Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

SITUATION AT BORDER WITH AZERBAIJAN UNDER CONTROL OF KARABAKH DEFENSE ARMY

ARKA
March 6, 2008

YEREVAN, March 6. /ARKA/. The situation at the contact line between
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and Azerbaijan is controlled
by the defense army of Karabakh, the Chief of Armenia’s Army Staff
colonel-general Seyran Ohanian reported.

"Certain cases of fire at the contact line have been recorded, but
military operations are completed in fact," he told a press conference
in Yerevan Thursday. An assault group of Azerbaijani Armed Forcers
attacked on a forefront post of NKR’s Defense Army near Levonarkh of
Martakert region, NKR, on the night of March 4 and temporarily took
it under their control, but then was thrown back by the Karabakhi
side suffering considerable losses.

"On the same day in the morning we tried to get in contact with the
Azerbaijani leadership so that they cease the operations, but there was
no response; NKR’s Defense Army decided to throw Azerbaijani military
back," Ohanian said. He reported use of artillery and heavy-caliber
guns during the operations.

Ohanian also reported that according to the Armenian side, Azerbaijan
is purchasing new arms and is getting ready for certain actions. "But
we have our own aim – ensuring independence and security of the
country.

The Azerbaijani side must understand that Karabakh’s Army of Defense is
ready to protect their homeland and that Armenian soldier has undergone
the required psychological training, he has will and steadfastness. We
can be confident in this," Ohanian said.

In commenting Azerbaijan’s statements that the incident occurred
due to internal political situation in Armenia, Ohanian said that
official Yerevan is not going to draw the attention away from the
situation inside the country.

"We cannot take any steps not knowing what they will end with. If it
was Karabakh’s Defense Army that attacked, the number of people who
suffered on our side would be much more than two," Ohanian said. -0–

ROBERT KOCHARIAN STATED THAT THE AUTHORITIES DID NOT PLAN TO DISPERSE THE RALLY OF TER-PETROSIAN’S SUPPORTERS

Mediamax
March 5, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated in
Yerevan today that the authorities did not plan to disperse the rally
of Ter-Petrosian’s supporters at the Opera Square on March 1.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today,
Robert Kocharian stated that the policemen entered the Square early
in the morning on March 1 with the request to carry out a search and
liquidation of the tents, which hindered the law-enforcement bodies
realizing operative work.

According to the President, the decision on emptying the square from
the demonstrators was made as a result of furious resistance of the
rally participants.

"I often ask myself a question: maybe one should hot have born the
illegal rally for ten days? I think that if the square was emptied on
the second day, or the third, we would have avoided the consequences,
which we have today. However, the authorities did not take that step,
since recount of votes was in process, and actions with the use of
force could have been interpreted as pressure. We planned to take up
active actions only in case the illegal actions continued after the
verdict of the Constitutional Court", the Armenian President stated.

Commenting on the words of Levon Ter-Petrosian, according to which
after March 21 he plans to continue the struggle my means of holding
rallies and demonstrations, Robert Kocharian stated that "in case
of realization of unapproved actions, we will respond strictly and
right away".

RA ADMINISTRATIVE COURT ACCEPTS 7 LAWSUITS ON ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY

Noyan Tapan
March 3, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Cassation Court informes that
in the period of February 28 to March 3, the Administrative Court
of the RA has accepted the following lawsuits on administrative
responsibility under Article 1801 of the RA Code of Administrative
Infractions (Violation of the Order of Holding Meetings, Rallies,
Processions and Demonstrations):

1. The lawsuit of the Nor Nork police unit for subjecting Lyova
Yeghiazarian to administrative responsibility.

2. The lawsuit of the Nor Nork police unit for subjecting Hamlet
Petrosian to administrative responsibility.

3. The lawsuit the RA police for subjecting Mkrtich Gimishian to
administrative responsibility.

4. The lawsuit of the RA police for subjecting Mikael Hayrapetian to
administrative responsibility.

5. The lawsuit of the RA police headquarters for subjecting Sargis
Hatspanian to administrative responsibility.

6. The lawsuit of the RA police for subjecting Grigor Harutyunian to
administrative responsibility.

7. The lawsuit of the RA police for subjecting Smbat Aivazian to
administrative responsibility.

IN 2007 NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING ARMENIA EXCEEDED NUMBER OF ARMENIAN TOURISTS LEAVING FOR ABROAD

arminfo
2008-03-03 16:02:00

ArmInfo. In 2007 the number of tourists who visited Armenia exceeded
the number of Armenian tourists that left the country. Thus, in 2007
510287 tourists arrived in the country, which was by 33.5% more than
in 2006. In 2007, 467574 Armenian tourists left the country, which
was by 38.7% more than in 2006. The National Statistical Service
of Armenia reports the share of tourists from EU member- states in
Armenia made up 37.1%, from CIS – 24.8%. France was the leader among
EU member-states by the number of tourists to Armenia in 2007 (12.1%
of total). Russia was the leader in CIS by the number of tourists to
Armenia (18.3%of total, 4 times annual growth).

