Category: News

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 16 2004
WORK WITH SPECIALISTS IS ALSO IMPORTANT
The failure of the reforms made in the system of education in the past
decade were, perhaps, conditioned by the fact that these reforms were
the result of the political views of their authors, which turned
hollow in the course of time. Another cause of the non-correct policy
in secondary education was that the public opinion was not taken into
account, the cadres were not prepared and the reforms turned to be
artificial therefore did not stand the trial of the time. Despite
being in the same sphere with the educational system of the Republic
of Armenia, the system of education in Artsakh was able, fortunately,
to avoid major shocks. However, clinging to the traditional and
neglecting the new actualities means not looking ahead. And, on the
other hand, copying the new neglecting the traditional means starting
everything from the zero point. To imagine the school of the future
with the status of a soviet school, as most of our teachers do, is not
correct. Of course, we should adopt the best features of the soviet
school but taking into consideration the new actualities of the
world. The NKR Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport adopted a
policy which can be characterized as condensation of the best
traditions of the past at the same time implanting novelties. And this
is not so easy a process. It is possible only due to consistent work
with the specialists. According to minister Armen Sarghissian, to
implement any reform three important points are necessary: a clear-cut
program, funding and cadres. According to the minister, if the first
two are technical matters and sooner or later will be solved, the
third is more difficult to solve; the revolution should be done first
of all in their consciousness. And it turns out that it is several
times easier to carry out technical changes than spiritual. To convey
the national and local peculiarities of the new policy the ministry
pays regular visits to the regions of the republic. On April 15, 2004
the minister visited the schools of the regions of Martouni. He was
accompanied by the head of the department of education and science
A. Tovmassian, the head of the regional administration
M. Hovhannissian, the head of the department of education, culture and
sport of the regional administration S. Petrossian. One of the best
traditions of the past is providing the succession of
generations. Today this problem also exists at schools, and one of the
cornerstones of the policy of the ministry is using the experience of
the senior generation of teachers by way of their direct participation
in the school life.
SVETLANA KHACHATRIAN

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

In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide
Film depicts a fragile history after tragedy
Information Minister Samaha said more such documentaries should be
made on the history of Lebanon’s various communities
By Nada Raad
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
A documentary on the Armenian community in Lebanon that airs this
Friday evening on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) will
shed light on the history of their presence here, which, according to
the producer Carmen Labaki, began well before the 1915 Genocide.
The documentary, “Armenians in Lebanon” was filmed in Armenia, Turkey,
Syria, and Lebanon in an attempt to illustrate the Armenian history
and show their “dispersal” following the 1915 Genocide, which left
more than a million dead.
Co-produced by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International
(LBCI), the 85-minute documentary will be broadcast on LBC on Friday
after the 8 p.m. news report, and one day ahead of the Armenian
Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24.
Labaki, who spent one year working on the film, said that she decided
to shoot the documentary after realizing that Armenian history is
unknown by many here, including some Armenians. Labaki, who previously
produced two documentaries – “Brazil in Lebanon,” released in 1997,
and “France in Lebanon,” released in 2001 – said that the scene which
most touched her concerns the shooting of the Bedouin Armenians living
in the Syrian Desert.
“Every Bedouin Armenian living in Syria has a story to tell about his
parents’ plight,” Labaki said during the documentary’s release on
Monday atthe Haigazian University in Beirut. “But the story told by
this second generation does not have the same impact as if it were
told by the generation who lived the genocide,” she added.
The documentary presents Armenian nationals who were uprooted from
their country, their culture and their families and friends, but who
can still list the names of family members. In Syria, many Armenians
are now Muslim Bedouins and have Arab names because they were adopted
by Syrian families.
The documentary shows locations where Armenians were killed and
tortured by the Turks. During the Genocide some were killed in Armenia
while others were killed during a march from Turkey to Syria. On April
24, 1915, after the Armenians in the army were disarmed and then
killed, the political and intellectual leaders meet the same fate.
After this event, the remaining Armenians were told they would be
relocated by marching them to concentration camps in the desert
between Jerablus and Deir ez-Zor where they were left without food and
water to starve under the sun.
In a technique common to many documentaries, the producer used
contrasting footage, with scenes of real footage in black and white
abutting contemporary shots of the genocide march.
