Author: Maghakian Mike

BACKWARD COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES
A1plus
| 20:35:29 | 03-05-2005 | Politics |
Turkish delegates in PACE collected 90 signatures under the appeal
to Robert Kocharyan to reply to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter. Vice
Speaker blamed our press for spreading information that PACE called
the Armenian President to answer the letter.
Tigran Torosyan also called the initiative backward, as the request was
made on April 28, while Robert Kocharyan sent his reply letter on April
25. The Vice Speaker noted that the signatories did not pursue any
concrete objective. They just supported the establishment of dialogue.

Développement Ankara fâché par une enquête en Suisse contre un historien turc
Schweizerische Depeschenagentur AG (SDA)
SDA – Service de base français
2 mai 2005
nn kp fb ni
Istanbul/Berne (ats) Nouvel accroc dans les relations entre la Suisse
et la Turquie. Ankara s’est offusqué d’une enquête ouverte par un
procureur de Winterthour contre un historien turc de renom pour
négation du génocide arménien.
L’ambassadeur de Suisse à Ankara a été convoqué.
Le ministre turc des affaires étrangères Abdullah Gül a condamné
l’enquête de la justice suisse à l’encontre de l’historien Yusuf
Halacoglu, président de l’Institut d’histoire turque (TTK). Cité
lundi par le journal “Hürriyet”, M. Gül a estimé que les autorités
suisses commettaient une “grave erreur”.
Contacté par l’ats, le procureur de Winterthour Andrej Gnehm a
expliqué avoir ouvert une enquête pénale à la suite d’un discours
tenu par M. Halacoglu le 2 mai 2004 dans cette ville, à l’invitation
de la communauté turque de Winterthour.
Protestation
Le ministère turc des affaires étrangères a indiqué lundi à l’ats
avoir convoqué la semaine dernière l’ambassadeur suisse à Ankara,
Walter Gyger. L’ambassade turque à Berne a également protesté auprès
du gouvernement suisse.
Les autorités turques se sont dites rassurées du fait qu’aucun mandat
d’arrêt n’a été délivré contre le professeur turc, contrairement à ce
qui avait été affirmé par la presse turque.
La question du génocide arménien a déjà contribué à tendre les
relations entre les deux pays, notamment en raison de sa
reconnaissance en 2003 par le Conseil national.
–Boundary_(ID_ItPYlrZSCYcOhkTB+tgEjw)–

Armenian alpinists to ascend Mount Elbrus
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 2, 2005 Monday
YEREVAN, May 2 — Three Armenian alpinists will ascend Mount Elbrus
on May 3-13 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Allied
victory in World War II, the 60th anniversary of the United Nations,
and the U.N. International Year of Sport and Physical Education.
U.N. Resident Coordinator in Armenia Lise Grande said on Monday that
the Armenian alpinists would set up U.N. and Armenian flags and U.N.
International Year of Sport and Physical Education posters at the
top of the mountain.
She said it was not so much a sport competition as an event dedicated
to the millions of people who fought for the victory over fascism. It
will involve about 500 participants from 20 countries.

