Category: 2023

Winston Churchill, a revered figure in the West and a defining example of British imperialism, brutality and racism*, once said, “The Americans will always do the right thing…after they have exhausted all the alternatives.” It appears that the Armenian Diaspora is trapped in the same mindset.

Artsakh is teetering on the brink of a humanitarian crisis and ethnic cleansing due to Azerbaijan’s eight-month-long blockade. Food supplies have dwindled to last a month or so on a once-a-day ration. Fuel supplies have been exhausted, including those for emergency vehicles. Just today, a pregnant woman lost her child, as there was no ambulance to transport her to the hospital. 

Recently, the Center for Truth and Justice commissioned Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor, to produce an expert opinion on the situation in Artsakh. Moreno Ocampo stated, “There is reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians…There are no crematories, and there are no machete attacks. Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.” This is one of the few examples of logical and appropriate steps the Diaspora has taken to address this crisis.

The Diaspora has appealed to every elected official and international organization with any jurisdiction to intervene on behalf of the Armenians of Artsakh—to no avail. In other words, they have appealed to entities without the power and/or the willingness to affect any change. The United States, the United Nations and the European Union have feigned concern and urged Azerbaijan to stop its genocidal campaign. Yet, they have offered only words with no action or enforcement. In the meantime, most have happily engaged in business as usual, buying Russian oil siphoned through Azerbaijan, selling weapons and attending banquets and events in Shushi and other regions of Artsakh currently seized by Azerbaijan. Right after the 2020 war, Baku opened a despicable open-air museum showing off their war trophies with mannequins portraying dead Armenian soldiers, where Azeri children could abuse the mannequins to satiate their Armenophobia, drilled into their heads through decades of propaganda. Soon after, Pres. Ilham Aliyev hosted an international conference entitled, “A new outlook at the South Caucasus: Post-Conflict Development and Cooperation.” After the conference, 27 guests from 15 countries visited the Azeri victory park, including representatives from the West.

Many righteous organizations, with and without appeals from the Armenian Diaspora, have gone on to stand on the right side of the issue and clearly state the realities on the ground in Artsakh. Unfortunately, these statements have fallen on deaf ears in Baku and every other capital in the world, resulting in zero actionable effort to change the situation on the ground.

The Biden Administration and the U.S. State Department have been unwilling to pressure Azerbaijan to stop the Artsakh blockade, which they could have done had there been the will. Unfortunately, they are motivated by geopolitical games to drive the Russians out of the Caucasus and to potentially open a second front against them, a trap the Russians have been careful not to fall into. They are also motivated to pressure Iran; however, the Iranians are not taking the bait either. While President Biden and Secretary Blinken may not want to see the ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Armenians in the Caucasus, their actions, or lack thereof, speak clearly. The State Department has quietly floated the idea of relocating the Armenians of Artsakh from their ancestral homelands to avoid the nightmare scenario of another genocide on the U.S. watch. This is nothing short of ethnic cleansing, without having to mop the blood off the floor afterward. The U.S. has also ruled out any sanctions against Azerbaijan. President Clinton has stated that his biggest regret was his inaction in Rwanda while in office, which is a nice sentiment but a meaningless one. His regret will not bring back the more than a million dead, but decisive and timely action certainly could have. What does this say about the lofty lectures in human rights and democracy we so readily deliver to the four corners of the world, whether they ask for it or not? Armenia, a nation where all levers of power are in the hands of one political party that uses police brutality and fear to stifle any dissent, is hailed as a “democracy” and cajoled by the West to make decisions against the interests and the will of its people. Yet, the same West refuses to punish a known belligerent despot who is committing ethnic cleansing in broad daylight. How does one reconcile this?

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Washington, D.C., May 1, 2023 (Photo: Twitter/@SecBlinken)

The Diaspora has knocked on every door and thus far has nothing to show for its actions. Its efforts have mostly been disparate and disorganized. This is partially due to a lack of cooperation and trust, diverging and competing interests, and the lack of systemic thinking. Unfortunately, they have yet to knock on the one door that matters, that of the Armenian government, the only entity tasked with guaranteeing the security of Artsakh. A few organizations have done so individually, but they have been brushed aside due to a lack of cohesion in the Diaspora and the remarkable ability of the Armenian government to divide and conquer. One of its crowning achievements is to drive wedges between the different segments of Armenian society and marginalize institutions, whether the Diaspora, the church, the armed forces or universities.

