Author: Khoyetsian Rose

The Advertiser, Australia
March 22, 2006 Wednesday
State Edition

The Games 350kg But gold-winning Alexsan wanted more;
He’s not heavy – he’s my son

by MICHAEL HORAN

Weightlifting

AN angry Alexsan Karapetyan crushed his opposition to win Australia
weighlifting gold in the men’s 94kg class yesterday.

Karapetyan was in a class of his own as he lifted a total of 350kg to
defend the Commonwealth Games title he won at Manchester four years
ago.

And Melbourne local hero Simon Heffernan, 31, made it a home-town
quinella when he farewelled inter national competition in theatrical
style to win the silver medal. Scotland’s Thomas Yule took the
bronze.

Karapetyan didn’t appear until every other competitor had made all
three lifts in the snatch section and with his first attempt he
raised 155kg put a five-kilogram space between himself and the field.

The ante was upped by 10kg for the next lift and Karapetyan clearly
wanted more in order to bid to break his own Commonwealth Games
record of 167kg, but coach Luke Borregine argued against it.

The crowd watched a testy exchange between the pair on the two big
screens before a simmering Karapetyan returned to the platform. He
easily lifted the 165kg and then appeared to throw the barbell down
in open disgust.

”I wanted to lift 170kg, I wanted to post a new record. I was a bit
angry, but it is okay. I have forgotten already,” an exuberant
Karapetyan said later.

Karapetyan accepted his gold medal draped in an Australian flag and
holding his two-year-old son Garik in his arms.

”When I came to compete my son said ‘father, I need gold – nothing
else’,” Karapetyan said.

The 35-year-old vowed he would be in New Delhi in four years’ time in
a bid to make it three in a row.

Karapetyan, who competed for Armenia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and
then for Australia in Sydney 2000, cemented the gold medal with his
first lift in the clean and jerk, 185kg before missing twice at
190kg.

Heffernan, who missed Manchester four years ago due to a hernia
operation, wowed the crowd with extroverted behaviour after each
successful lift in the snatch.

He gave the Brett Lee ”chainsaw” after lift one, a windmill and a
Lleyton Hewitt gesture second time around and even threw in a pelvic
thrust much to the delight of the packed house.

Later he vritually conceded it was time to quit.

”I think I’m done. It’s a good time to just finish on a good note,”
Heffernan, a schoolteacher who is due back at work on Monday, said.

Australia’s Deborah Lovely won a gold medal after a tight battle in
the women’s 75kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games in
Melbourne last night.

Lovely was equal with Nauru’s Sheba Deireragea after the snatch, but
outlifted her by 6kg in the clean and jerk to take the title.

Deireragea won silver, with South Africa’s Babalwa Ndleleni taking
bronze.

Lovely won a silver medal in the same event at the Manchester Games
in 2002.

The woman who won gold on that occasion, India’s Pujari Shailaja, had
been the favourite to defend her title here until she was
disqualified from competing after recently testing positive to a
banned drug.

Men’s 94kg

G Aleksan Karapetyan (AUS) 165 185 35

S Simon Heffernan (AUS) 150 178 332

B Thomas Yule (SCO) 151 175 326

Women’s 75kg

G Deborah Lovely (AUS)

S Sheba Deireragea (NAU)

B Babalwa Ndleneni (RSA)

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian Genocide – Horror for All Alive, Piotrovsky Said

23.03.2006 23:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `The entire world must recognize the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915, recognize and condemn the genocide
system that made 20th century notorious, starting from Armenians and
Jews. The world must condemn it together, because the 20th century has
demonstrated that humans are animals, not humans,’ stated Head of the
Russian Hermitage Museum, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy
of Sciences (RAS) Mikhail Piotrovsky on March 23, after ceremony at
the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial of victims of the Armenian Genocide in
Yerevan. He said that the Armenian Genocide is a great tragedy that
everybody must learn from. If people resist, Genocide becomes the
moral victory of victims, as became the Armenian Genocide, said
Piotrovsky.

Today Mikhail Piotrovsky along with his son Boris Piotrovsky and
Director of South Caucasian branch of the Caucasian Institute for
Democracy Development Foundation Armenika Kiviryan visited the
Museum-Institute of the Armenian Genocide. Museum Director Lavrenty
Barseghyan familiarized the guests with the history and facts of that
monstrous crime, as well as presented them with literature on the
subject. In his turn M. Piotrovsky left a record in the Book of
Memory, `Blessed memory to all the victims and those annihilated. It
is a horror for all people alive, it cannot be forgotten or
forgiven. Eternal glory to those, who found strength to resist under
those conditions, their death gives hope.’

