Author: Mary Lazarian

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 5 2005
U.S. CRITICISM OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA IS EXAGGERATED
YEREVAN, March 5 (RIA Novosti’s Gamlet Matevosyan) – Criticism by the
United States State Department of human rights in Armenia is
exaggerated and biased, says press secretary of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry Gamlet Gaspayan in the statement, reaching RIA Novosti on
Saturday.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has carefully studied the annual human
rights report of the U.S. Department of State and notes with
satisfaction that the report “clearly seals the stable transition of
Armenia to the market economy”.
Simultaneously, Mr. Gasparyan noted that the report also makes note
of Armenia’s human rights oversights last year.
“Although the criticism reflected in the report is exaggerated and
biased, it still can provide the basis and guiding light for the
attainment of greater progress in the sphere of civil and human
rights”, Mr. Gasparyan believes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

`NORTH ARTSAKH’ RECEIVED YEGHISHEH PRIZE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
04March 05
`Azat Artsakh’ regularly published about the activity of the
organization ` Research on Armenian Architecture’. Our interview is
with the director of the Armenia branch of the organization, historian
and archaeologist Samvel Karapetian. By the way, his book `North
Artsakh’ won the Yeghisheh Prize of the NKR government in 2004. The
book is about the Armenians of North Artsakh abandoned on the eve of
repression in 1988, no more able to struggle for living in their
fatherland. For the first time in the history of the region inhabited
by Armenians for thousands of years the Armenian life faded away. A
great number of historical monuments forming an indivisible part of
Armenian culture were orphaned. The aim of this book is to save from
oblivion the cultural valueswhich already fell victims to destruction
and pass them on to generations. According to the author, the book
`North Artsakh’ is another weapon in the arsenal of the war of
propaganda. Samvel Karapetian: `More than 11 years have passed since
the armistice in 1994. The guns have been silent for 11 years already
giving place to the weapon of propaganda. In Karvachar the English
version of the third volume of the book was presented to the OSCE
fact-finding group which visited the liberated territories. So, why
anything else was not presented to them?’ asks the author and answers
himself, `because this is the weapon used in the war of propaganda,
and we will try to fight with that weapon. And now the book `North
Artsakh’ which we have published only in Armenian, unfortunately,
cannot fulfill its political mission until the English version is not
ready.’ Christine Mnatsakanian: `Research on Armenian Architecture’
has, in fact, set an aim to fulfill several missions simultaneously:
search, research and reconstruct monuments and later record them
hoping, as you said, to save them from destruction at least on the
paper. To what extent are you a success?’ S.K.: ` The organization
founded 30 years ago continuously includes a far larger area than
merely the territory of the Republic of Armenia having only the
devotion of several individuals who believe that the work cannot be
delayed. In the months of March and April of 2004 we studied several
archaeological sites in the region of Martakert: the monasteries of In
Masats, Eghisheh Apostle and Yerits Mankants, Jraberd, Kaghakateghi,
etc. A lot of photos and measurements were taken. Since 1996 we have
been restoring the cloistral complex of Dadi Vankwhich consists of
more than 25 buildings. And reconstruction of a monument requires
funds. Our organization gradually reconstructs the buildings of Dadi
Vank. For example, last year we finished the church Catoghikeh owing
to Emil Hovnanian from America. Last year sponsored by Edik Abrahamian
living in Tehran we began the repair of the porch of the chapel and
then we shall pass to the belfry; the work was stopped in winter and
will be resumed soon. We start work mainly in spring because the
majority of monuments are in thick forests. If we go in summer, it
will be impossible to notice, for example, such a famous monument as
Khatravank from 15 meters, moreover take pictures of it as a work of
architecture.’ C.M.: `How do you coordinate your work, by areas or do
you take into account the state of the monument?’ S.K.: `We try to
renderhelp to those buildings which are in an extremely bad state. For
example, the chapel was in such a state. By the way, the chapel is an
exclusive monument. It still stands but it has decayed terribly. In
three-four years it could not be recognized.
