Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION WARNS OF MASS POLITICAL UNREST
Byline: Lilit Gevorgyan

Global Insight
September 13, 2011

Last week (on 9 September) thousands of as protesters gathered at
a demonstration organised by the Armenian National Congress (ANG),
an umbrella organisation that unites a number of (but not all) the
main opposition parties in the South Caucasian republic. The leader of
ANG, Levon Ter-Petrossian, slammed the Armenian authorities’ move to
arrest an opposition activist accused of fighting with the police. The
organisers of the rally also demanded extra-term parliamentary and
presidential elections, threatening mass political unrest. One of
Ter-Petrossian’s aides, journalist Nikol Pashinyan who has recently
been released from detention, told the protesters that “a revolutionary
situation has been created in Armenia. Everyone must be ready.”

Significance:This rally is the first since the ANG stopped its
dialogue with the government. The protests, inspired by the Arab
Spring uprisings in the Middle East, started at the beginning of
the year but soon lost steam as Ter-Petrossian decided to opt for a
“velvet” or step-by-step revolution. The ANG launched talks with the
government of president Serzh Sargsyan, hoping that it will lead to
extraordinary elections. However, after the initial success when all
political prisoners were released, the talks started stalling. ANG
held its last round of talks with the government in August but
failed to reach an agreement on the election issue. Despite the
strong rhetoric of the ANG leaders it appears that they have lost
the momentum as well as the trust of some of the demonstrators. The
prolonged dialogue with the government has been interpreted by many
as appeasement to the current authorities. The other problem is that
should ANG return Ter-Petrossian, the first president of independent
Armenia, is likely to become the leader of the country again. This
means that essentially the same political group will retain power in
Armenia–it was Ter-Petrossian who handpicked his successor, Robert
Kocharian, who in turn backed the incumbent. To see mass civil unrest,
the Armenian opposition would need to unite and have fresh leaders.

ARMENIA’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IS ITS CITIZEN – PRESIDENT

news.am
Sept 14 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – We put our sweat and blood to build and protect the free
and independent Armenia, which is not only the homeland of 3 million
Armenia Armenians’ but also is the motherland of millions of Armenians
around the world, said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at Armenia’s
20th anniversary of independence in Sardarapat.

“We leave to our future generations strong bases of state and pillars
of democracy. We will leave security walls: Armenian Army and civil
society viable plants. We will also leave state – the roof,” he said.

“On this significant day of the Armenian history, I want to highlight
the establishment of the rule of law. Dozens and hundreds of years,
our community lived by the rules of others. Centuries when law was
for strangers. When the law was strange for us. And when the law was
the stranger.”

“Now, when our state is in the spring of its life, I want to record an
unprecedented achievement. That achievement is the citizens of Armenia.

The Armenians who not only enjoys living by their country’s law,
but are the creators of that law,” stressed Sargsyan.

WOMEN SHOULD BE ENLISTED IN ARMY, SAYS LAWYER

Tert.am
16:31 14.09.11

Enlisting women in the armed forces could a serious condition
enabling Armenia to build a professional army, an Armenian lawyer,
Vahe Grigoryan, has said.

“So far, I haven’t heard any serious counterarguments on the issue,
except that cultural and psychological factors prevent women from
serving in the army,” he told a round table discussion devoted to
the problems in the military.

“The Armenian army often faces problems because of having [servicemen]
of the same sex, while women’s enlistment could raise their role in
the society,” he added.

ARTIN ETMEKDJIAN RE-ELECTED AS MAYOR OF RYDE, AUSTRALIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2011 – 15:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Artin Etmekdjian was re-elected as mayor of Ryde,
Australia, on September 13 night.

The 49 year-old Liberal councilor was the city’s and Australia’s
first Armenian mayor when he won the office last year. He has been
a councilor for West Ward since September, 2008.

The Northern-District-Times reported that Cr Etmekdjian defeated
former mayor and independent councilor Ivan Petch by seven votes to
five on a show of hands in a second round of voting.