“Aztag” Daily Newspaper
P.O. Box 80860, Bourj Hammoud,
Beirut, Lebanon
Fax: +961 1 258529
Phone: +961 1 260115, +961 1 241274
Email: [email protected]

Exploring A Current Event: An Interview with Andrew Goldberg
By Khatchig Mouradian
March 23, 2006

ews.htm

On April 17, 2006, PBS will air a powerful documentary, titled `The Armenian
Genocide,’ which deals with the massacres and deportations of the Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The documentary, written, directed and
produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg, features interviews
with leading genocide scholars and is narrated by Julianna Margulies as well
as Ed Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney and Orlando Bloom, among others.

Filmed in the US, France, Germany, Belgium, Syria, and Turkey, the one-hour
documentary also features discussions with Kurdish and Turkish citizens in
modern-day Turkey.

Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats Productions () has produced and
directed documentaries, news segments and long-form programming for PBS,
NBC, E!, Inside Edition, ABC News and many others. His documentaries include
`Armenians, A Story of Survival’ (2001) and `A Yiddish World Remembered’
(2002).

The following phone interview was conducted on March 10, 2006.

Khatchig Mouradian -Why did you decide to make a documentary on the Armenian
genocide?

Andrew Goldberg- The Armenian Genocide is one of the most underreported
stories of the 20th century. Every time there is an attempt to raise this
issue, there are those who try to stop the discussion. I wanted to get this
important subject discussed. I am glad we succeeded.

KM- The title of the documentary is enough to make the Turkish government
and other genocide deniers try to stop the discussion this time around as
well, even without bothering to see the documentary, isn’t it?

AG- As I have previously stated, I did not use the title `The Armenian
Genocide’ to be provocative. However, if you don’t use the word `genocide,’
you are enabling denial. It’s not that we must use the word `genocide’; it’s
only that we cannot allow people to stop us from using the word. The term
`genocide’ did not exist for years, but the mass killings of the Armenians
were denied back then as well. We could call it anything and the people who
want to stop the truth would still deny it. We are using the term `genocide’
because it’s the only word in the current language to properly describe this
event. The mass murder of the Armenian people has been denied for nearly a
hundred years; I won’t be a part of that denial no matter what.

KM- The documentary also gives an opportunity to deniers of the Armenian
genocide to express their views and tell what they consider to be `the other
side’ of the story. What is your comment on that?

AG- Denial can be looked at, but it must be looked at in a controlled,
quarantined situation. If you quarantine denial, contextualize it, and
explain to people that what they now are seeing is denial, then you are
shielded from the virus of denial and it doesn’t cause damage. While we do
present in the film the points of view of deniers, I wouldn’t call it `the
other side,’ because there is no other side. People do not understand just
how committed the denialists are to distorting the story. People need to
understand the monster. That’s why we chose to show what they had to say.

KM- In the documentary, columnist and retired Turkish diplomat Gunduz Aktan
says, `The Turkish people firmly believe that what happened to the Armenian
people was not genocide.’ Tell us about your impressions of how the Turkish
people approach the Armenian issue.

AG – First of all, they approach it differently on camera than they do off
camera. I’ll give you an example not related to the genocide. If you speak
to the Hamshen, they will say to you, `We are Armenians,’ but when you point
the camera at them, they say `We are Turkish.’ Turkey is not a nation of
free speech, although it may present itself as such. Therefore, there’s a
double dialogue in Turkey. There’s a dialogue that you see presented
publicly, and then there’s a dialogue behind closed doors. There is an
increasing number of people in Turkey who do believe it was genocide;
however, they would not say this publicly.

KM- The main challenge of addressing a historical event by film would be
making it related to the here and now. Was this the case with `The Armenian
genocide’?

AG- I believe that this is an event that started 91 years ago and is not
over. Denial is the final stage of genocide. Therefore, it’s a current
event. Besides, we address many contemporary issues in the film, such as the
recent ruling in Turkey that they would teach the students that there was no
genocide. This is incredible; believing is one thing, but teaching it in the
state curriculum is another thing. We did not take on news issues like Orhan
Pamuk because you don’t know how they are going to turn out and when they
turn out one way or another, the film immediately becomes old. This
documentary is not a news piece; it’s a piece that has to have some
shelf-life. This is more of an issue piece than a news piece.

KM- Tell us a bit of this all-star cast of narrators.

AG- I worked with Aleen Keshishian who is a wonderful and extremely
accomplished Talent Manager in Hollywood. We worked together in picking the
narrators, and every one of them donated their services. Every single one of
them did it for free, because they cared deeply about the cause. We have a
wonderful cast of talented people and we are very proud of them.

KM- What is the message that you want to convey to the public with `The
Armenian genocide’?