International tourists stayed at 47 Armenian hotels in 2007 as
against 40 in 2006. However, only 12% of tourists preferred hotels,
the remaining 88% stayed at relatives and rented flats. 11753 tourists
visited Armenia to rest and 22084 arrived in the country on official
business travels. Only 2.4% of total citizens used the services of
tourist companies when leaving the country.

ARMENIA LAUNCHES CRIMINAL PROBE INTO OPPOSITION RALLY

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS
March 1, 2008 Saturday
Russia

A criminal investigation has been launched into the 10-day opposition
rally in the heart of Yerevan that was dispersed by police on Saturday,
the Armenian Office of Prosecutor General said.

The inquiry is based on the criminal law articles "Organization of
Mass Riots," "Illegal Acquisition, Sale, Possession, Transportation
or Carrying of Weapons, Ammunition, Explosive Substances or Explosive
Devices," and "Violence Against Representatives of State Authority,"
the Office of Prosecutor General’s press service told Interfax.

The rally, which had been going on since February 20, brought together
supporters of former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian, who wants
the annulment of the official results of the February 19 presidential
election, which he lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan.

Rally participants set up a 24-hour tent camp on Freedom Square in
central Yerevan.

"Around 6:00 hours on March 1, rally organizers and participants,
disobeying a demand that they stop holding rallies, offered resistance
with the use of bludgeons and metal rods, inflicting bodily injuries on
representatives of state authority. Rally participants were illegally
bearing weapons," the press service said.

15 OPPOSITION RALLY PARTICIPANTS DETAINED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2008 15:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Law enforcers have detained 15 participants
of the opposition rally in Yerevan, namely Artak Sargsyan, Levik
Khachatryan, Mushegh Saghatelyan, David Arakelyan, Vardges Vayotsyan,
Masis Aivazyan, Ashot Makukyan, David Matevosyan, Petros Shahbazyan,
Tigran Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, Samvel Harutyunyan, Isahak
Malkhasyan, Khachik Gasparyan and Avetik Nersisyan.

RA prosecutor general’s office spokesperson Sona Truzyan said they are
all charged in compliance of article 225.2 (mass disorders) and 316.2
(violence against a public agent).

The investigation is underway. People involved in the crime are wanted
by the police.

Yesterday morning the police dispersed the opposition rally held
in support of Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. In the
afternoon the demonstrators took the streets toward the French Embassy
basing near the Yerevan mayor’s office. The protest action resulted
in clashes with police.

Numerous shops were looted.

On March 1 evening President Robert Kocharian declared state of
emergency for 20 days.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE DIRECTOR OF WCC PROGRAMME
ON INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION

On February 27, His Holiness Aram I received the Director of the World
Council of Churches’ (WCC) programme on Inter-religious dialogue and
cooperation, Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, and Dr. Rima Barsoum who is in charge
of Christian-Muslim dialogue in the same department. The Catholicosate of
Cilicia’s Ecumenical Officer, Bishop Nareg Alemezian also attended the
meeting.

This important WCC department is dedicated to enhancing dialogue between
religions and is one of the major areas of the Council’s activities. Dr.
Premawardhana informed the Catholicos about the department’s activities and
future plans. His Holiness emphasized the vital importance of
inter-religious dialogue in a world where religions are living together as
neighbors. His Holiness stressed the need for the WCC to give a priority
attention within its programmatic framework to all issues and concerns which
are related to the area of inter-religious dialogue.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

BAKRADZE MET WITH ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

Prime News Agency, Georgia
Feb 29 2008

Tbilisi. February 29 (Prime-News) – David Bakradze, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Georgia, held a meeting with Michael Harutyunyan,
Minister of Defense of Armenia, on Thursday evening.

Prime-News was told at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia that
the sides discussed the current issues and prospects of cooperation
in the military field between Georgia and Armenia.