Calcutta Telegraph, India
May 3 2005
Bending it like boy Beckhams
Riot of colour
It was all about colour, culture and creativity at Milaap 2005, the
inter-school fest organised by Spicmacay’s Calcutta chapter, in
association with TTIS, on April 29 and 30 at St Thomas Day School.
Picture by Rashbehari DasChildren of Nabadisha participated in an
enrolment drive, “Send my friend to school”, organised by Vikramshila
Education Resource Society, Banga Education Society and the Paschim
Banga Rajya Prarambhik Shiksha Unnayan Sanstha on April 30 and May 2.
Picture by Sanjoy ChattopadhyayaThe North Point Day School, Dum Dum,
team celebrates its victory at the Linc-TTIS 5-a-side Football
Tournament at CC&FC on Saturday. They beat Julien Day Ganganagar 2-1.
Picture by Rashbehari DasStudents of Delhi Public School dropped in
at Victoria Memorial as part of a city tour. Class VIII to X students
from 10 Delhi Public Schools in the eastern region were in town to
participate in the Inter DPS Sports Quiz organised at DPS Ruby Park
on April 29 and 30. Picture by Aranya SenCalcutta School of Music
Students Dance Ensemble presented Eclectick, with Odissi,
Bharatanatyam, Manipuri and modern dance, at Max Mueller Bhavan on
April 30. Picture by Sanjoy ChattopadhyayaVishma Pratap of Learnium
School (top) participated in the International Computer Olympiad held
in Romania recently, which was sponsored by Microsoft. He was the
only Indian to bag a medal, winning a silver. Forty-one countries
participated, with 171 teams and 240 individuals. Vishma is in Class
V in Learnium School. The name of his project was Incredible India.
Above is a picture of the Indian stall at the eventHariyana Vidya
Mandir Guardians Forum organised a cultural programme on April 29 at
Science City auditorium. After performances by students of the
school, Bangla band Bhoomi took centrestage. Picture by Aranya Sen
All of 150 schools took up the challenge, although only 48 made the
cut. And the winner is… The Linc-TTIS 5-a-side Football Tournament
concluded on Saturday evening, at the CC&FC. It started on a
league-cum-knockout basis, with eight groups comprising six teams
each.
The two top teams from each group qualified for the knockout stage in
the quarter-finals. Two friendly exhibition matches between team A
(TTIS and teachers) and team B (games teachers from participating
schools) was held at CC&FC on April 26 and 30. Team A beat Team B
4-2.
On Saturday, North Point Day School, Dum Dum, and Julien Day School,
Ganganagar, fought for the title. St James and La Martiniere for Boys
played for the third position before the final match. The former won
2-1.
In the final, Tanmoy Kundu of North Point scored the first goal
within the first minute. The excitement was palpable as Nazrul Haque
Kayal of Julien Day scored the second goal. The decider was the
second goal by Tanmoy Kundu. The cheerleaders on both sides were
unputdownable, as they supported their team.
Ryan Price of St James was awarded the best player of the series.
Saheb Ghosh of Julien Day was awarded the best goalkeeper of the
series. Muzaffar Rahman of Bishnupur Sir Romesh Institution won the
highest scorer award with 19 goals in the series. Armenian College
was the recipient of a special award.
Sourendra Kumar Das,
Sri Aurobindo Institute of Education

Armenians Review Thorny Genocide Issue
Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
May 2 2005
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Armenia believe more should
be done to settle pending questions about the deaths of thousands of
countrymen, according to a poll by the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies. 32.1 per cent of respondents believe all
Armenians should play a role in the resolution of issue, while 31.2
per cent believe all humanity should become involved.
Relations between Armenia and Turkey are still tense due to
historical factors. In 1915, the government of the Ottoman
Empire-formed by members of the Turkish nationalist Committee of
Union and Progress (ITC)-ordered hundreds of thousands of Armenians
to relocate from the Caucasus to Mesopotamia.
The state-sponsored deportation campaign led to a high number of
Armenian fatalities, estimated at anywhere from 200,000 to 1.8
million. While some scholars believe the campaign was a deliberate
attempt to exterminate Armenians, Turkey has never formally accepted
the use of the term “genocide” to describe the event.
On Mar. 9, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an
impartial investigation of Armenian claims, saying, “We do not want
future generations to live under the shadow of continued hatred and
resentment.” 57.5 per cent of Armenian respondents believe the United
States and the European Union (EU) should exert stronger pressure on
Turkey to acknowledge the genocide.
Polling Data
Who should play the main role in the resolution of the Armenian
genocide issue?
All Armenians
32.1%
All humanity
31.2%
World powers
13.1%
International organizations
8.6%
Republic of Armenia
8.0%
Diaspora
1.7%
Heirs of the victims of the genocide
1.5%
No one
0.1%
Other
0.1%
Difficult to answer
3.6%
Do you think Turkey will recognize the genocide in the next five to
ten years?
It is possible if the United States and the European
Union exert stronger pressure on Turkey
57.5%
It is possible if the international efforts of Armenia
and the Diaspora for recognition are activated
15.4%
It is not possible
12.8%
Other
0.3%
Difficult to answer
14.0%
Source: Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,900 Armenian adults, conducted in
April 2005. No margin of error was provided.