AD- What happened to the Armenians is one of the most inhumane acts in the
history of the human race. The victims of that event and their children have
never been acknowledged and affirmed, and it is important that we, as
non-Armenians and Armenians, affirm and acknowledge this tragedy, and send a
clear message to those attempting to deny this tragedy that we will not
allow their position to make progress into this international conversation.

RA NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IS BEING DEVELOPED

ArmRadio
22.03.2006 12:53

The second sitting of the Interstructural Commission coordinating
the activities of development of the draft national security strategy
was held yesterday.

Press Secretary of the Defense Minister Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
MEDIAMAX Agency that the suggestions regarding the “RA national
security interest,” ” Armenia in the international society,” “Bases
of RA National Security” were discussed at the sitting.

The proposals were approved by the Commission. The President of
the Interstructural Commission is the Secretary of the Presidential
Council on National Security, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan.

RHONE PREFECT TO PROHIBIT ACTIONS DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.03.2006 23:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Prefect of the Rhone Jean-Pierre Lacroix announced
Monday that he will prohibit all new gathering of free-Turkish
associations which may result in denial of the Armenian Genocide,
following a demonstration held in Lyon Saturday. Blamed by Armenian
associations of France for not having prohibited this gathering
against the construction of a memorial to the Genocide, which will be
inaugurated on April 24, the prefect of the Rhone asked to understand
“the emotion and the anger of the French of Armenian origin”. “But,
from a legal point of view, we could not prohibit it. At present, we
have evidence and I will prohibit any other gathering of this type”,
he defended himself at a news conference. Previously, at a briefing
organized by Armenian associations, a decision was made to address
Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy so that this type of ashamed
gathering “is not held in our country any more”. “Mr. Sarkozy must
make the step necessary to complete the law of January 2001 on the
recognition by France of the Armenian genocide”, affirmed Martine
David, mayor of Saint-Priest (the Rhone). “The law on recognition of
the Armenian Genocide misses an article necessary for punishing those
who, on our ground, deny the Armenian genocide “, specified a person
in charge of the Coordination Council of the Armenian organizations
of France (CCAF), reports AFP.

March 18, when a wave of rallies shocked France several thousands of
Turks protested in Lyons against the erection of the monument to the
Armenian Genocide victims. They came across French rally participants
at the municipality. Turks attacked the French and the police dispersed
the crowd with tear-gas bombs.

ARMENIA COMMITTEE HAS SEVERAL DAYS OF LIFE

Lragir/am
20 March 06

The opposition alliance 17+1 met on March 20 at the Congress Hotel
of Yerevan for the first time in 2006. The main political forces
of Armenia – the National Democratic Union, the Liberal Progressive
Party of Armenia, Nor Zhamanakner, Hayrenik yev Pativ, Hanrapetutyun –
participated in the rally that lasted for an hour and a half.

After the meeting the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner Party Aram
Karapetyan told our reporter that the main problem is to form a
committee “Hayastan” or a civic action group.

“Seriousness is in two things: is there external influence and
financial means? Even if, God forbid, joint work fails, it will not
be a tragedy. Certain people will start a series of certain actions,
and finally a body will form by all means. It is important that 17+1
is safe and sound.” There are two ways.

Either the political parties form the coordinating body or, if not,
there is a proposal to form the committee by a civil movement.”

The leader of the Hayrenik yev Pativ Party Garnik Margaryan also thinks
that if there is not a visible process, it does not mean that nothing
is being done. A number of questions were solved in daily meetings. “I
am hopeful that the civil movement will form, and the movement will
begin. It is a matter of days, and there are all the preconditions.”

ELEMENT BAND PRESENTS ARMENIAN CD YEV O PHE

Panorama.am
18:16 17/03/06

Band incorporates sounds of Europe and the Mediterranean, while
maintaining purity of original compositions

Titled Yev O Phe, Element Band´s first Armenian CD brings a refreshing
and long-awaited sound to Armenian music by partnering distinct vocals
with colorful, warm and exotic arrangements.

While the sounds of Europe and the Mediterranean come to life through
the use of classical guitar, violin, bass, accordion, bouzouki,
mandolin, and keyboard, Yev O Phe remains free to be distinctively
Armenian.

The band takes great pains to keep the Armenian songs pure, but uses
bold arrangements and genuine sounds of instruments to introduce
exciting twists and compositions of traditional songs.

Element Band first captured the attention of audiences with their
performance at the John Anson Ford Theatre in May 2005, as the opening
act for the French gypsy band Bratsch. They later opened for the
legendary Demis Roussos at the Kodak Theater in November 2005.