Labor Cr Gabrielle O’Donnell was eliminated in the first round, when
she received three votes against the five for Cr Petch and four for
Cr Etmekdjian. The whole process took about 15 minutes. Her three
votes were then channeled to her Liberal opponent to give him the
7-5 result over Cr Petch.

Liberal Cr Bill Pickering was nominated for deputy mayor, but withdrew,
leaving Cr O’Donnell and fellow Labor cr Jeff Salvestro-Martin to
contest the ballot. Cr O’Donnell won 7-5, also on a show of hands.

The night’s vote was the last in which councilors select their mayors.

Ryde is among the few councils in NSW which do not allow voters to
choose the mayor and deputy mayor. These positions will be contested
by popular vote at next September’s council elections.

MELIKYAN BELIEVES AUTHORITIES-ANC DIALOGUE TO RESUME SOON

ARMENPRESS
13:15, 14 September, 2011

The dialogue with the Armenian National Congress started with
the balanced and restricted policy of the President of Armenia,
member of the Republican party’s faction Gagik Melikyan told a news
conference today, adding that they expect same response from their
partners from the Armenian National Congress. “I may assure that the
ANC will display understanding. I think in near future the dialogue
will resume”, the parliamentarian said.

According to him, the president was inviting for dialogue three years
ago but the ANC was not responding. “The ANC suspended the dialogue
and it should resume it on its own. No reasonable or unreasonable
reason can serve for the suspension of the dialogue”, Melikyan said.

TURKEY SHOULD REMEMBER ITS PAST CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, SCHOLAR SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 14, 2011 – 09:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Taner Akcam, an associate professor of history at
Clark University, referred to changes needed in Turkey’s policy to
achieve greater regional role.

“Crimes against humanity is a very important international legal norm.

As a legal term, it was used for the first time on May 24, 1915 in
connection with the Armenian genocide, and it comprised the moral and
legal background for the Nuremberg trials as well as the more recent
Yugoslavian, Rwandan and other international prosecutions of war
crimes. This is common knowledge, but what is not so commonly known is
that the expression was first drafted as crimes against Christianity,”
prof. Akcam writes in an article published by The International Raoul
Wallenberg Foundation.

“In order to change this perception, the AKP has to confront history
and take a clear position regarding the crimes that were committed
against Christians. The AKP, however, is very far from being capable
of doing this and for this reason will continue to be perceived as a
potential repeat actor of 1915 to Christians in the region. Therein
lays the irony. Turkey, which wants to get involved in the region as
an intervener on behalf of freedom and democracy, is going to be a
reminder of its past crimes against humanity,” he writes.

“Herein lies the importance of including Armenia in the address to
the nation. If the AKP wants to defend freedom and democracy in the
region and wants to walk a path towards universal humanitarian values
by way of Islamic sensitivities, it needs to learn how to look at
Islam’s recent past with a more critical eye.”

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MEETS CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES AHEAD OF 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

armradio.am
14.09.2011 12:42

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of independence, President
Serzh Sargsyan held a reception at the National Gallery, attended
by representatives of Armenia’s civil society – political parties,
mass media, Public Council and non-governmental organizations.

The President of Armenia congratulated the attendees on the occasion
of the holiday and wished them all the best. In his congratulatory
remarks President Serzh Sargsyan stated, in part:

“Distinguished representatives of the Political Parties, Mass
Media, Public Council and Non-governmental Organizations, Ladies
and Gentlemen,

I salute you all and congratulate on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

A centuries-long dream of our nation to have an independent state
has become a reality, which is now twenty years old. On September 21,
1991 we, in fact, opened a new page in the Armenian history and today
we all together fill it with a content. We fill it through serving,
teaching, creating, making decisions, differing and pointing out
mistakes, elucidating, growing bounty, and curing.

