Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]
April 24, 2004
Reflections on the Official Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
Canadian Parliament
April is the month for remembering genocide. The Armenian Genocide of
1915-1923, the Jewish Holocaust of 1939-1945, and the Rwandan Genocide of
1994, are all commemorated during this month. It is a time of considerable
public activity, with lectures, candle-light vigils, commemorations,
speeches, religious services, and other special events. It is also a time
for serious personal reflection, not only on what happened and why, but
what it means to the world today.
It is noteworthy that the Members of the Canadian Parliament–from PEI to
British Columbia, from the Northwest Territories to the US border, from
regions where there is not a single Armenian voter or lobbyist–chose to
recognize the Genocide in a free vote according to their individual
conscience, and in keeping with their Canadian values and human rights
principles. This does not mean that some MP’s did not vote for political
reasons.
An editorial in the April 24, 2004 issue of the Globe and Mail, Canada’s
national newspaper, on the recognition of the Genocide is another example
of Canadian human rights values. It explains that in a country in which
diversity is a fact of life, society must be based on respect for human
rights. This represents a position which is hard to attribute to lobbying
activity. It is simply a matter that “If this diverse country stresses
human rights on the domestic scene, it can hardly deny their value in the
larger world.”
There is a growing number of countries making the special effort to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. Canada is only the most recent of some two
dozen countries and international organizations that officially recognize
the Genocide.
There is no denying the hard work of numerous Armenian civic, political,
academic, religious, and human rights organizations and individuals who
work with these officials, keeping them informed and engaged on the issues.
We believe at the same time that it is critical to acknowledge the numerous
non-Armenians–Americans, Canadians, French, Germans, Jews, Swiss, Turks,
etc., politicians, scholars and human rights activists–who, for no reason
other than their principles, continue to struggle for truth, justice and
human rights. It is fitting at this time to remember the cumulative efforts
of all those for whom affirmation of the Armenian Genocide is a victory for
universal human rights.

AA1 Plus | 15:29:16 | 27-04-2004 | Politics |
OPPOSITION REPRESENTATIVES LEFT WITH NO OPTION BUT TO REJECT DIALOGUE
Dialogue between the ruling coalition and the opposition had to be held
today.
As it is already known that MPs Victor Dallakyan and Arshak Sadoyan, who
represent the opposition, intend to reject the dialogue, because the
authorities have blocked roads to Yerevan to prevent people from attending
the opposition-announced rally.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 3 2004
AMBASSADOR OF AZERBAIJAN HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE IN ANKARA
[May 03, 2004, 17:19:06]
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Turkey Mammad Aliyev held a news conference
for the journalists of Azerbaijan and Turkey at the center of culture
of Azerbaijan in Ankara, 1 May, correspondent of AzerTAj reported.
Making statement, Ambassador Aliyev clarified the information
distributed by some media of Turkey, on participation of Azerbaijan MPs
in voting related to adoption by the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly resolution on the Cyprus question. He noted that the
information was misrepresented. Ministry of foreign affairs of
Azerbaijan, members of delegation, our embassy in Turkey and permanent
representation in Strasbourg was not notified on discussion at PACE of
the Cyprus question. In voting, as expected, should take part 300
deputies. However, as a result of weak coordination work, there were
only 70 people, and 45 of them voted against.
In such situation, participation of our delegation in voting would not
have impact on the results.
Azerbaijan always supported position of the Turks of Northern Cyprus,
stressed significance of ensuring their security and recognition of
their rights. Paying attention that there were several deputies of
Turkey in the hall, the Ambassador connected this with weak
coordination work. He informed that he connected with deputy prime
minister and foreign minister of Turkey Abdullah Gul that as a result
of weak organization, the Azerbaijan delegation was not notified on the
item.
Ambassador answering questions of the journalists underlined that there
is no parallel between the Cyprus questions and the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Emphasizing that the
strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Turkey develops quickly,
evidence to which is the fruitful visit of Azerbaijan President to
Ankara, Mammad Aliyev said that some forces are concerned with it.
The Ambassador noted that despite the statement of officials of Turkey,
in the Turkish press periodically appear the topic of opening of
borders between Turkey and Armenia, which is also for the interests of
those forces.