The walls simply melted, fell to pieces. They reached us but in their
last breath. ‘ C.M.: `As you said, reconstruction of monuments
requires means. How do you manage to solve the problem of funding?’
S.K.: `Yes, the more work there is, the less means there are. As you
know, mainly Armenians of the Diaspora help us but their sponsorship
is not permanent. Nevertheless, the work goes on.’
CHRISTINE MNATSAKANIAN.
04-03-2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Cyprus Press & Information Office – Occupied Northern Cyprus
Feb 25 2005
Armenian genocide on the table
Ankara Anatolia news agency (24.02.05) from Strasbourg reports that
the Turkish parliamentarians reacted to French Parliamentarian
Jacques Toubon who brought Armenian genocide to the table and wanted
Turkey to accept Sevres Treaty.
Turkey’s relations with its neighbours were discussed in the closing
session of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) meeting
held in Strasbourg on Thursday. Turkey’s relations particularly with
Armenia, Greece and Cyprus were assessed during the meeting that was
closed to the press.
Speaking at the meeting Toubon said European Parliament made a
decision about the Armenian genocide and stressed that Turkey should
recognize the genocide before joining European Union (EU).
Republican People’s Party (RPP) Parliamentarian Sukru Elekdag denied
the claims of Toubon, saying they were baseless. Explaining
Turkish-Armenian relations, Elekdag said that Turkey that supported
the idea that allegations of genocide should be searched solely by
historians and not by the politicians.
Elekdag suggested that a committee of experts composed of Turkish and
Armenian historians should be formed under the auspices of UNESCO to
investigate the issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters.uk, UK
Feb 6 2005
Brown pledges international debt relief
Sun Feb 6, 2005 1:42 PM GMT

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will provide immediate debt relief for 19
of the world’s poorest countries in a move that will cost 26.5
million this year.
Chancellor Gordon Brown’s pledge came after the Group of Seven rich
nations agreed at the weekend that they are willing to provide up to
100 percent debt relief owed by impoverished countries to the
international institutions.
“The 100 per cent debt summit this year has started with one major
breakthrough: a victory in the fight to make today’s poverty
history,” Brown wrote in a letter to the organisers of the Make
Poverty History campaign, released by the Treasury on Sunday.
Currently, about 80 percent of the debt faced by the poorest
countries is owed to organisations like the International Monetary
Fund and World Bank.
While proposals on how to write off IMF debt will be brought forward
in April, Brown wants the richest donor countries to take over a
proportionate share of the debt and has taken the lead on this by
agreeing to underwrite 10 percent of the total.
On his recent visit to Africa, Brown signed agreements with Tanzania
and Mozambique to take over 10 percent of their debt to the World
Bank and African Development Bank, and said that the same offer was
potentially available to the world’s 70 poorest countries provided
they met the conditions for relief.
Similar agreements have now been reached with 17 more poor countries:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania,
Niger, Senegal, Uganda, Bolivia, Guyana, Nicaragua, Armenia,
Mongolia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

So much injustice in Boxing Day tragedy
Canberra Times – Australasia
Dec 28, 2004

SURROUNDED as most of us probably are by the excesses, the detritus
and the general aftermath of Christmas, it’s impossible to imagine
what the survivors of the world’s most powerful earthquake for 40
years must be going through right now. The top news story on Boxing
Day was supposed to be the re-run of the Ukraine elections, not a
re-run of the Iranian earthquake that left 26,000 people dead in Bam
on 26 December last year.
It’s still too early to say how many people died in the quake that hit
the Indonesian state of Aceh on Boxing Day or in those countries – Sri
Lanka, Thailand, India and the Maldives – fringing the Indian Ocean
that was subsequently battered by a massive tsunami. The chances are
we’ll never know since many of the coastal settlements close to the
Oceanic epicentre were completely destroyed leaving no survivors to
furnish us with tidy statistics.