Together, we have already written down glorious lines about Artsakh,
maturing social and political environment, irreversible processes of
building institutions which befit a modern state and have issued a
certificate of confidence for a young country to move forward.

However, very often these “inscriptions” are also about poverty,
violated rights and social hardships: these “inscriptions” are yet
incomplete – they are to be revised and amended. We will put a period
in these sentences together, and I have no doubt about that. Why?

Because I know that despite existing different and differing
approaches, one thing is absolutely undeniable: it is our unconditional
love for our country, and that’s more than enough for having confidence
in Armenia’s future. Everything can change, but nothing can change
this conviction of mine.

There is no doubt that twenty years is a solid and binding jubilee,
which our people have reached leaving behind a difficult and honorable
road. All these years we have been living the joy of achievements
together. We have also had bitter loses, however we never lost one
of the most important achievements of our independence – the right
to speak free and open about shortcomings present in our life.

Shortcomings and hardships can discourage every, even the most
established society if there is no confidence that there is a will
and ability to conquer and eradicate them. People will not overcome
hardships standing shoulder to shoulder if there is no mutual trust; on
the contrary, they will turn with suspicion even hatred, opening their
backs to that very hardships. It is obvious: no effort is enough to
strengthen mutual trust among all members of our society. It applies
to everyone.

For two decades we have been working toward the establishment in our
country of a political culture based on competition. A situation,
in which the aspiration to assume responsibility for the country’s
development and state administration can be achieved only by proving
to the people the validity of the proposed course. A situation,
when there is more than one truth, when the good has to make way for
the best, and when the ambition to be the right and the best can be
established only through competition – publicly, in front of everyone,
by competing with ideas and vision, by being persuasive.

However, no competition, political competition cannot direct a country
toward the best course, if ends of those competing are subordinate
to the means, or when the ends justify the means, if they compete
for sake of competing, if they win for sake of winning.

Therefore, political competition ought to go hand in hand with
political cooperation. Joint path of the competition and cooperation
is narrow indeed; it is also unsteady, while the rims of the
nation-racking abyss are wide, numerous and slippery. They are
passable only for those who has acquired wisdom in that struggle,
who was able to stop in that relentless struggle and offer his hand
to the opponent, whose battle cry has not turned into a curse, who
comprehends the meaning of the words uttered by Prince Artavazd:
eternal disgrace of the one who’s condemned to reign over ruins.

Today, we can take pride in the achievement which confirms the maturity
of our state. We have been able not only to lay the foundation of our
statehood but also to start the construction of a strong edifice. Our
political parties and society have been able to mature passing a
very difficult road, to find the path of political competition and
cooperation and move forward.

>>From now on, we may not deviate from that path. We will compete,
but hand in hand. We will struggle on the political arena but never
rolling down from that arena, never rolling that arena away, never
rolling away the people.

The Public Council, which is endowed with huge social capital, plays
an important and key role in the establishment of the atmosphere of
trust in our country. It has provided a new opportunity for open and
free discussions in our society. I am confident that the Council has
yet much work to do and that it will continue to contribute to the
growth of accord and solidarity in our society.

We all, including mass media and non-governmental organizations
must continue our work aimed at the consolidation of Armenia’s civil
society. Nobody will do it for us.

Twenty-year old history also heralds the advent of a new generation.

Today, the generation, which was born in our independent Motherland
and matured together with our state, enters the social and political
realm of the country. These are people who’ve never been citizens of
another state.

We have always been keeping record of our achievements and failings;
however, we often forget the greatest achievement which has been
strengthening from year to year – the independence generation, which
must be and will be free of mental bonds, which will be more liberated
and progressive, which will be more able and aim-oriented. We,
their parents, the older generation, who carried on their shoulder
the burden of state- and armybuilding, who carried the burden of
transformation, are more than proud to see and welcome the dawn
of a new generation. Mass media and non-governmental institutions,
political unions – the most important institutions of Armenia’s civil
society are among those attractive areas in which the new generation
makes its first steps.