Fresno Bee (California)
April 26, 2004, Monday FINAL EDITION
‘Mannix’ star makes appearance, but barely
by Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee
It’s a mystery only “Mannix” could unravel.
Carol Channing was to perform two benefit shows Sunday at the Tower
Theatre to raise money for the Armenian Home for the Aged. Fresno’s
Mike Connors, the actor who played television detective Mannix from
1967-1975, had been announced as a special guest at both shows.
Connors only made a brief appearance at the second performance.
“I want everyone to know what happened,” Connors says.
The actor explains he had been contacted in late 2003 as to being
part of the fund-raising event. He was asked to sing a number with
Channing.
“I agreed to do it. Then I didn’t hear anything for months. Finally I
heard they were selling tickets saying I was going to be part of the
show. When I was in Visalia recently, people kept telling me they
were excited I was going to do the show,” Connors says.
With the date rapidly approaching, Connors called Channing’s husband,
Harry Kullijian, who happens to be Channing’s manager. Connors wanted
to know which song he would be performing.
“He [Kullijian] told me that he and Carol were on the road with the
one-woman show and too busy to help me,” Connors says.
That’s when Connors decided that he would only show up to make a
token appearance for the evening show. He wasn’t even aware there was
a matinee planned until it was too late for him to make a change in
his schedule to travel to Fresno from his home in Encino.
Connors was worried that fans who purchased tickets because he was
involved would think he had backed out of the local show.

Moscow Times, Russia
April 26 2004
Armenians Remember 1915
Alexandra Kocho-Schellenberg / MT
Armenians lighting candles Saturday at a chapel at the Armenian
Cemetery.

YEREVAN, Armenia — Hundreds of thousands of Armenians, many of them
emigrants returning from abroad, converged Saturday on a hilltop
memorial in Yerevan to commemorate the 89th anniversary of mass
killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
The annual gathering at the vast Genocide Victims Memorial
overlooking the capital is a significant day in the country’s
emotional life, drawing huge crowds to lay flowers.
In Moscow, the Armenians lighted candles at churches and laid flowers
at the Armenian Cemetery.
Armenia accuses Turkey of the genocide of up to 1.5 million Armenians
between 1915 and 1919, when Armenia was under the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey rejects the claim and says Armenians were killed in civil
unrest during the collapse of the empire.
Although the deaths began before April 24, memorial services are held
on this date because it is the anniversary of the day in 1915 when
Turkish authorities executed a large group of Armenian intellectuals
and political leaders, accusing them of helping the invading Russian
Army during World War I.
Armenia has pushed for the United States and other nations to declare
the killings a genocide. Many countries, including Russia and France,
have officially recognized the event as genocide, along with some
U.S. states.
Canada’s Parliament last week backed a resolution recognizing the
deaths to be genocide, a move that was praised Saturday by Armenia’s
parliamentary speaker, Artur Bagdasaryan.
“Only through the condemnation of this kind of crime can its
occurrence be avoided,” he said.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
April 22 2004
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN, NAGORNY KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SETTLED ON
THE BASE OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL NORMS
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES THE US CO-CHAIR OF THE
OSCE MINSK GROUP
[April 22, 2004, 18:04:27]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received U.S.
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Mr. Steven Mann at the Presidential
Palace, April 22.
President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the diplomat on the new
appointment and wished him every success in this office. He noted as
well that Mr. Mann is well known in Azerbaijan as a direct
participator in the large-scale projects implemented in the country.
Your related activities were very positive and successful. I am well
aware of this personally as we were working together. The regionally
important Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project is being successfully realized,
and I hope your activity in this new office will also be a success,
said the Head of State.
President Ilham Aliyev further stressed the large threat the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorny Karabakh poses to the
regional stability, and noted that Azerbaijan wants the problem to be
settled in the framework of the international legal norms as soon as
possible. `Nagorny Karabakh and 7 other regions of Azerbaijan has
been under occupation for many years; our fair demand is to put an
end to the occupation and restore our territorial integrity. I hope
the Minsk group will continue its activities as a result of which the
problem will be finally solved,’ Mr. Ilham Aliyev said.
Having expressed his satisfaction with this visit to Baku and the
opportunity to meet President Ilham Aliyev, Mr. Steven Mann reminded
on his participation in the ceremony of laying foundation of the
East-West energy corridor held in the Azerbaijan capital, and
emphasized that it is exactly the place, where all the rest of energy
projects start.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mr.
Steven Mann announced the new tasks set to him by the U.S. Government
that he was going to fulfill: to work with the conflicting parties
and achieve fair resolution of the problem.
In conclusion, Mr. Steven Mann thanked President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev for the warm meeting.
The meeting was attended by Chief of the Presidential
Administration’s Foreign Relations Department Mr. Novruz Mammadov and
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mr. Reno Harnish.

Agence France Presse
April 21, 2004 Wednesday 8:06 AM Eastern Time
Armenia’s “rose revolution” fails to put down roots
by MARIAM HARUTUNIAN
YEREVAN
As opposition supporters in Armenia’s capital prepared late last week
for a rally calling for the resignation of President Robert
Kocharian, staff in a computer salesroom on the city’s Abovian Street
were too busy smoking cigarettes to pay much attention.
They said they had no intention of joining the protests. “They’ll
just get hit on the head by police and go home,” said Samvel, the
store manager, while he watched an opposition leader on the
television set in his office. “So what?”
This indifference from Armenia’s middle classes is one of the
reasons, analysts say, why Armenia is highly unlikely to emulate the
“rose revolution” in its neighbour Georgia which swept that country’s
unpopular rulers from power last year.
On the face of it, Armenia, a former Soviet republic of three million
people in the Caucasus mountains, has all the makings of a
Georgian-style revolution.
Like in Georgia, Armenia’s economy is still reeling from the collapse
of the Soviet Union. According to World Bank figures, 49 percent of
the population lives below the poverty line.
Like its neighbour, Armenia has a massive gulf between the rich and
poor — something many people blame on official corruption.
And as in Georgia, the government stands accused of rigging elections
to preserve its power. A presidential election last year which gave
Kocharian a second term in office was flawed, according to
international observers.
When a coalition of opposition parties began a campaign of mass
demonstrations this month, comparisons were quickly drawn with
Georgia’s revolution.
Some protesters even carried chrysanthemums, mimicking their Georgian
counterparts who demonstrated with rose stems in their hands.
Yet Armenia’s opposition campaign has failed to capture the popular
imagination. At the latest rally in the capital, Yerevan, last
Friday, the core of opposition support — mostly low-income,
middle-aged people with a preponderance of women — was out in force.
But the students and well-heeled members of the middle class who gave
Georgia’s revolution its unstoppable momentum stayed at home.
“I do not think that all these demonstrations can lead to a change in
power,” said analyst Gevorg Pogossian. “A large part of the
population … is continuing to behave like distant observers and not
active participants.”
Analysts point to several factors. The first is that unlike his
ousted Georgian counterpart, 50-year-old Kocharian has a tight grip
on the state machinery.
This means that though pensions and state sector wages are miserly,
they are at least paid on time. It also gives Kocharian the
confidence to use the police against protesters, as he did earlier
this month when water cannon and truncheons were used to disperse an
opposition rally.
Another factor, say analysts, is that Armenia’s opposition lacks a
charismatic figure like Georgia’s Mikhail Saakashvili, who led that
country’s protests and went on to become president.
“Our opposition is very weak and not very convincing,” said Rolan
Minassian, a 59-year-old scientist.
The opposition does not have the advantage its Georgian counterparts
had of regular access to the television airwaves. All of Armenia’s
television stations are loyal to the president.
Finally, though many Armenians grumble about low living standards
they blame not Kocharian, but a crippling economic blockade imposed
on the country by two of its neighbours, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The blockade is linked to a row about pogroms against ethnic
Armenians in Ottoman Turkey at the start of the last century, and a
still-unresolved war with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
For now at least, most ordinary people are fully behind Kocharian in
opposing any concessions which could see the blockade lifted.
“After upheavals like these, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
Karabakh war, the blockade, no president could have put the country
and the people back on its feet,” said Sergei Arutyunian, a
74-year-old pensioner.

A1 Plus | 16:46:09 | 20-04-2004 | Politics |
“ARF WAS TO BE DISSOLVED 5 DAYS AGO”
“ARF” activity is illegal”, Ruben Torosyan, Chair of “Supreme Soviet” MP
Club announced at a press conference.
According to him, ARF was to be dissolved 5 days ago. It turns ARF wasn’t
registered and under the requests of the 33rd article of Armenian Law on
“Parties” was to self-destruct by April 15, 2004.
“Supreme Soviet” MP Club has brought a claim to Court demanding to recognize
the party activity as unlawful.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
A HIGH-RANKING DELEGATION FROM RWANDA WILL TAKE PART IN 24TH APRIL
COMMEMORATIONS IN ANTELIAS
Antelias, Lebanon – On the occasion of 24th April, the Armenian Martyrs’
Day, a series of commemorations and activities will take place in the Armenian
Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. This year, in addition to
religious and political functions, an international conference on “Genocide,
Impunity and Justice” will take place in Antelias which is organized by the
Catholicosate of Cilica under the auspices of His Excellency General Emile
Lahoud, the President of the Republic of Lebanon. Several university
professors, lawyers and special guests will take part in this conference.
The representative of the president of Rwanda together with a high-ranking
delegation will also take part in this event. The representative of the
president of Rwanda will address the conference.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission 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.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 19 2004
LAW AND ORDER IN THE POST-WAR COUNTRY
– How would you evaluate the work of the police in the past year? Has
the criminal situation changed in the country? – First of all it
should be mentioned that as a country which suffered war and a
post-war period the situation in our country is under considerably
strict control. In 2003 605 offences were registered by us, which is
less by 63 against 2002. These were revealed by 93.3 percent against
the 88.8 percent of 2002. As a rule they judge about the criminal
situation according to the offences. Thus, in 2003 the Criminal
Investigation Department revealed 387 crimes of which 92 were grave.
91 percent of the crimes were revealed. There were five cases of
murder, three were revealed, two cases were dismissed because of
absence of evidence of crime. – What were the circumstances of the
murders? – S. Harutiunian from Stepanakert with cruelty hit his wife
and son on the head with a hammer. Both died. The offender was
convicted and sent to mental house for obligatory psychiatric
treatment. In the village Charektar, region Shahumian the son
quarreled with his father and killed him, he was sentenced to 8.5
years of imprisonment. V. Harutiunian from the village Mirik,
Kashatagh region, deadly beat his wife out of jealousy. As to the
other two cases, inhabitant of the village Vank A. Hakobian got frozen
in the forest, and V. Ghahramanian from Kashatagh region drowned when
crossing the river Vorotan. In 2004 two murders were reported. In
Stepanakert school N 9 the teenager hit his friend with a knife (the
interrogation is not over), and the mother killed and buried her
newborn baby (the case was sent to the court). – What type of crimes
are frequent in Karabakh? – Mainly pilferage. Our services register
without exception all the crimes (up to theft of aluminum dishes,
wire). This is necessary for controlling the situation, discovering
the sources of crime. The motives of crime are mainly of social
nature. It is notable that the number of crimes committed at public
places, juvenile crime, crimes committed by the jobless and people not
attending any educational institution has reduced. This, on the one
hand, testifies to the effective work of our services, and on the
other hand, the gradual social and economic development of our
country. If a person works, his rest is organized normally, he will
not commit a crime. It is not accidental that during significant
competitions in Stepanakert (tournaments of billiards, chess) the
crime rate steeply dropped. On the whole, I evaluate the situation in
the republic as not alarming, and in comparison to the other former
hot spots where the rate of crime with use of guns is still very high,
the situation in our country is stable. – Is the process of
confiscation of weapon from the population going on? – Yes, you know
that the population mainly keeps trophy weapons. But these are
confiscated; many give their weapons voluntarily. This year the rate
of crimes committed with the use of gun dropped. Besides, there were
17 cases of confiscation of guns and ordnance, 74 guns were delivered
to the police voluntarily. – Azerbaijan accuses Karabakh of dealing in
drugs. Are there reasons for this? – This is complete absurd. There
is no dealing and cannot be. Twice a year we carry out the operation
`Poppy’ for discovering and destroying cultivatedand wild growing
cannabis. Last year 22 cases of drug use and storing were
revealed. Quite recently in the village Avetaranots, Askeran region a
group of cannabis dealers were discovered. Besides, we must confess
that fortunately drug addiction is not a disaster for Karabakh, as it
is in other countries. Very few use cannabis, and there are no cases
of use of heroin and cocaine. – Mr. Isagulov, European standards
require that the remand prison should be within the authority of the
Ministry of Defence and not the police. What is your attitude to this
idea? What is the situation of the remand prisons in the republic?
â=80` Conceptually I am for this, but I think that from the technical
aspect and the aspect of cadres the Ministry of Justice is not ready
to assume this authority. I think this process requires a gradual
solution. As to the situation in remand prisons, according to the
evaluations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (the
representatives of which regularly attend to the remand prisons of
Karabakh) the situation in Karabakh is incomparably better than in the
Caucasian region. – As we mentioned the region, could you speak about
the cooperation with the corresponding agencies of Armenia? – Our
cooperation with Armenia is on the highest level. During the last two
years numerous crimes were revealed and prevented as a result of joint
operation. A series of murders the point of which reached Karabakh was
revealed in one of the regions of Armenia. If you remember, due to the
Karabakh officials of the police the murder of the Armenian TV
journalist Tigran Naghdalian was revealed. Due to our efforts the
attempted explosion in the supermarket of the Malatia district in
Yerevan was prevented. The offender was caught on the way to the place
of crime when carrying the explosives. By the way, several of our
policemen were awarded by the government of Armenia for taking place
in the joint operations. Several newspapers accuse you of
participating in the recent events in Yerevan. They say you left for
Yerevan with your special forces and your Jeep was seen in front of
one of the hotels in Yerevan. – On April 4-5 I was in Yerevan and
stayed at that hotel. With some other officials we were invited to the
wedding of our deceased friend Leonid Petrossian. As to our
participation in the Yerevan events, these are false rumours. I state
officially that no worker of the NKR police (besides one or two who
were in Yerevan on business) was in Yerevan during the events in
Armenia. The force ministries of Karabakh were not and could not be
related to these events. I am sorry that certain politicians try to
tap a wedge between the two parts of the Armenian nation. – The work
of the police workers is greatly dependent on their social
condition. How many workers does the police have? – Today we have 691
workers. According to the European standards, as a ratio to the
population this is, of course, little but, I think, enough to keep the
situation under control. As to social security, in 2002 the government
passed a decree according to which the workers living on the salary of
police receive additional payment. We have set forth the bill of
increasing the salary of the rank and file staff of the police by 10
thousand drams. By the way, the salary of the officers in Karabakh is
higher than in Armenia. If the promotion is confirmed, the minimum
salary of the rank and file policemen will be 28-30 thousand drams. We
help those who need medical care as much as we can. We have a special
fund of which we provide means to the workers who apply for aid. – As
far as we know, the promotion of salaries in the republic from January
1 did not refer to the police, whereas, it had been stated that the
increase of salaries was part of the anti-corruption program. Is there
within the police a service for internal control? – Yes, the
inspection on staff operates in the structure of the police, which
deals with staff investigations. According to the results of these
investigations, in 2003 26 workers of the police were punished, 2
workers were dismissed from work. There were no cases of bribe
taking, and there were no complaints. And if this is the case, we
will not disguise anyone. – And the last question, does the state
provide enough financial means for maintaining public order? – Our
budget is not very big, nevertheless, the authorities pay adequate
attention to our ministry. I mean equipment, transport. At the end of
the previous year we received two `Niva’ cars for operational work,
and before that due to the Ministry of Home Affairs of Armenia we
received 3 cars of the same type. On the whole, despite certain
drawbacks I am satisfied with the work of all the subdivisions of the
sphere. Although, of course, there happen both cases of theft and even
murder, we must confess that we live in an incomparably calmer (than
it could have been after the war and destruction) country. And this is
mainly due to the peace-loving and law-abiding nature of the people of
Karabakh. And doubtlessly due to the fact that even during the
military actions the authorities did not let the situation go out of
control.
NAIRA HAYRUMIAN