Dissent is one of the greatest forms of patriotism—to take a difficult stand when one’s government strays from the righteous path. The global Armenian nation has demonstrated its unwillingness and inability to do so and has settled for the next option, which is to ask others to do what they must do themselves. It takes less than a 30-minute drive from the center of Yerevan in any geographical direction to step into the early twentieth century. Yet, the city center is bustling every night with wine, beer, festivals and high-profile concerts. Most recently, the government announced a Snoop Dogg concert, ponying up $6M for yet another publicity stunt. This is while the Armenians in Artsakh are starving. Have we collectively gone mad? Have we lost any semblance of dignity, moral outrage and accountability to ourselves? Why would anyone in their right mind want to help us when we cannot find the courage to do so ourselves first?

Constitutionally, the Armenian government is obligated to guarantee the security of Artsakh, and a recent poll shows that 93-percent of Armenians in Armenia oppose seeing Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. Yet, the government has done the exact opposite during the past five years, including the war that they “fought” to lose, putting 5,000 of our youth in the grave and disabling tens of thousands while sowing the seeds of fear in the minds of Armenians. The Artsakh blockade is not a surprise, nor is it an irrational move. The Armenian government’s decision to give up Berdzor last year without any written agreement, followed by acknowledging Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, set the stage for the Artsakh blockade, yet precious few in the Diaspora blinked an eye when these two preconditions were met by the collaborator regime in Yerevan. The regime and its allies have masterfully played the fear card to beat away any opposition to their efforts, painting them as saber-rattling and pining for another war. Yet, this could not be further from the truth. As part of the recent “Hayaqve” movement in Armenia, more than 55,000 citizens signed a petition to submit a draft law to the Central Election Commission of Armenia, stipulating severe criminal punishment for recognizing Artsakh as part of another state on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, as well as for refusing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The fact that an initiative must be formed to defend these sanctities demonstrates the depravity that has befallen the Armenian nation at the hands of this collaborator regime.

Armenian diplomacy has been an abject failure during the past few years. The government’s only posture is a cycle of retreats in pursuit of elusive peace that is nowhere in sight. One may wonder whether the myriad of successful Armenians in the Diaspora would hire a mediocre teacher who may have served as a double agent of Turkey and Armenia’s previous governments (a charge he has not denied), and a 29-year-old delinquent, neither with a shred of diplomatic or any other meaningful expertise, to negotiate on behalf of their companies. Yet, here we are, having given the reins to these two and their college dropout boss, who made his name through yellow journalism and agitation, to negotiate on behalf of Armenia and Artsakh. It is curious why the Diaspora is not calling them out on their incompetence.  Is it a case of burying its head in the sand? Is it a case of remorse for cheerleading these collaborators five years ago and not knowing how to save face now? Is it the disbelief that our own can do this to us (meaning we know little of our history)? Is it not to appear divided? Is it not to air our dirty laundry? Or is it something else? Generally, things don’t get done right in Armenia because everyone is related to someone, and no one wants to shake the tree too hard; personal interests supersede those of the nation; allegiances lie elsewhere; everyone knows everything and can never be wrong; people hedge their bets to see who comes out on top, among other reasons or any combination thereof.  I venture to say that the Diaspora is no different, and as long the Armenian nation pursues this myopic perspective, Armenia and Artsakh will continue to inch ever closer toward destruction by our enemies.

Yerablur Military Pantheon (Photo: RA Government)

Knowing that the Armenian government plays by different rules these days, the onus is on the Diaspora to step up and lead the effort to save Artsakh. This requires dedication, action, clear red lines and a workable plan for all to get behind. The game, as it is, has no good outcomes for us. It is time that we change the parameters. Ending the blockade is not a goal; it is merely a means to an end. Yet, we cannot set our sights on the end of the blockade, since soon another crisis will appear. A real plan for the future must secure the independence of Artsakh. David Ishkhanyan is currently serving as the Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament—a glimmer of hope. He can petition the Diaspora to initiate proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on behalf of the people of Artsakh to apply for external remedial secession. The Azeri aggression in 2020 and their subsequent belligerence in the last three years provide ample evidence with which the court can work.  One may argue that any ICJ ruling will lack enforcement, and they will be right. However, this is the type of ruling that can and must be used as geopolitical winds constantly change and interests require realignment, something that the Armenian nation has not been adept at playing. Other powerful countries besides the U.S. and Russia can back the ICJ ruling, as it is clear that the U.S.-Russian game of chicken has one victim only: the Armenians of Artsakh. Preparation for this undertaking will require a multidimensional campaign that the Diaspora’s vast resources can easily support if only it gets its head straight. This campaign must take full advantage of a favorable ruling to garner the support of as many nations and international institutions as possible. The Diaspora can and must embark on this monumental task to save Artsakh because no one else will, including the Armenian government. The question is, are we ready to do this, or do we continue with business as usual in our comfortable homes?

