Category: News

A1 Plus | 21:52:20 | 10-03-2004 | Politics |
KOCHARYANS’ OPPONENTS HELD RALLY IN LORI PROVINCE
Opposition alliance Justice toured Armenia’s Lori province on Wednesday.
About one thousand people attend a rally staged by the opposition activists.
The alliance’s leader Stephan Demirchyan said the republic is badly in need
of transfer of power. MP Victor Dallakyan added that the day of ousting
current authorities is already coming up. The first to stand trial will be
Lori governor Henrik Kochinyan, who has pocketed 16 million dollars while
holding the office of transport minister.
—

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
L.L. 50 MILLION IS DONATED TO THE ARMENIAN LEBANESE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
BY “KHATCHIG BABIKIAN FOUNDATION”
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – Established in 2001, right before the death of Khatchig
Babikian, the former member of Lebanese Parliament and the chairman of the
executive council of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, the “Khatchig
Babikian Foundation” will donate 50 Milion Lebanese pounds for the Armenian
community schools in Lebanon for the current academic year.
The president of the foundation is His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. Its
executive committee includes Mr. Andre Tabourian, Mr. Vosgeperan
Arzoumanian, Mr. Yervant Pamboukian, and the three daughters of the late Mr.
Babikian, namely Rane Marie Babikian-Kiwan, Tina Babikian-Assaf and Carole
Kokoni.
Before his death Khatchig Babikian donated to the Foundation the major part
of his assets mainly composed of lands. The capital of the foundation will
increase with the income of the sale of the lands. Only the interests of the
capital will be used for humanitarian, educational and cultural projects.
##
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.

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
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I WILL TAKE PART IN 10th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION
OF THE GENOCIDE IN RWANDA
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – His Holiness Aram I is invited by the government of
Rwanda to bring his participation at the 10th anniversary commemoration of
the genocide in Rwanda, which will take place in Kigali the capital city.
His Holiness’ visit will take place from 18-21 April 2004. He will address
an international conference on “Genocides in the 20th century and lessons to
humanity”. Catholicos Aram I will also address an ecumenical worship on the
stadium of Kigali. In his public interventions His Holiness will refer to
the Armenian Genocide, which is the first Genocide of the 20th century and
the Rwandan genocide being the last.
In his invitation letter to His Holiness the foreign minister of Rwanda Dr.
Charles Murigande writes: “You stood by the people of Rwanda as they
struggled to deal with the terrible consequences of genocide. It therefore
gives me pleasure, on behalf of the people and government of Rwanda, to
invite you to the ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the 1994
genocide to be held in Kigali on 7th of April, 2004. Join us to reflect on
how to prevent and banish genocide for ever through active universal
solidarity”.
His Holiness will also meet the president and church leaders of Rwanda.
A high ranking delegation will accompany His Holiness during this visit. It
will include Dr. Sam Kobia, the General Secretary of the World Council of
Churches, Dr. Andre Karamagali, the director of the Department on Africa
affairs, Bishop Dandala, the General Secretary of All Africa Council of
Churches, Ms Teny Pirri-Simonian, the director of Church Relations
Department of the WCC, and Rev. Krikor Chiftjian, the Director of the
Catholicosate’s Information and communication Department.
The visit of His Holiness to Rwanda will follow a visit to Nairobi, Kenya.
The visitation program to Nairobi will include a public lecture on “The
challenges facing the ecumenical movement and Africa”, meeting with church
leaders, visit the headquarters of all Africa Council of Churches, visit
with the president, and address at the ecumenical worship.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

A1 Plus | 15:44:39 | 11-03-2004 | Social |
YOUNG DIPLOMATS DEMANDING FOR HONOUR
Club of Young Diplomats has voiced its outrage concerning the recent
statement of British Ambassador to Armenia denying the Armenian Genocide.
For the sake of the millions martyred in 1915 and their honor the young
people demand the Ambassador to apologize for her insulting and inaccurate
statement.
Club urges citizens to contact the British Embassy to express their protest.
For that purpose the young people even suggest help allowing appropriate
text and addresses.
—

