE LAST PUSH"

news.az
April 26 2010
Azerbaijan

Dennis Sammut News.Az interviews Dennis Sammut, Executive Director
of LINKS.

Can you comment on the decision of the Armenian President to freeze
the dialogue with Turkey?

This decision was regrettable but not unexpected. Both Armenia and
Turkey have found it more difficult to finish the process that they
started in 2008 than they had originally expected. However the work
done in the last two years should not be considered wasted.

Do you see any prospects of normalization of relations between Turkey
and Armenia?

I speak regularly to diplomats and officials of both countries and
I am convinced that both sides remain committed to this process.

Obviously if there is progress in the negotiations over Karabakh
between Armenia and Azerbaijan the chances are that the Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation process will move much faster. I believe it is in
everybody’s interest that this should happen

Does the decision of President Sargsyan mean that Turkey’s peacemaking
activity in the South Caucasus has reached a deadlock?

Turkey is an important player in the region. The commitment that has
been shown by the Turkish government in the last two years to build
peace and co-operation in the South Caucasus is very commendable.

However Turkey has a history in the region also and this means that
Turkey needs to work with other international partners if it wants
to succeed. I think the Turkish government understands this very well.

The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia before their expected
meeting on 9th May in Moscow have in recent days exchanged again
tough statements on the Karabagh problem, showing no willingness for
compromise. Can we talk about possibility of progress soon in the
settlement process?

Of course it is very unfortunate that the two presidents still find it
necessary to use this language in their public pronouncements. It shows
the level of distrust that still exists between the two countries and
the amount of work that still needs to be done. A peaceful settlement
of the Karabakh conflict is within reach. Yet this cannot happen on
its own. The two sides need to make the last push. It is not possible
for the international community to take them where they do not want
to go. This will be counterproductive.

The President of Azerbaijan has held a meeting in the Ministry of
Defense during which he said that the Azerbaijani army is able at
any moment to liberate the occupied lands. What are possibilities of
a new war in the region?

In the current conditions war remains a possibility, and we cannot
exclude it. A War can start because somebody consciously starts it. I
do not think that the governments of either Armenia or Azerbaijan
want to start a war. However sometimes wars start as a result of an
incident, or through misperception. This can happen in the case of
Karabakh very easily because we have a very delicate situation on
the cease fire line, and because the level of confidence between the
sides is very low.

I want also to make a comment about what such a war will mean. The
Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan, General Safir Abayev last week
announced that Azerbaijan now has the capability of hitting targets
in any part of Armenia. I believe him. I also think that Armenia
has a similar capability of hitting targets in Azerbaijan. A future
conflict on Karabakh will be very different from that of 1990-94. The
conflict will affect all the territory of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Let
us not forget what happened in Georgia in 2008. The conflict was not
only in Tskhinvali. In hours it spread to Tbilisi, Gori, Poti, Senaki
and many other places. This is the nightmare scenario we are facing
in the South Caucasus, which is why everybody must work seriously to
avoid this scenario at all costs

Does the LINKS have any plans to restore a dialogue between Azerbaijani
and Armenian parliamentarians?

We successfully facilitated this dialogue between 2002-2008 in the
framework of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative. It was
an important confidence building measure for the whole region. Last
year we were in contact with the two sides but it was not possible
to have a meeting. We work on the basis of consensus so all sides
need to be ready. LINKS remains committed to help with this process
if all sides agree. In the meantime we are exploring other ways in
which the political dialogue in the region can continue.

Interview:
On a Mission to Expose Police Corruption in Armenia

Ianyan Magazine

By Liana Aghajanian on April 21st, 2010

By now thousands have watched the impromptu video shot by a Diasporan
Armenian when Armenian Police stopped him and the dramatic encounter
that followed.

After being falsely pulled over for speeding a few months ago and
being harassed and kicked in the legs by a police officer, Dro, who is
going by his first name for the purposes of this report, has been
carrying a video camera with him when driving in order to protect
himself from police officers who think they can bribe him, he
said. His intention of filming was also to show local Armenians that
they can stand up to police and demand their rights.

While corruption in Armenia is a significant problem, with
Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Report ranking the
landlocked region 109 out of 180 countries on its list, road traffic
and driver license corruption falls under that cloud.