I wish success to you all and once again with unconcealed pride
congratulate on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our
Motherland’s, the Republic of Armenia’s independence.”

A HOUSE BUILT BY CHIPMUNKS
By Nancy Kates, WSJ.com

September 12, 2011

The Chipmunks creators’ home sits on a lush eight acres that overlooks
the Pacific Ocean.

Photo: Ethan Pines for The Wall Street Journal

Ross Bagdasarian Jr. didn’t plan to build his career on furry cartoon
creatures with high-pitched singing voices. But when his father died
unexpectedly in 1972, the law-school graduate said he felt compelled
to revive “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” the franchise that had been his
dad’s life’s work.

The decision was amply rewarded. After a hit television show, records
and two commercially successful movies featuring Alvin, Simon and
Theodore belting out squeaky covers of contemporary pop hits, the
chipmunks are now a billion-dollar empire. Mr. Bagdasarian, 62, lives
with his wife and collaborator, Janice Karman, in a 10,000-square-foot
peachy pink stucco Mediterranean style house on a terraced green hill
overlooking the ocean in Montecito, CA. “For us, building this house
gave us the opportunity to do something really the way we wanted to
see it,” he said.

See Slideshow: ‘Chipmunks’ Estate

Brightly colored and carefully manicured, the home’s exterior almost
looks like a house in a Disney movie: painted orange stone corbels
surrounding turquoise doors and windows and clay-red roof tiles. The
swimming pool is surrounded by huge boulders with a waterfall
flowing into it; the property is loaded with pink bougainvillea,
purple jacarandas and lots of lemon, lime and orange trees.

The blue swimming pool is surrounded by boulders and a lovely
waterfall.

Photo: Ethan Pines for The Wall Street Journal

Inside, the five-bedroom home is decorated with whitewashed and
bleached barnyard floors, sisal rugs, antique English furniture and
crystal chandeliers. A common theme is flowers: They’re carved on the
limestone fireplace mantles, sculpted in the wrought iron frame of
the glass-topped coffee table and stitched on the fabric of the sofas,
chairs and curtains. Ms. Karman said she started loving flowers when
she discovered a sole morning glory outside the Culver City housing
project where she grew up.

The other theme, naturally, is the Chipmunks, who are the stars of
the property’s two-story office and pool house. In one room, Mr.

Bagdasarian has recreated his father’s office, with his father’s
desk, chair and clock. The shelves are filled with Alvin and the
Chipmunks paraphernalia, from lunch boxes to marionettes, inflatable
swimming rings, Halloween masks and boots, spanning from the 1950s
to the present.

Cabinets display thier collection of teapots covered with roses.

Photo: Ethan Pines for The Wall Street Journal

He said the room is a tribute to his father’s work; he himself works
downstairs, in a room kept purposely dark behind closed blinds. He
calls it “my zone.” “I like to work in this atmosphere. I can
concentrate better.”

In 1958, Mr. Bagdasarian’s father wrote his hit “The Chipmunk Song,”
speeding up his own voice to create the three characters. He won three
Grammy awards, and the Chipmunks briefly starred in a television show
in the early 1960s. But by the time Mr. Bagdasarian Sr. passed away,
in 1972, he had retired the franchise.

The younger Mr. Bagdasarian, who met Ms. Karman in 1975 in a
health-food restaurant, convinced her to help him revive the
Chipmunks. In 1981, the couple produced a television show with the
characters, which led to a weekly television show in 1983.

Working long hours, they decided they wanted a weekend place away from
Los Angeles. In 1984 they bought eight acres in Montecito for about
$1.4 million and Ms. Karman set to work sketching her ideas, modeling
it loosely on the homes they’d seen in Provence. The house ultimately
took five years and about $10 million to build. (A nine-bedroom home
on four acres nearby is currently for sale for $29.5 million.)

Flowers are a common theme: they’re stitched on sofas, chairs and
curtains.