The sides also covered the issues of regional security and bilateral
relations.

A CROWD AS A TOOL FOR REVOLUTION
by Vardan Barseghyan

Hayots Ashkharh, Armenia
Feb 28 2008

For a week now, a crowd of mountain people has been raging in
Theatre Square [old name of Freedom Square in Yerevan] – increasing
and decreasing in size from time to time, organizing loud marches
every day in the centre of the city. What are the most important
characteristics of this crowd?

It is well known that one of the main stages of any coloured
revolution is a street action by a crowd – as a rule, in the capital
of the country, which is what we are witnessing today. This is a
great political performance – staged with the application of special
technologies. It affects the consciousness of both the people in the
crowd and the audience – the residents of the city.

Technologies

The major goal of the producers of the political performance is to
form a crowd that is able carry out their tasks.

First of all, this means involving the largest possible mass of people,
holding them for the necessary period of time, and influencing the
consciousness of people in such a way that they carry out precisely
the actions required by the producers of the crowd.

[Presidential candidate Levon] Ter-Petrosyan’s team is doing all this
right now in line with the technologies of a coloured revolution.

Psychologists noticed a long time ago that a person’s consciousness
changes sharply when they are in close and direct contact with a
solid mass of people.

[Passage omitted: a quote from a philosopher; description of a person
in a crowd]

A person who spends some time in an acting crowd very quickly reaches
a mental state that is very close to hypnosis due to the signals they
receive from it.

[Passage omitted: description of psychological condition of people
in a crowd]

There is an unwritten rule: someone who manages to mislead it [a crowd]
will easily control it, while someone who attempts to bring a crowd
to reason becomes its victim.

So the calls to be reasonable made in recent days do not directly
affect the crowd gathered on Theatre Square. It is another issue
that they may help prevent the rest of the population from joining
the crowd.

The extreme aggressiveness of those gathered on Theatre Square is
also clear at a glance. However, this is also to be expected. The
consciousness of such a crowd is characterized by intolerance and
the rejection of a rational dialogue.

[Passage omitted: description of psychological condition of people
in a crowd]

It is worth noting the changing character of a crowd, its amusing
trait to react "altogether" in a second to signals received from
leaders. It is easy to become convinced of this – by spending 10
minutes at the rally on Theatre Square.

[Passage omitted: description of psychological condition of people
in a crowd]

These are some of the main characteristics of the crowd that has
gathered on Theatre Square. Ter-Petrosyan is skillfully playing with
this crowd’s consciousness to achieve his own goals.

VANO SIRADEGHIAN’S BROTHER ARRESTED

Noyan Tapan
Feb 27, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Seryozha Siradeghian, the elder
brother of Vano Siradeghian, the Armenian Minister of Internal Affairs
in 1992-96, Yerevan Mayor from 1996 up to 1998 power shift, who is
currently being searched for, was arrested in the evening of February
26 in the village of Koti, Tavush region. Lawyer Tigran Ter-Yesayan,
the Chairman of the Forum law center, said this to Radio Liberty.

According to him, during a search in Seryozha Siradeghian’s apartment a
TOZ gun was found without bullets, which became a basis for his arrest.

"In general, the arrest’s grounding is that remaining in freedom he
can hide himself from the body carrying out examination and hinder
examination of the criminal case before the trial," the lawyer said.

According to Tigran Ter-Yesayan, resident of Noyemberian Yura Mamian,
was also arrested with the suspicion of keeping illegal arms and
ammunition.

According to Radio Liberty, a search was carried out in the
apartment of one of the supporters of first Armenian President Levon
Ter-Petrosian, former Deputy Minister of National Security Service,
Gurgen Yeghiazarian. After the search he was detained, then was
released some time later.

According to G. Yeghiazarian, during the search in his country
house three legal arms and his collection of daggers and swords
were confiscated.

The same day a search was also carried out in the apartment
of Hovhannes Haroutiunian, the head of the Arabkir territorial
structure of the Yerkrapah Volunteers’ Union. According to his wife,
the representatives of the National Security Service and the Police
visited his house when he was away.

As a result of the search they found and confiscated a TT pistol, which
was presented to him by former Prime Minister Andranik Margarian,
two Sayga guns, bullets, the daggers Haroutiunian had received on
his birthday.

Some hours after the search, when Haroutiunian was already at home,
the representatives of the National Security Service and the Police
visited him and accompanied him to the National Security Service.