South Bend Tribune, IN
May 1 2005
We must take care not to set stage for oppression
MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW
By MATTHEW R. ERDEL

Erdel
Throughout history, what if the oppressed had merely accepted their
lot? What if, despite intuitive doubts about the justness of their
servitude, they viewed their misfortunes as inevitable and
unchangeable?
Or, from another perspective, what if the privileged felt no
indignation about subjecting others?
What if, although in a position to question immoral and inhumane
practices, those in power lacked the vision to help the
underprivileged?
What if the great heroes of humanity, whether aligned with the
oppressed or the empowered, had lacked the vision to demand change —
to demand freedom and justice for the exploited?
What if Frederick Douglass had not overcome his master’s prohibition
against learning to read? What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had seen
no need to press for change or had failed to dream?
What if Mahatma Gandhi had found the military might of Imperial
British India too overwhelming to challenge by stubborn, peaceful
protests? What if Mother Theresa had decided that the untouchables of
India were beneath her dignity?
Would such a world where evil had gone unchallenged be bearable?
Thankfully, there have been individuals who have had the vision to
challenge inhumane practices. Over the centuries, reformers have
ushered in important social and legal changes.
Though many cruelties have been challenged, there are still serious
injustices. That is why vision matters: as long as there is evil in
the world, we still need people with the vision to demand justice.
Through the instruction of my parents, maturing in my Christian
faith, and my own convictions drawn from experiences, I have
developed a world view founded on several indispensable principles.
One of these principles is the essential equality of all human beings
before God; neither race nor ethnicity nor class nor capacity can
detract from a person’s intrinsic self-worth.
While the inherent dignity of each person may seem like an obvious
principle, millions find a way to hold on to their prejudices.
Adolf Hitler understood this. He fueled and manipulated people’s
prejudices, and he knew he could get away with it — he had seen the
Turks do it decades earlier when they embarked upon a genocidal
slaughter of the Armenians without suffering serious consequences.
Thankfully, oppression does not always appear on such a grand scale,
but it is still important to have the vision to recognize and
challenge the everyday inequalities. Like most oppressive actions,
both the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust were founded on
generations of prejudice. This is also true for the oppression of
Africans, Native Americans and other indigenous peoples during the
age of European imperialism and beyond. We must be careful to guard
against our own prejudices lest we lay the groundwork for future
oppression. My challenge is to maintain the vision I have, and to
seek ways to overcome evil with good.
On most days, my battles for what is good and right are very small.
Someday, I may be ready to do more.
Matthew Erdel is a senior at Penn High School. This is his winning
essay in a scholarship contest sponsored this spring by the South
Bend Human Rights Commission.

NEW MEDICAL COMPLEX OPENS IN STEPANAKERT
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 29. ARMINFO. A new medical complex, built by the
funds of Armenians of the United States, will open in the capital of
Nagorny Karabakh in June of the current year.
As ARMINFO’s own correspondent in Stepanakert informs, the
construction of the medical complex, which includes polyclinic,
hospital and diagnostic Center, was begun in August of 2002. The
project cost of the complex is about $550,000.
NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian received Thursday George Bagumian
from the USA, the main sponsor of the construction of the medical
complex. The president awarded the philanthropist with a medal
“Gratitude” for significant service in restoration of the social
sphere and development of health-care of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic.