The difference between human and natural disasters is that the first
are avoidable whereas the second we can do nothing about – unless, of
course, we live in the first world and have a lot of money. Think of
all those millionaires in Los Angeles with their luxury
earthquake-proof homes slap on top of the San Andreas Fault. True to
what I have always considered to be the curiously un-Christian parable
of the sower, Matthew 12 verse 13: ”To him that hath, even more shall
be given and he shall have an abundance. To him that hath not, even
that which he hath will be taken away.” Natural disasters always seem
to dump on the poorest communities of the Third World. OK, there was a
freak hurricane in France just before Christmas which had people
missing planes and ferries and thousands of households without
electricity for a few hours, but that was a mere dot in the big
disaster picture. Every year thousands of Bangladeshis whose average
income is less than a dollar a week are swamped by typhoons and tidal
waves. To make their homes flood-proof by erecting low walls made of
concrete blocks containing a specially designed reinforcing agent,
would cost less than $10 a family, but the government simply can’t
afford it.
It’s at times like this when all I can do is feel helpless and listen
to the latest news updates from the disaster zone. It’s times like
this that I don’t envy an engineer called David Charlesworth who I met
about 10 years ago. As I write this he’s probably on a plane heading
for Jakarta with his bag of tools. David works for a charity called
The Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief. They are the unsung
heroes of natural disasters. They don’t have the glamour of doctors
saving the lives of small children in field hospitals or the photo
opportunity value of Red Cross drivers distributing food in refugee
camps.
REDR members are the low-profile operators who rebuild the roads and
bridges and improvise airstrips to make it possible for the doctors
and drivers to get to the disaster areas.
When I met David he had just come back from an assignment to the
Ascension Islands during the Falklands War. The RAF needed an
airstrip; REDR did it for peanuts. No-frills practicality is the aid
worker’s key word. A friend who went to Gujarat after the 1998 Indian
earthquake said that aid agencies often missed the basics because they
got carried away by headline-catching projects. In Gujarat the
American NGO’s were dead keen on the ”Adopt a village” idea, which
made great television. They spent days driving around looking for a
suitable candidate with preferably an articulate, photogenic head
man. In her experience, said my Christian Aid friend dryly, the
neediest people in disasters are not necessarily the most
vocal. Instead of a charismatic village head man, they’d have been
better off getting in touch with the local Sangam or women’s
group. Every Indian village has one. They are the people who really
know where the help is needed.
A year after Bam, President Mohammad Khatami is claiming that only
$A42 million of the $A2.5 billion worth of international aid promised
has been delivered. Sixteen years after the Armenian quake, only 50 of
the 256 houses destroyed in the village of Saramej have been
rebuilt. With many foreign tourists among the casualties, Sunday’s
victims can expect masses of aid, but how much of it will filter
through to tiny rural communities? Natural disasters are often
referred to, particularly by insurance companies, as Acts of God. Was
there ever a more cogent argument for becoming an atheist? This is the
first Christmas I didn’t go to Midnight Mass. With the benefit of
hindsight would there really have been much point? – The Independent
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan to prove Armenia’s policy of settlement in occupied lands – political analyst
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2004
The OSCE fact-finding mission is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan
in January-February 2005 to study the situation in the country’s
occupied lands.
Commenting on the fact that Azerbaijani and Turkish representatives
have not been included in the mission, chairman of the Center for
Political Innovation and Technology Mubariz Ahmadoghlu said Azerbaijan
has enough evidence to ensure that the mission experts conduct an
unbiased monitoring in the occupied territories.
“Not only Armenians but also several international organizations,
including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors
Without Borders, are engaged in purposeful settlement of population
in Upper Garabagh and other occupied lands of Azerbaijan.”
The political analyst also said that several families of Armenian
descent, who became victims of an earthquake that hit Armenia in 1988,
were settled in the Lachin District, another Azerbaijani territory
under occupation.
This fact was indirectly confirmed by German, Russian and Armenian
representatives of the international organization on search of
prisoners of war and missing people. They officially announced that
all living conditions were created for mentally retarded Armenians
in the mountainous area of Lachin District.