Photo: Ethan Pines for The Wall Street Journal

The couple enjoyed their Montecito house so much they decided to live
there full-time; they stay in hotel rooms in Los Angeles, 92 miles
away, a couple of days a week. Their film “Alvin and the Chipmunks”
was released in 2007; it grossed more than $360 million world-wide.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” grossed more than $450
million. The couple is currently working on the third film, “Alvin
and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked,” due out in December.

Now that their two real children have left home, Mr. Bagdasarian and
Ms. Karman they say they may remodel the interior. But the eternal
children of the house, the Chipmunks, aren’t going anywhere. “We think
of them as kids, not as cartoon characters,” said Ms. Karman. Vanessa
Bagdasarian, 25, their daughter, confirms this. “They were always
the more successful siblings,” she said.

DIVISION OF OLIGARCHS’ PROPERTY
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir.am News

10:49:50 – 14/09/2011

While the Armenians are discussing the business of the Chairman
of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, whether he has bought a
chocolate factory in Austria, an open division of property is underway
in Armenia.

Since commercial deals are covered up with a veil like a military
secret, the society learns everything from the press which Serzh
Sargsyan calls “yellow”. The press reported that Member of Parliament
Samvel Alexanyan bought the market place on Mashtots Avenue, Yerevan
which used to be owned by the BHK party leader, Gagik Tsarukyan. He
is going to open the next Yerevan City Supermarket there. It means
Samvel Alexanyan is doing quite well, he is given the green light and
he is obtaining more property and markets. Meanwhile, Gagik Tsarukyan
must be in trouble as he is selling off his assets.

Earlier, another deal was discussed, namely the purchase of Fresh
chain of supermarkets by Star chain of supermarkets. The “yellow” press
reported that part of Star stocks belong to Serzh Sargsyan’s brother,
Member of Parliament Sashik Sargsyan. It means he is on the rise.

It is unknown what other deals have been made in the world of the
Armenian oligarchs recently, but it is obvious that someone is
selling off their property, others transfers their capital abroad,
and yet someone, such as Samvel Alexanyan, feels better and freer.

Last year, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan trumpeted the law on
the declaration of income of officials. All these persons are
either members of parliament or heads of government agencies, and
are required to submit declarations. But the declarations are,
apparently, a military secret, and the society cannot know how
officials become rich, thanks to their managerial abilities or their
use of administrative leverages.

As the definition runs, oligarchy is use of public property for
personal welfare. Ancient Greece was an oligarchy, where it was
quite lawful. In the course of time, it became a violation of the
Constitution and Criminal Code. But the Armenian officials do not even
try to deny being oligarchs. Anyway, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
admitted the presence of oligopolies in Armenia.

Judging by loud commercial deals, division of property between
oligarchs is underway in Armenia, rather than a fight against
oligarchy.

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX : SENSIBILISATION AU NEGATIONNISME

Collectif VAN

14-09-2011

Le vendredi 9 septembre et samedi 10 septembre 2011, le Collectif VAN
[Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] tenait, pour la deuxième
annee consecutive, son stand d’information dans le cadre du Forum
des Associations de la ville d’Issy-les-Moulineaux. Les militants
et responsables de l’association ont pris le temps d’expliquer le
positionnement du Collectif VAN qui mène une action de sensibilisation
autour de tous les genocides (Shoah, genocide des Tutsi au Rwanda en
1994, genocide en cours au Darfour, genocide des Armeniens extermines
dans l’Empire ottoman [Turquie] de 1915 a 1923), et du negationnisme
dont tous ces genocides font l’objet.

Le vendredi 9 septembre et samedi 10 septembre 2011, le Collectif
VAN [Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] tenait, pour la
deuxième annee consecutive, son stand d’information dans le cadre du
Forum 2011 des Associations de la ville d’Issy-les-Moulineaux.