*Those interested in learning about Churchill’s darker side can look into his support for the rise of fascism, his antisemitic and anti-working-class views, the Black and Tans, the bombing of Iraq in the 20s, the Bengal Famine and the suppression of the Greek resistance, among others.

BOSTON, Mass.—Houry Boyamian, longtime former principal of St. Stephen’s Elementary School in Watertown, Massachusetts, will be honored with the ANCA Eastern Region’s inaugural Excellence in Education Award at the ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund’s 17th Annual Gala, to be held on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. Boyamian will be joined by other award recipients, including Dr. Michael Rubin, who will receive the inaugural Advocacy Award, and other deserving activists and leaders who will receive the ANCA Eastern Region Vahan Cardashian Awards and Freedom Awards.

Boyamian, who has a French baccalaureate in literature and philosophy from the College Protestant Francais, also holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from St. Joseph University and a master’s in education from the University of Massachusetts. She is also a graduate of Nishan Palandjian Djemaran and is fluent in Armenian, English, French and Arabic. 

During her 35-year tenure as the founding principal of St. Stephen’s Elementary School, she launched various initiatives to properly modernize and equip the school with state-of-the-art technology. She fundraised for several expansion projects for the school, including the construction of a preschool building in 1998, a new kindergarten building in 2012, a teacher retention program in 2018, and a new student financial aid program in 2019. Boyamian also introduced new extracurricular activities for students, including chess, art, science, music, robotics and sports, along with a STEM initiative launched in 2011. Under her tutelage, St. Stephen’s became the first Armenian-American day school in New England to be accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in 2003.

As a descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor, Boyamian has volunteered her time in various development workshops for genocide education, presenting her family history to teach about the Genocide. She also commissioned an English translation of her father Karnig Panian’s memoir of childhood and orphanhood, titled Goodbye, Antoura, published by the Stanford University Press on April 24, 2015. The book has been translated into French, Turkish and Russian and is widely studied by both professors and students in U.S. universities, offering an emotional and lesser-known part of the Armenian Genocide to the world.

“Witnessing the positive changes that the school has undergone throughout the years is largely due to Principal Boyamian’s efforts. Her work speaks for itself as we witness the success of the school, now entering its 39th year with more than 190 students. Her dedication to education and culture also extends beyond the walls of St. Stephen’s, as she is also a champion for Armenian Genocide education,” said Tsoler Avedissian, 17th annual gala committee member and former student of Boyamian.

For Boyamian, her biggest sense of achievement and fulfillment arises from her students – many graduates are active in the New England community in various capacities, serving several Armenian organizations, and have gone on to attend top colleges and universities, becoming successful leaders in their respective fields. 

In recognition of her achievements, Boyamian has received the Mesrob Mashdots medal from the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in 2005 and the Queen Zabel medal from the Armenian Prelacy in New York City, as well as a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2008. In 2018, she also received a certificate of honor from the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia.

“This recognition is a testament to her unwavering dedication, visionary leadership and profound impact on shaping the lives of countless Armenian students, including mine. Her commitment to fostering a nurturing and enriching learning environment has left an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of being under her guidance. This award not only acknowledges her exceptional contributions but also serves as an inspiration to us all, reaffirming the lasting influence of her legacy in the realm of education in the greater Boston Armenian community,” concluded Avedissian. 

Tickets for the gala, which include a cocktail reception, silent auction and seated dinner can be purchased at www.givergy.us/ancaer. For more information about this year’s gala, visit our website or contact [email protected].

Harrison Markarian, Matthew Burke, Melissa Burke and Elise Markarian happily awaiting lemonade customers

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Elise Markarian and Matthew Burke are on a mission to help people in need. The 11-year-old cousins decided to team up and raise money for two worthy organizations offering humanitarian aid around the world—and they chose a lemonade stand as the way to do it.

A few years ago, Markarian “had this idea that I wanted to help people.” Since it was summertime, she decided to sell lemonade. At first, she planned to sell the lemonade for the reasonable price of $1.00 per serving. But then she thought, “Maybe I’ll get more donations if I make everything free.”

Helping people who have suffered through disasters, both natural and man-made, is important to Markarian. Her grandmother shared that whenever Elise receives a monetary gift, she donates it to a charity. Over the years, she has made contributions to Toys for Tots and the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry, among others. Her father, Stephen, told the Weekly that she refuses to spend monetary gifts for herself. “We try to tell her that she can use some on herself, but she doesn’t want to,” he said.