A 2007 Global Integrity Report written by journalist Seda Muradyan
explored this issue. `Experts blame the country’s penchant for
corruption, rooted in Soviet times, which expanded into independent
Armenia,’ the report said. `The non-transparent work of the police
also plays a role.’ `Corruption in the road traffic field is
conditioned by lack of transparency … there are numerous reasons
… the laws include discriminatory provisions, violations of human
rights; this also provides the basis for corruption risks,’
Hovhanisian said. `The laws contain ambiguous or unclear definitions,
which enable the inspectors to interpret the laws at their discretion,
which results in the conflict of interests and corruption risks.’

A 2005 report by Anna Saghabalian on armtown.com revealed that bribing
Armenia’s traffic police is a regular, ordinary custom.

`A typical kickback for avoiding legal punishment for an alleged or
proven violation of traffic rules is 1000 drams (just over
$2). Officers patrolling streets or highways are allegedly obliged
transfer a large part of that money to their superiors. Another source
of illegal payments is `technical inspections’ which each of an
estimated 250,000 cars registered in Armenia must undergo once a
year.’

Recently, President Serge Sargsyan demanded a tougher crackdown on
government on corruption, as corruption-related prosecutions saw a 40
percent surge in Armenia, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Born in Iran and raised in America, Dro moved to Armenia one year ago
because he feels that it is his country.

`I see no point of living in a foreign country now that we have an
independent country and specially if one is able to find a job here,
have a successful business or live on previous investments or
retirement money,’ he said in an email interview. He took some time
out to answer a few questions below.

Q. What prompted you to video tape the two policemen who stopped you?

A. Armenia’s traffic police department has a horrific history of
stopping cars for false or no reason in order to obtain a quick
bribe. Armenia’s drivers who mostly either don’t know their rights nor
the driving rules because they have illegally bought their licenses
rather than passing tests, are quick to give bribes. Although the
situation with falsely pulling over drivers has much improved in the
last couple of years, old habits do still existent in today’s police
force.

Q. Why did they stop you, and why do you think they stopped you?

A. I think they profiled me for having a new pickup truck and a new a
license plate number, assuming I’ll have money to spare them instead
of demanding my rights and honesty.

Q. What is the police force like in Armenia? What is your general
opinion of them?

A. I have to admit that in the past year or two, the level of traffic
police work has been much improved in Armenia and it’s clearly
noticeable in the lawful and organized driving in Yerevan. I wouldn’t
dare drive in Yerevan a few years ago and you’d rarely see women
drivers back then, because driving was lawless and chaotic. Today the
situation is much different and in fact for the first time ever in
Armenia, cars are now forced to stop for pedestrians crossing the
intersection. However, there is still a lot of work left in order to
get most of the police force to work correctly and ethically.

There is also a big problem with some of the current traffic laws in
Armenia which are intended for the police to apply the law in order to
make money, instead of the law having an importance for safety or
orderly driving. For example the most ridiculous law recently passed
in Armenia which forbids drivers from smoking in cars, while of course
smoking is allowed in restaurants, offices, some hospitals and no laws
exist against underage smoking. In essence this new law is there for
the police to make more money by either writing a ticket or taking a
bribe, rather than for any health or safety reasons.

Q. Were you ever afraid while you were doing it? There was one point
where you got out of the car, which as I’m sure you know in the
U.S. you can’t really do if a policeman/policewoman stops you – how
come you did that and how did you feel?

A. I usually get out of the car in order to watch the video of the
incident in the police car. I’m not afraid of being taken into custody
or them using physical force. The only thing I fear and am careful of
is that they don’t go crazy and draw a gun.

Q. Was this your first run-in with the police in Armenia?

A. I’ve been coming to Armenia since 2000 and on my first experience
being in a car in Armenia as a passenger coming out of the airport, I
remember being pulled over for no reason. The airport used to be a
favorite place for the police to pull over drivers with passengers,
because those who flew indicated that they had money. Even back then
as a passenger I would always warn my drivers ahead of time that I
will not allow them to give a bribe and would usually do the arguing
with the police until we were let go. Writing a ticket was almost
unheard of a few years ago, you either paid a bribe or argued your way
out.

Q. Why do you think it’s important for others (including the Diaspora)
to see this?

A. It’s especially important for Diasporans who will be visiting
Armenia to put aside the notion that `when in Rome do as the Romans
do’. Diaspora Armenians that visit Armenia have a unique opportunity
to help improve this country by demanding the same type of treatment
and legal rights they have in Western countries, from Armenia. The
best way we can improve this country is to help bring its standards up
to the levels we’re used to in America or Europe.