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
THE ARCHBISHOPS AND LAY REPRESENTATIVES OF EASTERN, CANADIAN AND
WESTERN PRELACIES IN ANTELIAS
ANTELIAS, LEBANON – The Archbishops and the representatives of three
Prelacies of the Eastern, Canadian and Western prelacies will travel to
Antelias next week, to meet His Holiness Aram I and the Religious and lay
executive councils of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of
Cilicia.
The meetings will be extended over five days. The executive council, under
the leadership of His Holiness, will first meet separately with each prelacy
representatives and then jointly to discuss issues and projects related to
the three Prelacies.
The representatives will also take part in different activities organized in
conjunction with these meetings.
These meetings are part of the on-going meeting that His Holiness convenes
regularly with the diocesan prelates and lay representatives.
##
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.

A1 Plus | 17:23:19 | 11-03-2004 | Culture |
FOLK VANGUARD IN LIVE PERFORMANCE
On the initiative of Arto-Tunj Boyajyan Armenian Navy Band presents a music
club at Pushkin 3a on March 13. Journalists from European countries are
invited.
The Club will be closed on Mondays only. Eminent and worthy musicians will
play on the club stage. The prices for the tickets of concerts of foreign
and local musicians will be different. Music will sound in the club all day
long, and beginning from 8:00 PM groups will perform in live.
According to Arto-Tunj Boyajyan, they want to introduce the present sticking
to roots, so they have called their music folk vanguard.
—