A happy neighborhood customer with the young humanitarians

“I have just always loved to help people who are in need. There are many people who are in need, now more than ever. And I think it would be awesome to see smiles on some people’s faces when they see what we’ve done,” Markarian told the Weekly in between customers.

Markarian’s portion of the proceeds will go to the American Red Cross. She picked the organization “because I know with all these weather issues that have been happening, and the wildfires, that people are losing their homes, and I noticed that the American Red Cross is doing a lot to help them.”

This year, Burke decided to join forces with his cousin. Burke knew that his cousin had been “raising money for different organizations these past few years, and I thought it was a good idea because so many people need help,” he said. “So, we decided to combine efforts and raise money for the American Red Cross and the Armenian Relief Society.”

The seed was planted last year when Burke wanted to raise money to help Armenians in the homeland. Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh and the difficulties of getting supplies to its Armenian population captured his attention and prompted his selection of the Armenian Relief Society as his charity of choice.

“I picked the Armenian Relief Society because I heard a lot about how Artsakh has been struggling and not getting supplies. I thought if we could send money, they could get more supplies to help in Armenia and Artsakh,” Burke said.

Supporters greeting each other and enjoying their lemonade

The lemonade stand was set up in front of Steve Elmasian’s home in Providence for maximum visibility. Elmasian, who is the co-chair of the ANC-RI, thought it would be easier for people to stop by than if it was held in Cumberland or Lincoln where the cousins live. “I’m honored to have them use my house, and we’ve had people from church coming by, plus neighbors,” he said. “It’s nice to see positive actions from the youth and for them to get attention.”

Elise is the daughter of Stephen and Heidi Markarian and the sister of Aedan and Harrison. She is entering the sixth grade this year at North Cumberland Middle School.

Matthew is the son of Jon and Paula Burke and the brother of Melissa and Mia. He attends Mercymount Country Day School and will be in the seventh grade this year. He also is a member of the AYF Providence “Varantian” Junior Chapter.

Notably, the lemonade was homemade, as were the baked goods. Assisting the stand and making lemonade, including squeezing all the lemons, were Burke’s sister Melissa and Markarian’s brother Harrison.

As of this report, the proceeds from the lemonade fundraiser had reached over $1,500. The young humanitarians expressed sincere gratitude to all who supported their efforts on their parents’ social media: “Melissa, Matthew, Harrison and Elise say thank you. Today was a huge success.”

The children with their supportive parents (Pictured l. to r.: Matthew, Jon, Melissa and Paula Burke, Harrison, Elise, Heidi and Steve Markarian)

Ararat Mirzoyan addresses U.N. Security Council (Armenia Foreign Ministry, August 16)

Armenia called on the United Nations to prevent genocide in blockaded Artsakh during an emergency meeting convened by the U.N. Security Council today.

“I do believe that this distinguished body, despite geopolitical differences, has the capacity to act as a genocide prevention body and not a genocide commemoration body when it might be too late,” Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said. 

The meeting was scheduled following an appeal from the government of Armenia to address the “deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh has been ongoing since December 12, 2022, when government-sponsored protesters posing as eco-activists closed the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world. The blockade was tightened on April 23, 2023, when Azerbaijan set up an illegal military checkpoint along the corridor, placing all movement between Armenia and Artsakh under the control of Azerbaijani border guards. 

Artsakh leadership and international actors have warned that the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh is deteriorating significantly. Food, medicine and other basic supplies, which were already limited due to the blockade, have dwindled since Azerbaijani border guards barred deliveries of humanitarian aid in mid-June, which were previously supplied by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian peacekeeping mission. Azerbaijan has also blocked the ICRC from transporting patients requiring medical assistance to Armenia several times in the past two months.  

Several U.N. Security Council member countries called for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to Artsakh by the ICRC. 

“It is incumbent on the parties not to impede or politicize any principled humanitarian efforts,” said Edem Wosornu, the director of operations and advocacy of the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Responding to humanitarian needs is not an act of legitimization of recognition. It does not take sides, and it does not yield to political influence,” Wosornu said, calling for humanitarian aid deliveries “through any available routes.”

The Azerbaijani government has proposed delivering humanitarian assistance to Artsakh via its territory through the Azerbaijani-controlled city Agdam. Artsakh’s leadership has rejected this offer, stating that there can be no alternative to reopening the Berdzor Corridor. 

Several member countries noted the possibility of delivering humanitarian aid via Agdam during today’s U.N. Security Council meeting. Dmitry Polyanskiy, deputy permanent representative of Russia to the U.N., said his country supports the use of alternative routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly the “opening of a parallel corridor through Agdam and Lachin for the movement of civilians and cargo.”