“We went to Marqadeh in Deir ez-Zor to shoot the documentary. When I
dug in the sand I found bones … from the genocide,” Labaki said.
The documentary was also shot in Shadadeh, an area located in Deir
ez-Zor, where around 300,000 Armenians were put in a cave and burned.
In Syria, many Armenians live in Aleppo, while others left to come to
Lebanon. According to the documentary, the Armenian presence in
Lebanon dates from 1741, when the Armenian Patriarchy was established
in Bzemmar. Following the Genocide, Armenians arrived from Syria and
Turkey in Anjar where some died from cold and illness.
Currently, the Armenian community is concentrated in Bourj Hammoud and
they are well-known for their professionalism in commerce, jewelry
design, carpet making, and crafts.
In 1934, the Armenian community was allowed to vote, and in 1966 some
members assumed ministerial posts.
Currently, the Armenian community is active through three political
parties: the Tashnak Party, the Ramgavar Party, and the Hentchak
Party. In Beirut, four MPs out of the 18 elected members are from the
Armenian community.
The documentary shows that before 1975, members of the Armenian
community here considered themselves as “Armenians living in Lebanon,”
while today they say, “We are Lebanese from an Armenian origin.”
Nonetheless, many members of the Armenian community are currently
returning to their homeland. “Mount Araratis waiting for them,” the
documentary said.
“We need memory in this country,” Information Minister Michel Samaha
said at the opening. He added that such a documentary should be done
on all the ethnic groups in the country to allow the Lebanese to learn
more about each other.

19.04.2004 12:24:00 GMT
Armenia sells its gold reserves
Yerevan. (Interfax) – The Central Bank of Armenia has sold the country’s
gold reserves of about 1.4 tonnes, the Bank told Interfax.
Details of the deal, which took place and the end of last year, are not
being disclosed.
The Central Bank of Armenia’s board decided to sell the reserves because of
the high liquidity on the gold market over the past few years, the Bank’s
press service reported. “The high correlation between gold and the euro
means that even without gold in international reserves the necessary level
of diversification can be maintained and at the same time the yield of
international reserves can be raised,” the Bank said.
In recent years, gold reserves have remained unchanged at around 1,396 kg,
which on October 1 2003 was estimated at $17.1 million (3.65% of Armenia’s
international reserves of $468.7 million). International reserves, already
without gold, totaled $512 million on April 1 2004.

Gul: We Think Foreign Ministers Of Turkey, Azerbaijan And Armenia Will Hold
A Trilateral Meeting For Solution Of Upper Karabakh Issue
Anadolu Agency: 4/19/2004
ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul
said on Monday that Turkey was holding talks both with Azerbaijan and
Armenia for solution of Upper Karabakh issue, stating that rumors which said
that border between Turkey and Armenia would be opened before solution of
the issue were not true.
Gul replied to questions of the A.A correspondent.
When the A.A correspondent said that there were rumors especially in
Azerbaijan which said that border between Turkey and Armenia would be
opened, Gul said, ”this is out of question. People in Azerbaijan are
discussing this issue very much. Azerbaijani reporters also ask this
question whenever we meet.”
Stating that they believed that Upper Karabakh issue should not be left as
an abandoned issue as there was an occupation, Gul said, ”we think this
issue should be discussed and it should be solved.”
Turkey was holding talks both with Azerbaijan and Armenia for solution of
Upper Karabakh issue, he stated and noted, ”we think of holding a
trilateral meeting on this issue in the following months.”
Gul stressed that Turkey was trying to play a catalyst role, stating that
they wanted the issue to be solved peacefully. Gul said that although Turkey
and Armenia have not recognized each other officially yet, he met with
Armenian foreign minister under international and regional meetings three
times last year.
Foreign Minister Gul said that they thought that foreign ministers of
Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan would hold a trilateral meeting before NATO
summit in Istanbul in June and added that Armenia would attend summit in
Istanbul under Caucasian countries related to NATO.
(EÖ-AY) 19.04.2004

California Courier Online, April 22, 2004
1 – Commentary
N.Y. Times Acknowledges
The Armenian Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
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2 – Carl R. Terzian to be
Honored By ECF Foundation
3 – Cal State L.A.’s Simonian
Crowned National Champion
4 – Diocese Will Host Several
Events at Burbank Complex
5 – Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Samantha
Power to Keynote April 23 Event in L.A.