Watch the video, `Armenia, Yerevan’s Corrupt Police Terror Continues.’

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RA President commemorates Armenian Genocide

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, National
Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, National Security Council Arthur
Baghdasaryan, Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Harutyunyan,
government members, leaders of political parties, scientific and
cultural workers laid flowers to the Armenian Genocide Memorial today,
April 24. His Holiness Karekin II offered a prayer in commemoration
for the Genocide victims. Torchlight procession started in Yerevan

Trend, Azerbaijan
April 24 2010

Azerbaijani MP: Armenia not to achieve any result with pressure on Turkey
24.04.2010 15:22
Azerbaijan, Baku, April 23 /Trend, M.Aliyev/

Freezing the Zurich protocols once again demonstrated the real essence
of both Serzh Sargisyan and Armenia as a state, said Ganira Pashayeva,
a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE). Armenia itself knows that the
establishment of peace and stability in this region passes through the
liberation of Armenian-occupied territories. The main desire of
Armenia is that the United States and the EU countries strengthen
pressure on Turkey. I think that the Armenians will not achieve their
goals, and without solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey will
never start discussing the protocols signed with Armenia and will
continue keeping the borders closed," the member of Azerbaijani
delegation to PACE, MP Ganira Pashayeva told Trend on April 23.

According to Pashayeva, Armenia and its patrons will not be able get
results with any pressure on Turkey. "Armenia has demonstrated its
essence, which shows how it is sincere in restoring peace and
stability, partnership in the region. I expect that Turkey will
accelerate its efforts to bring to the world the true face of
Armenia," the MP said.

According to Pashayeva, the guilty for the tense situation in the
region is Armenia.

"Azerbaijan will continue its fair position as before. Unless Armenia
withdraws from the occupied territories, there will be no partnership
with it in the region. Armenia will not participate in any project
where Azerbaijan plays a major role. Turkey has also demonstrated its
position that the borders closed because of the occupation of
Azerbaijani lands will not be opened until the Azerbaijani lands are
liberated from occupation. Azerbaijan and Turkey will continue their
fair position in the future as well," she said.

According to Pashayeva, the international organizations, OSCE and
large forces must demonstrate their attitude towards this step of
Armenia.

"Because with this step, Armenia demonstrated how it is interested in
establishing peace and stability in the region. Now the main issue
facing international organizations is to exert pressure on Armenia to
withdraw from the Azerbaijani lands," said Pashayeva.

95 arbres plantés dans ` le Parc de la Mémoire ‘ de Tsitsernakaberd

ARMENIE

dimanche25 avril 2010, par Stéphane/armenews

Dans le cadre de la Campagne de Génération Verte de la Fondation pour
la Conservation de la Faune et de la flore et des actifs culturels
(FPWC) s’est tenu une cérémonie solennel de plantation dans le parc
près du Mémorial du Génocide Tsitsernakaberd. Pendant la cérémonie 95
arbres ont été plantés pour la mémoire et la paix.

Les jeunes plants d’arbre ont été apportés d’Arménie Occidentale. Le
voyage des arbres de l’Arménie Occidental à l’Arménie Orientale
symbolise la détermination du peuple arménien à s’enraciner sur le sol
de leur pays mère et de n’épargner aucun effort pour un meilleur
avenir pour les prochaines générations. Une plaque spéciale de ` Parc
de la Mémoire ‘ a été placée après la plantation.

Le directeur général de VivaCell-MTS Ralph Yirikian, Ruben
Khachatryan, le Directeur de FPWC et M. Haik Demoyan, le Directeur de
l’Institut-musée du Génocide arménien ont livré des discours pendant
la cérémonie.

L’événement à Tsitsernakaberd a été suivi par les ambassadeurs de pays
étrangers, les représentants d’organisations internationales, des
sociétés et des organisations non gouvernementales.

Ruben Khachatryan, le Directeur de FPWC a salué les invités et a
souligné que les 95 arbres forment un pont vert vivant entre l’Arménie
historique Occidentale où tant d’arménien ont péri durant le Génocide,
la République d’Arménie et la Diaspora arménienne.