Neue Zürcher Zeitung
28. April 2005
Erewan und das Gespenst Darfur
Auswärtige Autoren
Lehren für die Gegenwart aus dem armenischen Genozid
Von Vicken Cheterian*
Am vergangenen Wochenende haben in Armenien Hunderttausende der
Massaker in der Türkei von 1915 gedacht. Schon im Vorfeld waren die
Ereignisse, deren Anerkennung als Genozid Armenien fordert, Thema
zahlreicher Veranstaltungen. Eine Konferenz in Erewan zog die
Parallelen zur Tragödie in Darfur.
Die wichtigste Veranstaltung in Erewan zum Gedenken an den 90.
Jahrestag des Genozids an den Armeniern in der ottomanischen Türkei
war dieser Tage eine internationale Konferenz unter der
Schirmherrschaft des Aussenministeriums. Unter dem Motto “Ultimate
Crime, Ultimate Challenge: Human Rights and Genocide” tagten am 20.
und 21. April einige Dutzend Wissenschafter, Künstler und Politiker
aus verschiedenen Ländern in der armenischen Hauptstadt.
Ankaras Haltung
Als die Türkei am 24. April 1915 in den Ersten Weltkrieg eintrat,
wurden in Istanbul etwa 600 armenische Intellektuelle verhaftet und
erschossen. Dieser Tag markiert den Beginn der Massendeportationen
und Massaker, die den Tod von bis zu anderthalb Millionen Menschen
zur Folge hatten, und den Beginn der Entwurzelung des armenischen
Volkes von seinem Stammland, dem Osten der heutigen Türkei. Obwohl
die Ereignisse 90 Jahre zurückliegen, streitet die türkische
Regierung das Verbrechen vehement ab und übt auf andere Regierungen,
Wissenschafter und Journalisten grossen Druck aus, um sie zur
Darstellung der offiziellen türkischen Version zu bewegen.
Doch obwohl wichtige Staaten wie die USA, Deutschland und Israel in
der Armenier-Frage weiterhin eine kontroverse Haltung einnehmen, hat
eine wachsende Zahl von Staaten in den letzten Jahren den Genozid
offiziell anerkannt, unter ihnen Frankreich und die Schweiz. Zuletzt
erkannte das polnische Parlament am 19. April die Massaker einstimmig
als Genozid an.
Der armenische Präsident Kotscharjan unterstrich in seiner
Eröffnungsrede die Politik seines Landes und erklärte, das Drängen
auf internationale Anerkennung des armenischen Genozids sei ein
Eckpfeiler der armenischen Aussenpolitik. Dennoch betrachte Erewan
die Anerkennung nicht als Vorbedingung für die Normalisierung der
Beziehungen zur Türkei. Kotscharjan betonte auch, dass sein Land
offen sei für den Austausch mit der Türkei, während Ankara seine
Blockade Armeniens aufrechterhält.
Die Konferenz war geprägt durch die Vielfalt der Teilnehmer und
Delegationen, besonders wichtig war die Teilnahme einiger türkischer
Wissenschafter. Der Soziologe Tanner Akcam führte aus, wie die
offizielle Position der Türkei, den Genozid abzustreiten, zu einer
Beschränkung der Debatte auf ebendiesen Punkt führte. Er sagte aber,
es bestehe eine kleine Chance, dass Ankara seine Politik der
Verneinung in naher Zukunft ändere. Wissenschaftern und Aktivisten
empfahl er, die Möglichkeiten einer Normalisierung der
armenisch-türkischen Beziehungen zu diskutieren. Beginnend mit der
Anerkennung des Genozids, sollten sie eine Debatte vorantreiben, die
schliesslich zur Aufnahme normaler Beziehungen zwischen den beiden
Völkern führen könne.
Hrant Dink, ein Journalist aus Istanbul, der eine zweisprachige
armenisch-türkische Zeitschrift herausgibt, bezweifelte die
Aufrichtigkeit der türkischen Regierung, sich auf eine Debatte über
die Frage des armenischen Genozids einzulassen. Er erklärte, warum
die armenische Diaspora so entschlossen ist, für die weltweite
Anerkennung des Genozids zu kämpfen: “Sie suchen die Wurzeln, die sie
durch Genozid und Deportationen verloren haben.” Trotzdem,
unterstrich er, gebe es in der Türkei eine aufblühende Demokratie,
die neue Formen des Pluralismus zulasse, darunter auch die
Infragestellung der offiziellen Politik der Verneinung.
Vergleich der beiden Genozide
Auch die israelische Delegation, die vom ehemaligen Minister und
Knesset-Abgeordneten Yossi Sarid und dem wichtigen Holocaust-Forscher
Israel Charny angeführt wurde, nahm in den Diskussionen eine zentrale
Rolle ein. Sie brachte nicht nur die vergleichende Erforschung beider
Genozide, sondern kritisierte auch scharf die Position Israels, das
den armenischen Genozid nicht anerkennt. So seltsam es klingen mag,
dass diese Position vom jüdischen Staat kommt, der sich als
Verteidiger der Erinnerung an den Holocaust sieht – Israel verfolgt
in der armenischen Frage eine Realpolitik, um seine geostrategische
Allianz mit der Türkei zu verteidigen.
Das Gespenst Darfurs war an jeder Ecke der Konferenz präsent. Der
dänische Wissenschafter Eric Markusen, der im Sudan gearbeitet hat,
zog eine Parallele zwischen Anatolien 1915 und dem Sudan heute. In
beiden Fällen wurde die Wüste zur eigentlichen Todeswaffe: Damals wie
heute wurden die Dorfbewohner gezwungen, in die Wüste zu marschieren,
um dort an Hunger und Durst zu sterben. Wie im armenischen Fall sind
sich die Staatsmänner der Welt bewusst, dass die staatlich
geförderten Massaker weitergehen und bereits 300″000 Zivilisten
getötet wurden.
Die Alliierten hatten allerdings während des Ersten Weltkriegs kaum
Einfluss auf die Türkei, während die internationale Gemeinschaft
heute durchaus Möglichkeiten hätte, das Morden zu stoppen. Die Frage
bleibt: Warum tun wir nicht mehr, um den Genozid, der unter dem
Schutz unserer Gleichgültigkeit stattfindet, zu beenden? Indem die
Lehren des ersten Genozids des 20. Jahrhunderts mit dem heutigen
Rwanda und dem Sudan verknüpft werden, und durch die Einladung von
Delegationen aus Israel und der Türkei, hat die armenische Regierung
eine neue Reife und ein neues Selbstbewusstsein gezeigt.
Dies ist das erste Mal, dass Armenier aus ihrem eigenen Trauma und
ihrer Opferrolle herausfinden und in den Dialog mit anderen treten.
So verwandelt sich ihre Tragödie in eine menschliche Lehre, die für
die Gegenwart relevant ist: Wie in der Vergangenheit gibt es auch
heute noch Staaten mit der Fähigkeit und Mentalität zu neuen
Genoziden.
*”Der Autor leitete mehrere Jahre lang eine Journalistenschule in
Erewan. Er lebt heute in Genf.