“Armenians will not be able to hide their large-scale activities
on settling population in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan,” said
Ahmadoghlu.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YOUNG ARMENIANS STAGE PROTEST IN FRONT OF EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, December 17 (Noyan Tapan). The European Union member states
should not start the negotiations on the issue of Turkey’s joining the
EU until Ankara has not recognized the Armenian genocide committed
in 1915-1923. This was stated during the December 17 protest action
staged before the EU Armenian office. Representatives of the ARF
“Nicol Aghbalian” students union, the “Mitk-Kentron” youth analytical
organization and the students unions of various higher educational
institutions took part in the protest.
The protesters handed a letter over to the representative of the
European Union office. In the letter they express their concern about
the fact that Turkey consistently renounces the Armenian genocide,
conducts a hostile policy with respect to Armenia, as well as about
the scandalous facts of the human rights violation in this country. In
the document the Armenian youths express hope that the EU leasders
will not yield to an inoportune and momentary interest, to Ankara’s
“insincere and vain reforms” and will make a correct decision by
rejecting the negotiations on Turkey’s joining the EU until in
particular Ankara does not recognize the Armenian genocide
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMBASSADOR KIRAKOSSIAN BRINGS NEW FOCUS TO MASSACRES OF 1894-1896
Azg/arm
15 Dec 04
Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church “Nishan and Margrit Atinizian
Hall” was the venue on Sunday, December 5 for a presentation of
Armenian ambassador to the US Dr. Arman Kirakossian’s new book,
published by Wayne University Press and sponsored by Roupen and Nina
Terzians of Tekeyan Cultural Association. The event, sponsored by the
Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Armenian Catholic Church and the
Tekeyan Cultural Association, featured Prof. Simon Payaslianof Clark
University as the main speaker.
The ambassador, while in Boston, also presided over the first annual
Hovhannes Badalian Music Fund banquet on December 4 at the Hellenic
Cultural Center in Watertown.
In addition, the ambassador on December 5 was the honored guest at the
special tribute to renowned opera star, Elvira Ouzounian, on the
occasion of her 40th anniversary in her field.
Kirakossian’s book, “The Armenian Massacres 1894-1896, US Media
Testimony”, with a foreword by former Sen. Robert Dole, focused on the
history and the challenges to the Armenian community in Turkey,
leading up to the massacres carried out by the order of Sultan Abdul
Hamid 1894-1896.
Following an introduction by Mark Mamigonian, director of publications
for the National Armenian Association for Studies and Research
(NAASR), Payaslian turned to the subject of how Kirakossian has
portrayed the impact of the massacres in the US periodicals (not daily
newspapers). Pointing out that the many articles were published in
periodicals such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation and The Catholic
World at the time, made it clear that the Western world was quite
aware of what was happening to the Armenians in Turkey.
Payaslian then quoted Germany’s Premier Otto von Bismarck, who in
1883, said, “the so-called reforms are ideal and theoretical. Their
practical significance is doubtful”.
In fact, Payaslian recounted, Turks increased their attacks on six
Armenian vilayets, creating a perilous environment, arousing
chauvinism and paranoia. The killings became significant in 1894,
when as many as 3.000 Armenians were killed in Sassoon.
“No Western country intervened”, said Payaslian. “They were not
interested in the Armenia, they were interested in the commercial and
political gains they could achieve in the region. Hamid felt there was
no real reason to refrain from attacking the Armenians”.
Author Kirakossian talked about his research methods and the materials
he has been able to use. Kirakossian who has a doctorate in history,
amongst other degrees, said, “I try to find time from my daily work to
visit the Library of Congress and other libraries to look for new
materials on the Armenian Question and British and US diplomacy
towards the Armenians”.
Kirakossian said, “I used periodicals, which are more analytical,
rather than newspapers. I wanted to present these materials, because
we have started to forget about the Abdul Hamid period. There has been
a great deal more focuson t he Genocide. But the point is, there was
genocidal policy before the years 1915-1923”.