` Tsitsernakeberd est une sainte place où nous les arméniens nous
rappellons nos racines, mais c’est aussi une place où nous pouvons
soutenir nos énergies pour nous renforcer pour faire face à nos
tches. Pour garantir cela nous voulons contribuer à la qualité
environnementale du secteur soutenant le Musée pour créer ici un
espace unique qui offre à tous les visiteurs la possibilité
d’apprendre, se rappeler et développer des visions pour l’avenir de
notre nation ‘ a-t-il dit.

À l’occasion de 95ème commémoration du Génocide arménien, FPWC a
appelé non seulement à enrichir le secteur vert autour du mémorial
mais aussi à contribuer à l’enrichissement scientifique du génocide
arménien.

Los Angeles Times
April 25 2010

Armenians join together again to remember genocide of 1915
Across the Southland, families march, pause and pray for relatives
lost 95 years ago.

By Esmeralda Bermudez, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

There will come a day, some said, when Armenians won’t need to take to
the streets in protest, and they will simply honor slain ancestors
with peaceful lament.

But that day didn’t appear any closer Saturday, as Armenians gathered
worldwide to commemorate the Armenian genocide of 1915, which claimed
the lives of about 1.2 million Armenians under Ottoman-ruled Turkey.

In Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, hundreds of thousands laid flowers at a
monument to the victims, while across Southern California, Armenian
families marched, prayed and paused to remember lost
great-grandparents, great-grand-uncles and great-grand-aunts –loved
ones who were deported, starved, arrested and executed almost 100
years ago.

The Turkish government does not recognize the genocide, and a
long-debated resolution that would call for the United States to
officially acknowledge the killings faces opposition in Congress.

But the battle did not dissuade Armenians from pushing for recognition Saturday.

In the desert outside Lancaster, a group of Armenian youths braved the
afternoon heat and walked 15 miles to pay tribute to ancestors who
died in the Syrian desert.

In Glendale, youths organized a 30-hour fast, while in the San
Fernando Valley, a bike-a-thon was planned. An annual march in Little
Armenia also took place, along with a protest outside the Turkish
Consulate in Los Angeles.

Caravans of cars draped in Armenia’s red, blue and orange flag could
been seen outside the Armenian Martyrs Memorial Monument in
Montebello, where several thousand people lined up to place red and
white carnations at the foot of the stone tower.

Ara Kassabian, 44, of Glendale walked alone with a mix of sadness and
anger as he placed his bouquet on the bed of flowers. He lost a number
of great-aunts and great-uncles in the massacre.

"I come to show my presence," Kassabian said. "To show that this will
never be forgotten or swept under the rug."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with a host of other
politicians, took turns on the microphone to show their support for
Armenians.

"Yes, it’s true that Turkey should acknowledge the genocide,"
Villaraigosa said to those gathered in Montebello.

"But so should the United States of America."

Many Armenians were once again disappointed with President Obama for
refusing for the second year in a row to declare the mass killings a
genocide in his annual statement. He called the event "a devastating
chapter" and "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century."

But the U.S. administration depends on its connection to Turkey.
Straining those relations could put U.S. supply routes to Iraq and
Afghanistan at risk and complicate other issues, such as Middle East
peace initiatives and relations with Iran.

Among a group of young Armenian boys gathered at the memorial, what
mattered most was not politics, but holding on to their sense of
identity.

"We will learn our history, we will speak our language, we will be
Armenian," said Eddie Hovannisian, 14. "Our generation will be here to
tell others."

a-me-armenian-2010-apr25,0,7569971.story

NEWS JUNKIE POST
April 24 2010

Armenian Genocide: 95 Years Later, It Must Be Recognized

By Gilbert Mercier
NEWS JUNKIE POST

Today, on the 95TH anniversary of the genocide perpetrated against the
Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire, tens of thousands of people
gathered in the Armenian capital Yerevan. There were also
commemorations worldwide, including in Beirut, France and the United
States. In Istanbul, human rights activists organized a rally at
Haydarsa train station where the first convoy of deported Armenians
left on 24, April 1915.

Protesters in Yerevan chanted `recognize’ and carried Armenian flags
alongside flags of nations who have recognized the massacre as
genocide including Canada, France, Poland and Switzerland.

`We thank all of those who in many countries of the world, including
Turkey, understand the importance of preventing crimes against
humanity and who stand with us in this struggle. This process has an
irreversible momentum which has no alternative,’ said Armenia’s
President Serzh Sarkisian.

Countries such as Canada, Argentina, France, Greece, Russia, Poland
and Switzerland, where the survivors of the Armenian genocide and
their descendants live, have officially recognized the Armenian
genocide. However, the present day Republic of Turkey still adamantly
denies that a genocide was committed against the Armenians during
World War I.

Further, and for geopolitical reasons, the United States has never
labeled the atrocities committed by Turkey a genocide. Turkey is
considered by Washington to be a key partner in NATO. While candidate
Obama made numerous promises to call the massacre a genocide,
President Obama failed again to do so today. The President
commemorated Armenian Remembrance Day, and called the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians `one of the worst atrocities’ of the 20TH century
and `a devastating chapter in history’, but he did not call it a
genocide.

`It is a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people,
and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those who were murdered,
and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past,’ said
President Obama.

A Brief History Of The Armenian Genocide

On the night of April, 24 1915 the Ottoman Empire government placed
under arrest 200 leaders of the Armenian community in Constantinople,
hundreds more were arrested soon after. All of them were sent to
prison in Anatolia and were summarily executed. The Ottoman Empire had
been planning the Armenian genocide for a while, and reports of
atrocities committed against Armenians had been filtering in during
the first months of 1915.

The Ottoman Empire’s army had acted ahead of time on the government’s
plan by disarming the Armenian recruits, and by reducing them to labor
battalions and working them under conditions similar to slavery. These
acts were committed by the Ottoman Empire under the cover of a news
blackout on account of World War I.

Part of the international community condemned the Armenian genocide
from the start. In May 1915, France, Great Britain and Russia advised
the Ottoman Empire leadership that they would be held personally
accountable for crimes against humanity. But despite the moral outrage
of part of the international community, no strong actions were taken
after the end of World War I against the Ottoman Empire, either to
sanction its brutal policies or to salvage the Armenian people still
alive from extermination. The genocide went on until 1923, and no
sanctions were ever taken against the post war Turkish governments to
recognize the crimes of the Ottoman Empire, and make restitution to
the Armenian people for their incredible losses.

It is estimated that one and half million Armenians died between 1915
and 1923. Right before World War I, there were an estimated two
million Armenians living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire.
Well over one million were deported in 1915. Hundreds of thousands
were slaughtered right away while others were put in concentration
camps and died of starvation, exhaustion and diseases.

The United Nations Convention Charter defines genocide as `acts
committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnic, racial or religious group’. This definition clearly applies in
the case of the atrocities committed against the Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire, and should be recognized as such by the United States
and Turkey. In Germany, it is a crime to deny the Holocaust. The same
rule should apply in Turkey regarding the Armenian Genocide.

menian-genocide-95-years-later-it-must-be-recogniz ed/

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 25 2010

Turkish foreign minister: Mr. Obama’s statement is not acceptable

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu said on Saturday that the
statement of US President Barack Obama about 1915 incidents was not
right and acceptable.

Obama described the incidents of 1915 as a "great tragedy" in a
presidential statement he released on April 24. He said what happened
in 1915 was "one of the worst atrocities" of the 20th century.

DavutoÄ?lu told the Anatolia news agency that Turkey was against
judging the history with political motives. He added that the history
could only be researched by historians, and such historical incidents
should be discussed only by the countries which were directly related
with the issue.

DavutoÄ?lu said that neither executive bodies nor parliaments could
make such historical judgements, and this was unacceptable. He added
that the efforts to perceive the history in a one-sided aspect caused
an injustice.

Releasing a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry also said, "we deeply
regret this statement which reflects an incorrect and one-sided
political perception."

25 April 2010, Sunday
THE ANATOLIA NEWS AGENCY Ä°STANBUL

ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS CALL CHINA TO RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE

news.am
April 23 2010
Armenia

A group of Armenian art workers and scientists addressed Chinese
Government urging to recognize Armenian Genocide, committed in Ottoman
Empire in 1915. "We urge our friendly Chinese nation to join the world
community with its powerful voice to recognize Armenian Genocide,
denounce the interethnic hatred, national discrimination and all
the feelings of hostility for a tragedy not to be reiterated in the
history of mankind," the letter reads.

The document was signed by Tigran Khzmalyan, Levon Abrahamyan, Zaruhi
Muradyan, Hranush Kharatyan, Levon Chugazyan, Ashot Adamyan and others.

April 24, at 12:15 p.m. Tigran Kzmalyan will hand in the letter to
Chinese Embassy.