A1plus
| 17:25:22 | 28-04-2005 | Official |
MAYOR TO DECIDE
The government approved the bills on amendments to the law «On
advertisement» and the law «On local duties and payments’.
The first bill provides for empowering the Mayor of Yerevan to decide on the
amount, quantity and distribution order of advertising panels and technical
standards of their placement.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
April 27, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
PALLONE AND SCHUMER CALL FOR JUSTICE
FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT TIME SQUARE RALLY
“There must be recognition, there must be restitution,
there must be reparations for the Armenian Genocide.”
— Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), speaking at the
Time Square Rally Marking the 90th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide
NEW YORK, NY – Speaking before a crowd of over eight thousand at an
April 24th Times Square rally marking the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank
Pallone (D-NY) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) issued powerful
calls for international recognition and justice for the Armenian
Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA). Moving remarks were also offered by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-
NY), as well as His Eminence Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Eastern U.S. and His Eminence Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Eastern U.S.
“Armenian Americans from around the nation welcome the principled
remarks of Senator Schumer and Congressman Pallone in support of
full U.S. recognition and Turkish acceptance of responsibility for
the Armenian Genocide, and – most significantly – a just resolution
of this crime that restores to the Armenian nation, to the extent
possible, what was so brutally taken during the Genocide and in the
years that have followed,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone, in remarks
welcomed by sustained applause, argued forcefully for the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the just resolution of the
crime committed against the Armenian nation. The New Jersey
Congressman closed his remarks with the following statement:
“I was reading the New York Times that the Turkish envoy said that
not only did the Genocide never occur, but he suggested that the
reason why Armenians want to recognize the Armenian Genocide today
– want the Congress and the other countries to be on record – is
because they wanted restitution and they wanted reparations. And I
say to that ‘Yes, we do!’ It is important not only to recognize
the genocide but we have to make it clear that those who committed
it pay restitution. There has to be reparations because if there
is no pain, if there is no consequence of genocide recognition,
then that all would be futile. There must be recognition, there
must be restitution, there must be reparations for the Armenian
Genocide.”
In moving remarks to Armenians gathered in New York from around the
nation, Sen. Schumer stressed: “The persecution of Armenia
continues today, in part because we do not recognize that Genocide.
There is still a Turkish blockade of Armenia. There are continued
desecrations of Armenian buildings and churches in the occupied
lands. But what rubs salt in the wounds of those who have suffered
is the refusal of the world to recognize their suffering and to
recognize that a ‘genocide’ occurred. That is the ultimate
indignity.”
The New York Senator went on to note the importance of ensuring
that the victims of genocide receive justice: “If despots in the
dark corners of the world think that they can commit atrocity with
out fear of punishment, then they will be encouraged to commit
those atrocities. And so I say to all of you, we must prick the
conscience of our nation and the world. We must never rest until
the Armenian Genocide is recognized.”