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
MARCH 5-11, 2004
HIGHLIGHTS:
STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE TRAGEDY IN
BUDAPEST
“PARTNERSHIP FOR OPEN SOCIETY” INITIATIVE AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF
AMENDMENTS TO THE RA LAW “ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION”
RA GOVERNMENT APPROVED THE MODEL PROCEDURE FOR ACCREDITING JOURNALISTS IN
THE STATE ADMINISTRATION BODIES
STATEMENT OF ARMENIAN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE TRAGEDY IN
BUDAPEST
On March 9, 2004 four public organizations of Armenia – Yerevan Press Club,
Helsinki Committee of Armenia, Civil Society Institute and Caucasian Center
of Peace Initiatives – disseminated a joint statement on the assassination
of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian by his Azerbaijani colleague in
Budapest.
“We, similarly to all our compatriots, were greatly shattered by the
barbarous murder of Armenia officer Gurgen Margarian by Azerbaijani peer
Ramil Safarov. The tragic incident in Budapest provoke numerous thoughts:
about the hate incitement towards Armenian in Azerbaijan that forms the
moral and psychological ground for such crimes as well as about the
connivance of certain international structures to the destructive policy in
Baku, narrowing down the prospects of dialogue with Armenia.
At the same time the irresponsible statements by several Armenian political
and public figures, the publications in media during the recent days cannot
but cause our serious concern. In particular, the Chairman of the Standing
Committee of Foreign Affairs of the RA National Assembly Armen Rustamian,
during the commemoration action for victims of Sumgait pogroms and the head
of the Parliament faction of Republican Party Galust Sahakian during a
briefing at NA on March 4, speaking about the assassin of Gurgen Margarian,
indulged into unacceptable generalizations to the address of Azerbaijan
nation as such.
These statements by politicians of such a high rank, representing a
governing political coalition, are all the more unacceptable since they can
be qualified as an official position of ours state, can create new obstacles
for the negotiations on the peaceful resolution of Karabagh conflict and the
normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The artificial intensification of anti-Armenian sentiment in Azerbaijan and
its consequences are to be most strongly criticized, but they can in no way
become a justification for dissemination of racist and chauvinist ideas,
alien to our society.
However hard our experiences related to Budapest tragedy are, we call to
display political reticence and hope that common sense and democratic values
will remain guiding for our country”, the statement of the Armenian NGOs
says.
“PARTNERSHIP FOR OPEN SOCIETY” INITIATIVE AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF
AMENDMENTS TO THE RA LAW “ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION”
On March 5 the expanded meeting of “Partnership for Open Society” coalition,
uniting over 30 non-governmental organizations, was held. It was devoted to
the draft law on amending the RA Law “On Freedom of Information”, approved
by the RA Government (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, February 20-26, 2004).
The RA National Assembly deputy, one of the authors of the Law Victor
Dallakian and a representative of “Democracy” NGO Vardan Poghosian noted
that the Law “On Freedom of Information” adopted on September 23 and
enforced since November 14, 2003 is quite progressive and is up to
international standards. Therefore, the amendments approved by the
Government on February 12, when the Law has not been actually applied, are
premature, particularly, since their majority reduced the democratic
potential of the acting legislation. The allusions of the amendment authors
to the controversies within the Law and its contradiction to the RA
Constitution, as quoted in the appropriate resolution of the Government, are
groundless.
The initiative of the Government to introduce amendments to the Law “On
Freedom of Information” has already received broad negative response both in
Armenia and abroad. The calls to withdraw the governmental amendments were
already voiced by Freedom of Information Civic Initiate, “Article 19” Global
Campaign for Free Expression, Open Society Justice Initiative.
Common amazement is caused by the fact that despite the numerous requests,
neither the RA Ministry of Justice that authored the amendments, nor the
Government presented the official text of the draft approved to the public
organization, despite the numerous requests, thus seriously violating the
principles of freedom of information as such.
As a result of a discussion at an expanded session of the “Partnership for
Open Society” and upon the suggestion of the President of Yerevan Press Club
Boris Navasardian an address to the RA Government was passed, made up of
four main demands:
– To withdraw the draft law “On Introducing Amendments and Additions to the
RA Law “On Freedom of Information”;
– To ensure the application of the RA Law “On Freedom of Information”,
passed in September 23, including the speedy development and adoption of the
appropriate sublegislative acts, not to relate the possible need for the
improvement of the Law to its application;
– Should there be initiatives on amending the law, to broadly discuss them
with representatives of civil society;
– When initiating amendments to the Law, to supplement them by specific and
detailed justification.
RA GOVERNMENT APPROVED THE MODEL PROCEDURE FOR ACCREDITING JOURNALISTS IN
THE STATE ADMINISTRATION BODIES
On March 4 at the session of the RA Government the Model Procedure for
accrediting journalists in the state administration bodies was approved. The
procedure was developed by the RA Ministry of Justice in compliance with the
requirements of the RA Law “On Mass Communication”, passed in December,
2003.
As it has been reported, the discussion of the document with journalistic
associations was rather constructive (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, January
30 – February 5, 2004), however, we are induced to restate our amazement at
the official document being not provided, despite our numerous requests to
do so. This happens to the second legislative initiative of the Government,
related to media activities and cannot fail to alarm the journalistic
community.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
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this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

A1 Plus | 17:44:24 | 11-03-2004 | Social |
AN ATTEMPT AT OUR CITIZEN
Last night at attempt upon life of Armenian MP Tatul Manaseryan who is in
San Bernardino cell of California was made. A black male prisoner of the
jail attempted Manaseryan’s life. {BR}
The relatives of Tatul Manaseryan held a protest action near the USA Embassy
in Armenia. Manaseryan’s aunt Kima Virabyan assured that Manaseryan had been
arrested baselessly and no accusation had yet been brought over the case.
It is to remind that Tatul Manaseryan was arrested on January 15 in one of
Washington airports. Mrs Virabyan said that the arrest played into the hands
of our Authorities. “They want Tatul to be abroad this period. The first
session was to take place today. But everything was done to drag it out”.
Virabyan said they had come to ask USA Ambassador to support to release
Manaseryan. She stated the reason for oppressing Manaseryan is his activity
in the opposition field.
USA Embassy didn’t receive Manaseryan’s relatives. Armenian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs promised to receive them tomorrow.
—