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the U.N., acknowledged the “possibility of compromise on additional routes for humanitarian supplies.” “Neutral, impartial, humane and independent humanitarian access and assistance, including medical transfers, must not be hindered, full stop,” she said. 

Silvio Gonzato, deputy head of the European Union delegation to the U.N., said that the EU has “taken note of the expressed readiness of Azerbaijani authorities to supply goods via the city Agdam. However, this should not be seen as an alternative to the opening of the Lachin Corridor.” 

Yashar Aliyev, permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the U.N., accused Armenia of rejecting the offer to deliver goods through Agdam, which he called evidence of Armenia’s “political hypocrisy.” “If Armenia were genuinely concerned about ordinary residents of the region, it would have never objected to the usage of the Agdam-Khankendi [Stepanakert] road,” Aliyev said. 

He claimed that international actors, including Russian peacekeepers and the ICRC, had reached an agreement to open traffic along this road. However, the agreement did not materialize due to Armenia’s objections. 

Mirzoyan said that there is “no alternative” to the Lachin Corridor, which he called the “agreed link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Mirzoyan also quoted former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo’s expert opinion from August 7 arguing that genocide is already underway in Artsakh. “There are no crematories, and there are no machete attacks. Starvation is the invisible Genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks,” Ocampo warned. 

Just one day prior to the U.N. Security Council meeting, the first case of death by starvation was recorded in Artsakh since the start of the region’s ongoing blockade by Azerbaijan.

Hemodialysis patients in Stepanakert (Artsakh Health Ministry)

40-year-old Karo Hovhannisyan died of “chronic malnutrition” and “protein and energy deficiency,” the Artsakh Human Rights Defender’s Office said on August 15. The office attributed his death to the “catastrophic consequences of the ongoing eight-month blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.”

It added that the blockade primarily affected the “health situation of the most vulnerable groups in society – children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, people with disabilities and older persons.”

Health conditions have been deteriorating among Artsakh’s population. The Artsakh Health Ministry attributes worsening health indicators to the shortage of medicine and medical supplies, inadequate nutrition, stress, suspension of scheduled surgeries and restricted access to medical care in Armenia, all caused by the blockade. 

The Health Ministry has warned that medical supplies needed for hemodialysis will run out before the end of the month. The ministry appealed to the ICRC to conduct emergency evacuations of hemodialysis patients to specialized facilities in Armenia, warning that patients can die after a week of not receiving necessary treatment for kidney failure. Of the 41 patients receiving hemodialysis, 29 were evacuated to Armenia as of August 15. The remaining patients refused to be transferred, either because they have minor children at home or they are wheelchair-bound.

“I am bedridden. I have a caregiver at home. I want to live,” said 64-year-old Vera Hovsepyan, who has been receiving hemodialysis for the past five years. “I can’t go to Yerevan in this state and receive treatment, because I want to die in my wheelchair here in Artsakh and be buried in my own cemetery.”

“Patients who suffer from the terminal stage of acute and chronic kidney failure have been severely affected by the blockade as they can’t follow a special diet, adding additional dangers for their life and health,” said Kristine Avagimyan, head of the hemodialysis department at the Stepanakert hospital. 

Other health indicators have also worsened significantly since the start of the blockade, especially since June, when Azerbaijan prohibited the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.

Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases more than doubled in July compared to the same month last year, according to official data. 

Deaths caused by malignant neoplasms, or cancerous tumors, have increased by more than 15-percent so far in 2023 compared to the same time period last year. Newly diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasms have increased by more than 24-percent. Health authorities attribute this data to the shortage of medication, changes in quality of life and severe limitations on adequate medical assistance. 

The incidence of strokes has increased by 26-percent, and heart attacks, by nearly 10-percent. 

Pregnant women have been especially vulnerable to the detrimental effects of the blockade on the healthcare system. Health officials have recorded cases of anemia among 90-percent of pregnant women under medical observation this year. This is a result of inadequate nutrition and a shortage of medication. 

There has also been an increase in the number of stillbirths. Most recently, a pregnant woman in the Haterk village of the Martakert region could not reach the hospital in time, due to the fuel shortage for ambulances, and lost her baby.

“The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Artsakh warns that in the event of the continued full siege of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, the mentioned and other indicators will further worsen, leading to the loss of many lives or a deterioration in their health,” the Artsakh Health Ministry said on August 8.

ICRC vehicles in Stepanakert (NKR InfoCenter)