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1 – Commentary
N.Y. Times Acknowledges
The Armenian Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The editors of the New York Times adopted last week a new guideline
instructing all of their reporters to henceforth use the term “genocide”
when referring to the Armenian Genocide.
The internal memo outlining this policy states: “After careful study of
scholarly definitions of ‘genocide,’ we have decided to accept the term in
references to the Turks’ mass destruction of Armenians in and around 1915.”
The guideline states that “the expression ‘Armenian Genocide’ may be used
freely and should not be qualified with phrasing like ‘what Armenians
call,’ etc.”
The New York Times thus abandons its shameful refusal in recent years to
refer to the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” and reaffirms the integrity of
the 145 articles it published in 1915, as the genocide was unfolding. More
than 20 years ago, Karl E. Meyer, one of the editors of The Times,
published two powerful editorial notes on the Armenian Genocide. The first
was dated April 23, 1983, and titled, “Armenian Memory, Turkish Amnesia.”
In that note, Meyer referred to the Armenian Genocide as “the century’s
first official genocide.” When a Turkish official objected to his choice of
words, Meyer wrote a second editorial note on May 14, 1983, simply titled,
“Turkish Amnesia.” He urged the Turks to acknowledge the truth about the
Armenian Genocide, “instead of blaming the victims.”
Under the new policy guidelines, the editors of the New York Times suggest
that when referring to the Armenian Genocide, their reporters “should
normally add a few phrases of explanation for the many readers who have
forgotten what they were taught about the Ottoman Empire (or who were
perhaps never taught): By most historical accounts, the Ottoman empire
killed more than one million Armenians in a campaign of death and mass
deportation aimed at eliminating the Armenian population throughout what is
now Turkey.”
The shift in The Times’ long-standing policy of not using the term Armenian
Genocide is partly the result of the dedicated efforts by several renowned
scholars as well as many Armenian-American individuals and organizations.
Over the years, they collectively provided to the ever-changing staff of
The Times a vast amount of information and documentation on the basis of
which the editors were able to arrive at this new guideline.
Another factor that probably contributed to the reconsideration of The
Times’ policy is the expanding circle in recent years of international
organizations, legislatures of several countries, as well as some Turkish
scholars who have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. Due to these same
factors, the Boston Globe last year adopted a similar policy on the
“Armenian Genocide.”
Given the fact that the New York Times is one of the leading newspapers in
the United States, its editorial policies and positions have a great
influence on the coverage of issues by the media nationwide and even
worldwide. The Times also helps shape the opinions of policy makers as well
as the public at large. Consequently, its acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide will have a devastating effect on the Turkish efforts of denial
and reaffirm the historical facts. To amplify this effect, the news of the
New York Times acknowledging the Armenian Genocide should be disseminated
worldwide to all members of the media, government officials, and
international organizations.
In this effort, Armenians can count on valuable assistance from an
unexpected source — the Turkish government and its lobbyists. They will
probably embark on a massive muckraking campaign against The Times. As part
of their standard bullying tactics, the Turks will threaten to boycott the
newspaper and shut down its bureau in Turkey.
There is very little chance, however, that the Turks will succeed in
forcing a newspaper with the stature of The Times to back down. Such rude
attacks would only serve to offend and antagonize the newspaper’s editors,
and help further publicize the fact that the New York Times has decided to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
In order to counter and balance the expected deluge of negative e-mails
from Turkish denialists, whose sinister aim is getting more and more
hopeless every day, we urge all readers to send e-mails to the editors of
The Times ([email protected]), commending their acknowledgment of the
Armenian Genocide.
British Ambassador Escapes from Armenia on April 24
The Armenian Community and Church Council of Great Britain through its
Sub-Committee for the Campaign for the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide
is planning a protest march on April 24 against the denial of the Armenian
Genocide by the British government and the British Ambassador in Armenia,
Thorda Abbott-Watt. The demonstrators will deliver a petition to Prime
Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street in London. Earlier this month,
French Armenians held a similar demonstration in front of the British
Consulate in Paris.
Meanwhile, Armenians and non-Armenians alike from around the world are
continuing to send protest e-mails to Amb. Abbott-Watt, the British Foreign
Secretary and Prime Minister Blair. Last week, the Armenian Community and
Parish Council of Houston, Texas, issued a statement condemning the British
denial of the Armenian Genocide. Interestingly, Amb. Abbott-Watt sent on
April 17 the following pre-programmed response: “Sorry – I am away! If your
e-mail is urgent please send it to Roy Wilson, our Deputy Head of Mission.
Otherwise, I look forward to reading it on my return to the office on
Monday 26 March.”
Amb. Abbott-Watt must be so confused and rattled by this whole controversy
that she probably meant to say she is returning on Monday, April 26 rather
than March 26, which falls on a Friday and has already passed. Obviously,
she must be too embarrassed to be in Yerevan while the whole Armenian
nation is commemorating the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. She
wanted to avoid joining the group of ambassadors who place a wreath at the
Genocide Memorial Monument in Yerevan every year on April 24.
Amb. Abbott-Watt should seriously consider staying in London for good
rather than returning to Armenia!
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2 – Carl R. Terzian
To Be Honored
By ECF Foundation
LOS ANGELES – Prominent public relations consultant and former president of
the Los Angeles Fire Commission, Carl R. Terzian, will be honored for his
distinguished business and community leadership by the Exceptional
Children’s Foundation at wine tasting and dinner on May 6 at Le Meridien in
Beverly Hills.
Invitations are being extended by L.A. Mayor James K. Hahn and Federal
Judge Dickran M. Tevrizian.
Proceeds from the evening will help the Foundation continue to develop and
provide life-span programs for individuals with mental retardation,
epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism, and acquired brain injuries. Founded in
1946 by parents of children with mental retardation, ECF now serves nearly
2,000 children and adults from 12 sites throughout Los Angeles County.
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3 – Cal State L.A.’s
Simonian Crowned
National Champion
LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A. student Tatiana Simonian was recently crowned
national champion of dramatic interpretation at the American Forensic
Association’s National Individual Events Tournament in Long Beach, Calif.
Simonian, of Long Beach, and a communications studies major, swept past
more than 150 competitors from colleges and universities across the nation
in seizing the top honor. This marks Cal State L.A.’s fifth national
championship in individual events over the last 11 years. Simonian also
advanced to the semi-final rounds in the category of program oral
interpretation.
Along with Prof. Stephanie Hood, the coaching staff included Michael
Kalustian, Josh Fleming, Javon Johnson, and Richie Hao.
“Tatiana’s outstanding achievement is truly noteworthy,” said Kevin Baaske,
Cal State L.A.’s Director of forensics. “Keep in mind that these
competitors represent many of the best institutions in the country, and
that frequently, other competing students have received scholarships to
compete in forensics.”
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4 – Diocese Will Host Several
Events at Burbank Complex
BURBANK, Calif. – Several events will be held in the coming weeks at the
Western Diocese complex in Burbank, the Diocese announced last week.
On May 5 a welcoming reception will be held in honor of Very Rev. Fr. Dajad
Yardemian, who serves at the Diocesan Headquarters.
Fr. Dajad’s main responsibilities include the preparation of candidates for
the priesthood, the Director of publication and the newly established
library, director of religion seminars throughout the year, officer
lecturer on behalf of the diocese and special tasks, as assigned by the
Primate.
On May 6, at 7 p.m., a dedication of a book authored by Jirair Libaridian,
a former advisor to Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian, will be held
at the Diocesan complex.
On May 12, a reception will honor the 50th anniversary of the services of
Mother Deacon Hripsime Sassounian.
On June 13, at 7 p.m., a reception will honor the 90th birthday and 70th
anniversary of the literary and educational service of Yervant Babayan.
Admission to all of these events are free.
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5 – Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Samantha
Power to Keynote April 23 Event in L.A.
LOS ANGELES – The National Council of Churches USA will commemorate the
10th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide with an April 23 event in Los
Angeles. “Remembering Rwanda – Ten Years After the Genocide ” will feature
Samantha Power, who won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for her book “A Problem
from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.”
Also appearing will be Dr. Richard Hrair R. Dekmejian, Professor of
Political Science at USC, an expert on the history of the Armenian
Genocide, and Rabbi Allen I. Freehling, Executive Director of the Los
Angeles City Human Relations Commission.
Free and open to the public, the 7 p.m. event will be held in Fowler
Museum’s Lenart Auditorium, at UCLA. Preceding the program, at 6 p.m.,
Kimberlee Acquaro’s short film, Journey to Kigali, will have its premiere
screening.
The event also will include remarks by Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General
Secretary of the National Council of Churches;.
The program also will include testimonies by Rwandan Genocide survivors.
The evening will close with a presentation of Rwandan music and dance.
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6 – Historical Perspective on British Policy on Armenians
Lawrence of Arabia and the Armenians
By Vartkes Sinanian
Once again the world’s attention is focused on the Middle East. The west’s
policy has been a series of blatant interventions and confrontations as
well as blindness to the political aspirations of the region’s peoples.
It is evident that the basic ethical doctrine of Immanuel Kant that
“unless the principle upon which we act is one that is appropriate for all
the others that principle is false” sounds so true to that region of the
world. As a result there has always been a widespread instability and
ruinous cycle of events which has paralyzed the region for so long.
Lawrence of Arabia was one of the British Empire’s most prominent yet
mysterious figures in the early part of the 20th century. Born in Wales in
1888, he studied at Oxford University before heading to the Middle East on
an assignment. He joined the British Secret Service because of his
extensive knowledge of the Middle East and its people. His main task was
to organize the different Arab tribes against the Turks. He spoke Arabic
fluently and won the confidence of the Arab leaders. He later fought with
them and stories
of his exploits were spread all over the world. He was considered a
champion of Arab rights for he felt that the British government had not
treated the Arabs fairly.
His only book “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” is still popular with scholars
and others who are interested in the history of that region. When he
finished writing, the manuscript was mysteriously lost so Lawrence had to
write it all over again from memory. He was reluctant to talk about his
role and requests for interviews were unanswered probably because he feared
repudiation by the British Foreign Office. One of the rare interviews that
he granted was with Lincoln Steffens a well-known American writer, magazine
editor and author, who had achieved fame as an interviewer. Steffens
described his interview with Lawrence as the “queerest I ever had in all my
interviewing life. English humor consists, in part, at least in what it is
said; the British in what a Britisher doesn’t say.”
In his interview titled “Armenians are Impossible” he writes of Lawrence “I
offer the curiosity as I wrote it at the time (in Paris during the Peace
Conference in 1919) and I’ll have to leave it to those who read it to guess
what it’s all about, if anything.” 1919 was a fateful year in Armenia’s
history. It was the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide with its
disastrous consequences and our people were still licking their wounds.
However, there was a renewed hope because of the creation of the Armenian
Republic.
Most important of all, the Paris Peace Conference was in session which
would eventually culminate in the signing of the Sevres Treaty with
Armenia’s participation.
In his interview Lawrence made some startling statements such as
“Armenians were the last word in human impossibility. They correspond as a
race, to ‘ the last man’ in academic debate.” As a Briton he was
irritated that the Americans came half way around the world to take charge
of Armenia. Britain as the greatest imperial power at the time could not
be sympathetic to the hopes and aspirations of a small but proud nation
whose emergence as an independent country could spell peril to the evil
designs of the Empire.
American mandate of Armenia meant the penetration of American influence in
the Middle East and the oilfields. Lawrence thought that the Americans
were too idealistic while the Armenians too practical. He was in
agreement with the policies of Czarist Russia which believed in an
Armenia with no Armenians.
Political principles and methods of expediency, craftiness and duplicity
characterized his philosophy which was enforced by the vast British
Empire where for centuries the sun never set. It was exactly the political
philosophy of Machiavelli which was “the end justified the means.”
Lawrence says that the “Armenians are the most intelligent, the most
perfectly selected, the most highly developed race in the world – from the
civilized point of view.” But he contends, “They must not have Armenia.
They would not work them themselves, not even for themselves. They want
them, yes, but only to own. They would not even do the work of organizing
the work of development. They would let them out as concessions to others
to manage. They want to live on the coast, in cities, on rent, interest,
dividends and the profits of trading in the shares and the actual money
earned by capital and labor.”
Lawrence now becomes more specific when he speaks of his country’s fears. ”
I tell you, if ever the Armenians are given a fair start in the world, if
they get a free hold on any corner of the earth, they will own the whole
planet and work all the rest of mankind. That’s what the Turks know and
dread and the Greeks and all of us who know them. And somebody has to solve
the Armenian problem. It seems to me to be poetic justice, good politics
and sound business to let the most idealistic people (he refers to the
Americans V.S.) in the world to take over the most practical people in the
world . ”
He thought America was young and inexperienced to take over the affairs of
emerging countries and therefore too prone to judge harshly the conduct of
the British. He makes some queer judgments such as ” We must divide them
up, Armenia to one mandate, the Armenians to another. The policy for the
Indians is the one for the Armenians. After trying everything else we
would end by doing that and doing it well, too: leaving no Adam and Eve to
go on raising Cain.”
We should never have doubted the evil designs of the British Empire and
the other allies as the facts speak for themselves. Lawrence was not alone
in these sentiments. Ugly voices were heard everywhere at that time but in
the end common sense prevailed.
Despite all these, the “Little Ally” proved a valuable asset for the allied
cause in preventing the occupation of the oilfields in the Caucasus and
Armenians distinguished themselves on the battlefronts with their valor
and sacrifice. The Sevres Treaty was the vindication of our rights which
we cherished since the fall of the Kingdom of Cilicia. President Wilson
took a personal interest in Armenia by championing the establishment of an
American protectorate but was overriden by the U.S. Congress.
After a short-lived period of hope and optimism, the years of despair and
peril were back . The dream of Greater Armenia was never realized due to
the behind the scenes intrigues of the Great Powers which had once again
abandoned their “Little Ally.” Lawrence was one of his country’s
representatives at the time and he directly or indirectly played a role in
shaping the British policy with regard to the Middle East. In
retrospect, this historic interview makes it all the more interesting.
**************************************************************************
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Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 19 2004
CHANGES IN CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION PERSONNEL
By the decision of the National Assembly fundamental changes were
introduced in the personnel of the Constitutional Commission.
According to the chairman of the parliamentary committee on state and
legal questions Youri Hayrapetian, 70 percent of the personal is to be
changed. As formerly, the chairman of the commission is Arkady
Ghukassian. The commission includes the heads of the National Assembly
and the government, the secretary of the Security Council, advisor to
the president A. Zalinian, chairmen of the NA committees
V. Atanessian, Y. Hayrapetian, A. Mossiyan, chairman of the ARF
faction V. Balayan, member of parliament A. Sarghissian, ministers R.
Hayrapetian and A. Ghulian, as well as the secretary of the Communist
Party H. Melkumian. Changes in the personnel will probably mean
activation of the commission. By the way, so far the commission has
not convened a meeting.
NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 19 2004
ONLY TEVOSSIAN AND ZORGE STREETS TO BE REPAIRED IN STEPANAKERT
This year it is planned to repair only the streets Baghramian,
Tevossian and Zorge in Stepanakert, said the prime minister of NKR
Anoushavan Danielian, in answer to Youri Hayrapetian who raised the
question of bad condition of the streets Abovian, Parseghov and
Saroyan. According to the member of parliament the streets are almost
impassable for traffic. Every year the City Hall includes these
streets in the programs but receives no funding. The questions
remained open.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 19 2004
WHEN WILL BE THE ROAD TO TALISH BUILT?
April 14 was the tenth anniversary of liberation of the village
Talish. During the meeting of the National Assembly member of
parliament Valery Babayan expressed gratitude to all who have their
contribution to the liberation of the village. He mentioned that the
question of repair of the road Martakert-Mataghis-Talish has been
raised for a number of times. Ten months ago the government promised
to repair it but so far the inhabitants of Talish are deprived of
normal communication. According to the acting minister of building
Vagharshak Palanjanian, the roadworks will cost 40 million drams.
This year 112 million drams in total has been provided for repairing
the village roads. Taking into account the cost, the road of Talish
was taken out of the list drawn up in December. According to V.
Palanjanian, however, a new list is being worked out in which the road
of Talish will be included by all means.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 19 2004
IS THE FIRE SERVICE READY TO WORK?
During the April 14 meeting of the National Assembly Alyosha
Abrahamian informed that during the recent fire in Askeran he
witnessed that both the local and central fire services are poorly
equipped. According to him, although the engine arrived in time, the
pipes were so worn that they were unable to extinguish the fire.
Prime minister Anoushavan Danielian said they had not received any
application from the fire service for new equipment. He promised to
attend to the problem and to take measures.
AA.