Element Band members include Ara Dabandjian (arrangements, keyboards,
classical guitar, accordion, string instruments), Saro Koujakian
(songwriter, vocals and guitar), Gars Sherbetdjian (vocals), Shant
Mahserejian (violin), Jeremy Millado (bass). Yev O Phe

During the Middle Ages, as a result of greater and more enduring
contact between Armenia and the West, the 36-letter Armenian alphabet
incorporated two additional letters, o and phe, to better reproduce
the sounds of European tongues–all the while, needless to say,
remaining utterly Armenian. As a result, the modern Armenian alphabet
can almost perfectly replicate the pronunciations of various languages.
So it is with Element´s Armenian compositions that incorporate the
sounds of Europe and the Mediterranean, while remaining untethered,
simply free… to be Armenian–uniquely.

–Boundary_(ID_4JowMj+YRuGKEa g+T+AVmQ)–

RA FOREIGN MINISTRY GREETS EU AND CE FOR HARMONIZATION OF EFFORTS
FOR PURPOSE OF STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRATIC STABILITY

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. After the March 15 4-sided meeting
within the framework of European Union-Council of Europe dedicated
to the memorandum on mutual understanding between the Council
and Europe and European Union, which is still being worked out,
the executives of these two organizations made conclusions. The
conclusions, in particular, emphasize the necessity of deepening
cooperation with Council of Europe member-states taking part in the
European Neighborhood policy, as well as the importance of regular
consultations between representatives of interested states and CE
and EU.

According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, Armenia came up with such
an initiative some months ago considering that it’ll be necessary
to closely coordinate works between CE and EU in the sphere of
realization of common priority goals and joint programs.

Realizing that the obligations assumed by these countries at the
moment of joining the Council of Europe correspond to the priorities
on democracy, legal state and human rights included in EU Neighborhood
policy national actions plans, RA Foreign Ministry is convinced that
these countries deal with common problems, which makes joint activity,
experience and information exchange necessary and useful.

RA Foreign Ministry greets both of the organizations for harmonization
of their efforts for the purpose of strengthening democratic
stability in the interested states and for will manifested in
the issue of stimulation of regional cooperation in the spirit of
European building.

ARMENIANS IN FRANCE PROTEST AGAINST TALAAT PASHA ACTION IN BERLIN

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2006 00:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 15 demonstrations were held in French cities
of Paris, Marseilles and Valence against Talaat Pasha commemoration
in Berlin. The participants of the meeting emphasized inadmissibility
of Turkey’s denialist policy, noting “This Turkey does not have a
place in a democratic world”.

The court of Land Berlin had prevented the police from prohibiting
the so-called Talaat Pasha Action scheduled for March 18-19. However
human rights organizations and political figures supported the
police and censured the court’s decision, which will be appealed in
the supreme legal instances. They called upon the leadership to bar
actions targeted at denial of genocides and crimes of war, reported
Yerkir Media TV Channel. To remind, the other day the German police
barred a series of rallies the Turkish organizations planned to hold
in Berlin in mid March.

The prohibition was based upon Article 189 of the German Criminal
Code, which bars to express “disrespect for the dead”. In its
statement the German authorities used expression “dead in 1915”
to avoid term Armenian Genocide. The rallies are planned to start
with an event titled Talaat Pasha Action within “Big Program – 2006”
initiative advanced by a number of Turkish political figures urging
the Bundestag to withdraw the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

KARABAKH ISSUE – GLOBAL SECURITY PROBLEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.03.2006 19:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan”, “Nagorno
Karabakh Autonomous Region”, “liberated territories”… Theses are the
ungrounded notions imposed upon the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, former
NKR Deputy Defense Minister, lieutenant general Vitaliy Balasanyan
stated in an interview with Karabakh-online. In his words, the issue
is being purposefully politicized though it should be considered within
the legal field. “What does the expression security belt mean? I don’t
know such notion in the world practice when the territories belonging
by right are kept but even trees are not planted there. This notion
should be removed from the lexicon, recognize the NKR integrity within
its present borders and not follow the tastes of those who politicize
the issue artificially,” he underscored.

When touching upon the relations with the neighbor states, first of all
with Iran, Vitaliy Balasanyan noted that NKR is an independent state
bordering with Armenia and Iran. “During the pre-soviet period Iran
was Armenia’s age-old neighbor. Moreover Armenians made significant
contribution to the formation of the Persian State. We had common
interests including culture. We could jointly reconstruct and preserve
the monuments of Persian culture – mosques in Shushi and Aghdam. I
think we should use the border with Iran,” Balasanyan said.

He also reminded that the Karabakh problem is of pan-Armenian and
even global importance. “Some third states really attempt to cause
contradictions between the Armenian and Karabakh authorities. “I do
not notice any tension. Anyway the Nagorno Karabakh issue should be
over any personal ambitions,” the lieutenant general stated.