Kirakossian’s next book will deal with the documentation of the
1894-1896 in the British press.
During the question and answer period, following the two talks,
Kirakossian paid tribute to his father, also an historian and foreign
minister at the time, which, during the Soviet period wrote four
volumes that deal with the Armenian Genocide.
“My father was my teacher. He was the first to write about the
Genocide. He was limited because of working during the Soviet
period. He couldn’t work in foreign archives. When I started to work
in the 1980s, I could go to London, Moscow. I could study diplomatic
correspondence. My father simply did not have the chance to access to
western sources”, said Kirakossian.
Answering a question regarding a recent article in the Azg newspaper
in Yerevan, that the ambassador is planning to stay in US and carry on
his scientific work instead of returning to the Foreign Ministry
service in Yerevan, Kirakossian said, “I am still representing the
Republic of Armenia in the United States, but when the time comes I
will return to Yerevan and continue my diplomatic career, and carry on
my work in the field of Armenian political studies at the same time”.
Payaslian said that Armenian leaders did learn they “had to organize
and form closer ties with the outside world”.
Kirakossian’s work represents important documentation of what occored
in the late 19th century.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARAKEL MOVSISYAN ELECTED DEPUTY OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT REPRESENTING
DISTRICT NO.27: PRELIMINARY DATA
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMINFO. According to preliminary data, in the
course of Dec 12 parliamentary elections, Arakel Movsisyan, is elected
a deputy of the Armenian Parliament representing the election district
No.27.
The CEC press-service informs ARMINFO that Arakel Movsisyan received
27,032 votes. On the whole, 27,474 electors participated in the
voting, According to the course, the number of inaccuracies was equal
to naught. No complaints were received by 12:00.
To note, Arakel Movsisyan was the only candidate to the parliament
representing the district No.27. He is the brother of the MP
representing the same district Mushegh Movsisyan who was killed in an
accident.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DAY OF CULTURE DEDICATED TO HAMSHEN IN FRANKFURT ON MEIN
Azg/arm
8 Dec 04
For the first time in history a conference dedicated to Hamshen
Armenians (around 1 million living in Turkey the rest in South Russia
and Abkhazia) launched in Frankfurt on Mein, Germany. Prof. Wolfgang
Vodestein specialized in languages and culture of South Caucasus with
the help of his colleague, historian Aliye-Alis Alti (Hamshen Armenian)
and Khachkar international organization lectured at Goethe University
in Frankfurt. Prof. Voerstein, Dr. Akhim Shibol and Hamshen Armenians
Nurettin Gyurman and Alt were also among the lecturers.
Discussions followed after the lectures unearthed undeniable historic
facts. Firstly, the Armenians of Hamshen have inhabited the region of
Hamshen (Northeast Turkey) for centuries and were always objected to
violence, forcible conversion to Islam but even the converted Armenians
still preserved their mother tongue and traditions up to the days of
the Armenian genocide in 1915. Secondly, Prof. Voerstein who visited
the Hamshen Armenians in Georgia and Turkey thinks 20.000 Armenians
living in their historic birthplace speak in their native dialect,
the others speak the language of Lazs or Turkish.
Thirdly, the Lazs call Hamshen Armenians “somekhs” (Armenians),
and Turks know very well the identity of Muslim Hamshen Armenians
especially in present case when there are many of them occupying high
positions in the country.
Fourthly, while the Hamshen Armenians of Russia and Abkhazia had
freedom in the spheres of education, culture and created “Baghramian”
armed squad, Hamshen Armenians of Turkey were kept under political
pressure and were not allowed to communicate with their brothers and
sisters in other countries. An old Hamshen Armenian put it right once
saying “weâ~@~Yll again turn into gyavurs (faithless)”.
The only thing Armenian historians and ethnologists can do today is
to organize workshops on Hamshen Armenians to search for the ways of
salvation for the biggest Armenian ethnic group.
By Hamo Moskofian in Frankfurt on Mein
–Boundary_(ID_/49v0E56T45Q8F0qPfZ+HA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress