Category: 2020

BY MANUEL MAGPAPIAN

In the middle of conflict and war, a group of individuals met ready to declare their independence from a tyrannical government. These individuals believed that they no longer needed to abide by the rules of a government that oppressed them and they had no say in, and decided to break away from said government to determine their own future.

As a result of this independence movement, the tyrannical government began a conflict which took years until the very same government realized that they could not tame human nature, could not bend this region to its will, could not continue to oppress a group of people who simply desired to elect its own leaders and pave their own path to freedom.

This independence movement and subsequent war created a democratic republic, which was a government made of laws, not men. Now, decades later, that same tyrannical government continues an onslaught on the people in this region whose only crime was the decision to govern themselves, hellbent once again to force this region into submission. Once again, these individuals who wish to govern themselves, find themselves in a conflict not just for their independence, but for their very existence.

Sound familiar?

What you read above is not the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the revolutionary war, and the War of 1812. It’s the situation the Republic of Artsakh finds itself in, in the south Caucuses region in the year 2020.

When looking at this conflict on its face, it’s easy for an individual with no stake in the conflict to sit on the sidelines and believe that both sides have claim to a region, and that this war, like many others, is a conflict over a piece of land.

But this conflict is a conflict that many Americans should be able to identify themselves with. Azerbaijan is a country that Artsakh does not identify itself with. Azerbaijan is a tyrannical government, led completely in all aspects by a single person: Ilham Aliyev.

Artsakh, and its 99% Armenian population, did not believe they would get adequate representation if they became part of Azerbaijan. So like our founding fathers before us, they held a referendum to declare themselves independent. 99.98% of the voters voted in favor of independence. Soon after, like the founding fathers before us, they found themselves in a war against a tyrannical government, in this case, Azerbaijan led by Hayder Aliyev, the father of the current President.

After years of conflict, a ceasefire was signed in 1994, and since its independence, Artsakh governed themselves. They have their own parliament, their own democratically elected President, their own constitution modeled after those of the western democracies, and a Supreme Court dedicated to upholding the law, and not strictly to appease any dictator.

Artsakh’s ideals are the same as ours as Americans. They are believers in democracy. They believe in freedom and liberty. They do not want to be governed by a single man. Their struggle is our struggle. Their blood that is shed, is our blood. Americans should be able to determine that these individuals are not only individuals seeking freedom and liberty, they are us.

They are exactly what we as Americans would do if we faced a similar situation here at home. It is exactly what our founding fathers did when they realized that becoming independent was the only option to be free. That “give me liberty or give me death” was not just a slogan, it was a firm belief that they would rather die than live under the boot of a tyrannical government they had no say in.

In addition to our shared ideals, the United States and the Republic of Artsakh share the same sense of humanitarianism. Azerbaijan, since the conflict began on September 27th of this year, has been specifically targeting civilian locations, and using weapons such as cluster bombs that are banned by international law, which are clear human rights violations. Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan agreed to humanitarian ceasefires on three separate occasions in the last two weeks, only to be violated once again by Azerbaijani and Turkish attacks on civilian locations.

The United States of America is not only the beacon of freedom and democracy in the world, it is also supposed to be the protector of human rights. Azerbaijan’s war crimes should be clear to all those who are following along, and should be condemned not just by the international community, but by all of us.

The United States of America should choose freedom over subordination, independence and autonomy over submission, democracy over dictatorships, and humanitarianism over war crimes. Armenians around the world are asking for help. We are your neighbors, your friends, your brothers and sisters; we are your fellow Americans supporting a region desiring to determine its own destiny.

We are asking the United States to uphold the very words in their declaration that was drafted 250 years ago that wasn’t just intended to establish the rights of Americans, but the rights of mankind:

“That we find these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator, certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

We are simply asking the United States of America to realize that Artsakh’s struggle is their own, and recognize that the only solution for lasting peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is the recognition and support of an independent Republic of Artsakh.

ANCA welcomes bipartisan leadership of Representatives Bilirakis, Chu, Costa, Cox, Johnson, Katko, Nunes, and Sherman

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America joined The HALO Trust in welcoming the bipartisan leadership of over 100 U.S. Representatives in calling for emergency humanitarian assistance for Artsakh explosive clearance and de-mining in response to the ongoing Azerbaijani and Turkish attacks.