The Moscow Times
Thursday, Mar. 11, 2004. Page 13
Covering Up Potholes Doesn’t Fix Corruption
By Kim Iskyan
Corrupt activities in the developing world — government ministers
controlling local industry cash cows, traffic cops shaking down random
motorists for a buck or two, tax inspectors squeezing small businesses until
they bleed — tend to be homegrown.
But abuse of power in Armenia is often exacerbated by the misguided and
naive efforts of foreign do-gooders, including wealthy outsiders with a few
teaspoons of Armenian blood.
Take the Lincy Foundation. Back in June 2000, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan lobbied Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who is of Armenian
descent, for handouts.
Tell us what you want, Kerkorian’s Lincy Foundation said, as the candy
cupboard door swung open.
Three years and $165 million later downtown Yerevan has spanking new
sidewalks, bigger highways and fewer potholes. There’s better tourism
infrastructure, and people hit by a 1988 earthquake now have a permanent
roof over their heads.
One of the greatest beneficiaries was Kocharyan, who was happy to take
credit for the improvements during his re-election campaign last year.
Never mind that the money spent amounted to more than twice the total annual
health care budget for 2003. Fresh blacktop is nice, but so are doctors and
medicines.
And many of the new roads were riddled with potholes in under a year, thanks
to shoddy workmanship by contractors handpicked by the government.
While the Lincy Foundation certainly helped the economy in the short term,
it missed a golden opportunity to try to bring about sustainable, long-term
growth by investing in the country’s economy.
Often, foreign investors in Armenia — usually diaspora Armenians — let
their feelings overrule business sense. They buy into ideas, sometimes sold
to them by selfish and arrogant government bureaucrats, that wouldn’t
warrant a moment’s consideration back home.
Other times, diaspora investors cut sweetheart deals with the government,
thereby destructively promulgating the culture of corruption. Instead of
being a force for change, they sometimes wind up propagating the same old
corrupt system.
Yes, it could be worse. Transparency International ranked Armenia 78th out
of 133 countries surveyed in its Corruption Perceptions Index. This compares
with, say, Russia (86th), or Azerbaijan and Georgia (tied at 124th).
But comparing yourself with some of the ugliest kids on the block doesn’t
make you pretty. And it could be so much better, if only the do-gooders
looked in the mirror once in a while.
Kim Iskyan, a freelance journalist and consultant based in Yerevan, Armenia,
contributed this comment to The Moscow Times.
—

PRESS RELEASE
Zoryan USA
Tel: 617-669-7639
[email protected]
Zor [email protected]
Northeastern University Armenian Students Association an Zoryan
Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research & Documentation present:
The Genocide and Armenian National Identity Changes During the
Karabagh Movement (1988-1990) A lecture by Prof. Harutyun Marutyan
In his presentation, Dr. Harutyun Marutyan describes how, in the case
of the Karabagh Movement, historical memory played an instrumental and
positive role, particularly in the process of the liberation of
Armenia from the Soviet regime, and in the building of an independent
state aspiring to democratic values and the creation of a civil
society.
Through the examination of posters and banners of the Karabagh
Movement, Dr. Marutyan explains how the mechanism of historical
memory functioned in the Movement. These posters represented “images
of identity” and serve as an index of the collective understanding of
the Movement by its participants. Changes in these images directly
echoed changes in the situation.
Dr. Harutyun Marutyan is a Social/Cultural Anthropologist, Senior
Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in the
National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and is also Visiting Professor
of Anthropology at Yerevan State University. Currently, Dr. Marutyan
is Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Anthropology Program, MIT.
Lecture will take place Tuesday, March 30, 2004 at 6:00 p.m.
Dodge Hall, room 173
Northeastern University
324 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA
Free Admission