L’espace dedie a l’association etait encadre de part et d’autre par
le stand de SPFA (Solidarite Protestante France-Armenie) – tenu
par notre ami Janik Manissian – et celui de l’Eglise Evangelique
Armenienne d’Issy-les-Moulineaux, anime, entre autres, par le pasteur
Joël Mikaelian.

De nombreux contacts ont ete noues avec les visiteurs, ainsi qu’avec
les responsables associatifs (tel Michel Bertrand de l’Association
Crossroad) et municipaux qui sont venus decouvrir les actions
anti-negationnistes du Collectif VAN.

Les militants et responsables de l’association ont pris le temps
d’expliquer le positionnement du Collectif VAN qui mène une action
de sensibilisation autour de tous les genocides (Shoah, genocide des
Tutsi au Rwanda en 1994, genocide en cours au Darfour, genocide des
Armeniens extermines dans l’Empire ottoman [Turquie] de 1915 a 1923),
et du negationnisme dont tous ces genocides font l’objet.

Le Collectif VAN avait installe un espace consultatif pour quelques
ouvrages historiques majeurs concernant le genocide armenien. Une
vingtaine de brochures sur le genocide armenien a ete distribuee,
ainsi que les flyers du Collectif VAN concernant le traitement
des minorites dans la Turquie d’aujourd’hui (Kurdes, Grecs, Juifs,
Assyro-chaldeens-syriaques, Armeniens, Alevis, etc.]. Reproductions
des stèles de 3 mètres de haut que le Collectif VAN dresse chaque
annee au mois d’avril sur le Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris, ces flyers
attractifs ont genere une grande attention et interpelle les visiteurs.

L’equipe municipale, menee par Andre Santini, depute-maire
d’Issy-les-Moulineaux, a visite le stand et depose de nombreuses
dedicaces elogieuses sur le Livre d’Or du Collectif VAN.

Quelques dedicaces deposees le samedi 10 septembre 2011 :

BRAVO au Collectif VAN Pour son action Contre les genocides !

Fidèlement Andre SANTINI Maire Ancien Ministre Depute des
Hauts-de-Seine

***

Une belle initiative pour une action exemplaire.

Avec mon soutien et mon amitie.

Paul Subrini 1er Adjoint Vice-President du Conseil General Technologies
de l’Information et de la Communication, Accueil du public, qualite,
archives

***

Nous vous soutenons.

Bravo.

Alain LEVY Adjoint Relations Internationales et Communaute juive,
Quartier “Centre-Ville/Corentin Celton/Les Varennes”

***

Bravo au Collectif VAN.

Avec tout mon soutien.

Nicole Essayan Adjointe Protocole et Communaute armenienne

Ont egalement visite le stand du Collectif VAN : Martine Vindix,
Adjointe, Vie associative, Quartier “Les Hauts d’Issy – Les Epinettes
– Le Fort” – Philippe Knusmann, Adjoint Education – Denis Larghero,
Conseiller General, Arthur Khandjian, Conseiller Municipal Associations
sportives, football qui a egalement laisse une dedicace chaleureuse
: ” Avec un grand plaisir, je remarque le professionnalisme et le
serieux avec lesquels le Collectif se devoue dans le domaine de la
defense de la Cause Armenienne “. Comme chaque annee, le Collectif
VAN a pu apprecier la gentillesse de Pascaline LUCOT (Direction de
la Vie Associative).

La Web TV d’Issy-les-Moulineaux est venue filmer le Forum. Le reportage
sera sans doute en ligne prochainement.

Copyright photos Collectif VAN –

Voir les photothèques sur :

Issy-les-Moulineaux : sensibilisation au negationnisme (1ère partie)

Issy-les-Moulineaux : sensibilisation au negationnisme (2ème partie)

Collectif VAN [Vigilance Armenienne contre le Negationnisme] BP 20083,
92133 Issy-les-Moulineaux – France Boîte vocale : 09 50 72 33 46 –
Email: [email protected]

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