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), John Katko (R-NY), Devin Nunes (R-CA), and Brad Sherman (D-CA) led the Congressional letter to US Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator John Barsa earlier today.

“The ANCA welcomes the strong, bipartisan support for the life-saving de-mining and humanitarian aid efforts conducted by the HALO Trust in Artsakh,” noted ANCA Government Affairs Director, Tereza Yerimyan.  “At a time when civilian lives are at such high risk due to Azerbaijani war crimes, and the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. must do all it can to provide for the safety and security of Artsakh’s population.”  Yerimyan worked with ANCA regional and local leaders in a week-long grassroots advocacy effort to rally support for this pro-Artsakh initiative.

“As an international aid organization dedicated to removing the types of lethal explosive hazards now strewn throughout Nagorno Karabakh, we at HALO hope to see strong US funding to respond to this humanitarian crisis unfolding in the south Caucasus. We greatly appreciate the leadership of Representatives Jim Costa, Devin Nunes, T.J. Cox, Gus Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, Bill Johnson, Judy Chu, John Katko, and the many other Members of Congress that signed onto this letter to urge US support,” stated HALO USA Executive Director Chris Whatley.

The Congressional letter notes that the Azerbaijani and Turkish “bombings of cities with large populations including Stepanakert, Shushi, and Martakert have resulted in high levels of explosive contamination including rockets, missiles, artillery projectiles, and cluster munitions. Over 73,000 people either remain in or have been displaced from towns and villages which are now contaminated by explosive remnants of war. This is over half the population of the region prior to September.”

The letter concludes noting, “Given the potential to protect civilian lives and contribute to efforts to stabilize Nagorno Karabakh, we strongly urge USAID to invest in humanitarian de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal activities and to provide additional humanitarian aid to help those in the conflict zone. Please give this request all fair and full consideration within all the applicable laws, rules, and regulations.”

Congressional organizers welcomed the groundswell of support for the initiative from their U.S. House colleagues.

Rep. Brad Sherman explained, “Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate bombing of Nagorno Karabakh has left cities, including Stepanakert, with high levels of explosive contamination, such as rockets, missiles, and cluster munitions. We need a trained and capable team on the ground working to remove the explosive ordnance which pose a danger to the families who remain, and those looking to return. It is important that the U.S. Government moves to support the emergency removal of explosive ordnance in Nagorno Karabakh as soon as possible. Thank you to Representatives Jim Costa, Devin Nunes, T.J. Cox, Gus Bilirakis, Bill Johnson, Judy Chu, and John Katko for joining in this important effort to provide stability to Nagorno Karabakh.”

Rep. TJ Cox, who along with Rep. Sherman, co-authored an amendment earlier this year to continue U.S. aid to Artsakh, explained, “The ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is a humanitarian crisis that needs immediate international attention. In the same breath, it is crucial the US maintain funding for humanitarian de-mining in the region. We should not have to fight tooth and nail for peace and basic human rights. I am proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in highlighting this need to USAID.”

Fellow Central Valley California Representative Devin Nunes was clear in his assessment of the importance of Artsakh de-mining efforts, stating, “HALO’s de-mining actions are crucial for protecting civilians from catastrophic injuries. This vital humanitarian assistance will directly save lives in Nagorno Karabakh.”

Rep. Chu, who visited Artsakh last year, noted, “I’ve seen the amazing work HALO has done to remove mines and UXO to make this land safe to live on again. This work is only more important now as Azerbaijan continues to attack civilian areas in Nagorno Karabakh. The US must continue our support for this life-saving work to clear the lethal debris of Azerbaijan’s hostility.”

Rep. Jim Costa noted, “It’s clear that more needs to be done to protect the people of Artsakh and bring lasting peace to the region.  De-mining efforts save lives and this conflict has put thousands at stake. The peace process must resume. I’m hopeful Administrator Barsa will act quickly to fund de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal in Nagorno Karabakh to prevent avoidable casualties during and after the conflict.”

Joining Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Judy Chu, Jim Costa, TJ Cox, Bill Johnson, John Katko, Devin Nunes, and Brad Sherman (D-CA) in cosigning the letter are Representatives: Alma Adams (D-NC), Colin Allred (D-TX), Jim Banks (R-IN), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), David Cicilline (D-RI), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Bill Foster (D-IL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Josh Harder (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), William Keating (D-MA), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Steve King (R-IA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), David Price (D-NC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Harley Rouda (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

The full text of the Congressional letter is provided below.

Text of Congressional Letter to USAID Acting Administrator Barsa Urging Life-Saving De-mining Assistance for Artsakh

November 2, 2020

The Honorable John Barsa
Acting Administrator
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20523

Dear Acting Administrator Barsa,

We are writing out of great concern regarding the recent escalation of conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. There is an urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis brought on by the renewed outbreak in fighting and U.S. support for the removal of explosive hazards that threaten large numbers of civilians in Nagorno Karabakh is especially critical.

Bombings of cities with large populations including Stepanakert, Shushi, and Martakert have resulted in high levels of explosive contamination including rockets, missiles, artillery projectiles, and cluster munitions. Over 73,000 people either remain in or have been displaced from towns and villages which are now contaminated by explosive remnants of war. This is over half the population of the region prior to September.

This explosive ordnance poses a danger to people who remain, or are unable to leave, and will continue to present a risk when displaced families return. All unexploded munitions present a risk to civilians if moved or mishandled. Cluster munitions present a particular risk, as they are often present in large quantities due to high failure rates, can be especially sensitive to disturbance, and cluster munitions used in Karabakh with bright red ribbons attached are especially attractive to children.

Given the potential to protect civilian lives and contribute to efforts to stabilize Nagorno Karabakh, we strongly urge USAID to invest in humanitarian de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal activities and to provide additional humanitarian aid to help those in the conflict zone. Please give this request all fair and full consideration within all the applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Sincerely,

Battlefield Evidence Reveals Bayraktar Drones Include U.S. Components and Technology Developed in California, Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas

WASHINGTON— Battlefield evidence confirms that Turkey’s Bayraktar drones – deployed by Azerbaijan against civilians in Artsakh and Armenia – contain parts and technology from U.S. firms, U.S.-based affiliates of foreign firms, and firms located in NATO ally countries (UK, France, Germany, Austrian, and Netherlands), reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

“As Americans of Armenian heritage, we will not – as a matter of U.S. law, legal liability, and basic morality – allow American parts or technology to be used by Turkey and Azerbaijan to kill civilians across Artsakh and Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Join with us in demanding legislative action from Congress, a ban by the State Department, and the immediate halt by each of these firms of any current, pending, or future sales or transfers to Ankara and Baku.”

The ANCA has organized a two-pronged campaign, targeting both Congress and the U.S. companies selling drone parts that have been used by Turkey and Azerbaijan to kill Armenians – asking Congress to enforce Arms Export Control laws and the companies themselves to cease any and all sales or transfers that place Armenians at risk.

Documentation can be found at anca.org/proof, a link recently retweeted by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to his 2,000,000 followers.

Through a grassroots letter-writing campaign – anca.org/stopdrones — and direct outreach, the ANCA is providing information documenting violations of U.S. and international law – including U.S. Arms Export Control laws – to the State Department, Pentagon, Justice Department and the U.S. Congress.

Separately, the ANCA is leading a daily call-tweet-write campaign to U.S. manufacturers encouraging them to stop sales and transfers, starting with Garmin, earlier Tuesday.

A part-by-part analysis obtained by the ANCA reveals that the following Bayraktar drone parts and technology are sourced in the United States:

• Airborne Modem Transceiver, produced by ViaSat in Carlsbad, CA
• Antenna, produced by Comant Industries in Fullerton, CA
• GPS Receiver, Trimble Navigation, Sunnyvale, CA
• Fuel Filter, produced by the US affiliate of German firm Hengst, in Camden, SC
• Stub Bus Coupler, produced by MilesTek, in Lewisville, TX
• GPS Navigation Unit, produced the U.S. affiliate of Swiss firm Garmin, Olathe, KS
• Optical Unit, produced by U.S. affiliate of Canadian firm produced by Wescam, Orlando, FL
• Radar Altimetre, produced by U.S. affiliate of German firm Smart Microwave Sensors, Irvine, CA
• Sealed Fuel Reservoir, produced by U.S. affiliate of French firm Beringer, Greenville, SC