ARMENIAN MP LEAVE WORLD CONGRESS OF PATRIOTIC PARTIES
Author: J. Shakhverdiyev
TREND Info, Azerbaijan
May 4 2006
Armenian MPs and heads of parties left the third world congress of
patriotic parties in Moscow they were participating in, Trend reports
quoting Fuad Aliyev, head of Liberal-democratic party of Azerbaijan,
who was partaking in this congress.
He said the reason for Armenian’s leave was the speech on genocide
they committed on Azerbaijanis. Aliyev said also upon leaving the
first part of the congress, heads of Armenian parties and Armenian
MP then took part in the second part of the event.
Aliyev said Armenian MP Armen Ashotyan in his speech called Nizmai
Ganjevi non-Azeri poet, whose name was misappropriated by Azerbaijan.
In turn, Aliyev performed with a speech revealing Ashotyan’s
insinuations.
The congress gathers representatives of parties of liberal-democratic
orientation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Special account opened
04.05.2006 17:19
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – A special account (Acc. Number 900013017026) has been
opened at the Armenian Finance and Economy Ministry for transfers from
non-governemntal sources to aid the families of the victims killed in the
crash of the Armenian plane flying from Yerevan to Sochi on May 3.
Those willing to aid the families can transfer money to the mentioned
account.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

USINFO.STATE.GOV
02 May 2006
New Studies Note Decline of Free Media in Former Soviet Union
Studies by press freedom groups mark World Press Freedom Day
By Jeffrey Thomas
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington — Free media in a number of countries that once belonged to
the former Soviet Union continue to decline, according to new studies
released by press freedom groups to mark World Press Freedom Day May 3.
Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov personally approves the
front-page content of the major dailies, and the Central Asian
country’s newscasters begin each broadcast with a pledge that their
tongues will shrivel if their reports ever slander Turkmenistan,
the flag or the president.
Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov has re-established a Soviet-style
dictatorship that relies on “an informal system of state censorship,”
forcing foreign correspondents to leave the country and jailing Uzbek
journalists, six of whom were in prison at the end of 2005. (See
related article.)
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s administration has
stopped independent newspapers from being printed and distributed,
jailed journalists for attempting to cover opposition rallies,
and criminalized criticizing the president or “discrediting Belarus
abroad.”
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus represent the worst of the
worst in the former Soviet space, according to an analysis released
May 2 by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which called
state-sponsored censorship one of the most urgent threats facing
journalists worldwide.
In compiling its “10 most-censored” list, CPJ used such criteria
as state control of all media; the existence of formal censorship
regulations; the use by the state of violence, imprisonment and
harassment against journalists; jamming of foreign news broadcasts;
and restrictions on private Internet access.
“People in these countries are virtually isolated from the rest of the
world by authoritarian rulers who muzzle the media and keep a chokehold
on information through restrictive laws, fear and intimidation,”
said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper.
FREEDOM HOUSE STUDY A major study released April 27 by the independent
nongovernmental organization Freedom House documents setbacks in
press freedom in last year in a number of countries, including Russia,
Uzbekistan and Belarus.
The study, “Freedom of the Press 2006: A Global Survey of Media
Independence,” also shows a longer-term pattern of decline in press
freedom in the former Soviet Union.
The report noted improvements in press freedom in Ukraine and
Kyrgyzstan, both of which are rated “partly free.” The report rates
Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia as “free.”
Freedom House bases its classification of each country on the degree
to which the free flow of news and information is permitted.
Turkmenistan once again was ranked among the five worst countries for
press freedom – along with Burma, Cuba, Libya and North Korea. Press
freedom conditions in Uzbekistan and Belarus put those two countries
in the bottom ten. The study deemed an additional 62 countries “not
free,” including Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Concerning Russia, the study cited obstacles created by Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s government to prevent reporting on
sensitive topics, as well as numerous cases of journalists being
assaulted because they sought to report on corruption or protests
against the government.
“Although the Russian constitution provides for freedom of speech
and of the press, authorities were still able to use the judicial
system to harass and prosecute journalists for independent reporting,”
according to the Freedom House report.
The report also says the Putin government exerts direct influence on
media outlets and determines news content through state ownership or
control of the country’s three main national television networks —
Channel One, RTR and NTV.
But the Freedom House study is not without some good news, according to
the group’s Christopher Walker, director of studies, who described the
report’s highlights in an article for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Ukraine since the Orange Revolution of 2004 has significantly improved
its media climate, Walker said. Although the country “still confronts
the challenges that accompany oligarchic ownership structures,” he
said, its media “have achieved a degree of pluralism and independence
that would have been unthinkable in the pre-Orange Revolution era.”
“The significant yet incomplete progress in Ukraine should serve as
a reminder that overcoming deeply entrenched Soviet-era habits and
practices will be a trying, long-term effort for reform of the media,
as well as for other key institutions that form the building blocks
of democratic societies,” according to Walker.
The study by the Committee to Protect Journalists is available in
English and Russian (PDF, 11 pages) on the group’s Web site.
The Freedom House study includes a global table, regional tables,
and charts and graphs, as well as the survey methodology and detailed
country narrative drafts (PDF, 190 pages).
Christopher Walker’s article, “Press Freedom in Former Soviet Union
Under Assault,” is available on the RFE/RL Web site.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
)
e.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&am p;y=2006&m=M
ay&x=200605021656491CJsamohT0 .7066614&t=eur/eur-latest.html

PRESS RELEASE
UCLA AEF Chair in Armenian History
Contact: Prof. Richard Hovannisian
Tel: 310-825-3375
Email: [email protected]
Release: May 2, 2006
Richard Hovannisian in International Forums on Genocide
UCLA — Professor Richard Hovannisian, Holder of the Armenian
Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA,
has since late March and throughout the month of April continued his
on-going activities related to raising awareness of the Armenian
Genocide and its legacy. During this period, he traveled to Salt
Lake City, Yerevan, Worcester, San Francisco, and Lyon, France, to
deliver lectures work with teachers, and participate in international
symposiums on human rights and genocide.
Utah to Armenia
At the invitation of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at
the University of Utah, Dr. Hovannisian spoke on March 27 on “The
Armenian Genocide: Premeditation or the Radicalization of War,”
in which he assessed the somewhat conflicting historiography about
the decision-making process and perpetration of the genocide. Because
the University of Utah Press recently published a volume by Professor
Guenther Lewy which is aimed at disqualifying the Armenian “tragedy”
as genocide and which subtly utilizes and furthers the arguments of
all previous deniers and the Turkish government, Hovannisian spent
considerable time in the discussion period giving examples not only
of the factual errors in the seemingly-balanced book but also of the
author’s selective cut-and-paste methods that take out of context
entirely what is actually stated in the sources he cites. Although
Lewy insists that he has “no ax to grind,” he has in fact sharpened
it with premeditation, just as he previously has done in volumes that
discount the enormity of the Gypsy annihilation during World War II and
the treatment of the American Indians during U.S. colonial expansion.
To further research on and recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the
Boghossian Brothers, originally from Lebanon and now with offices in
Europe, have given a sizable grant to the All-Armenia Fund to reward
the author or creator of the most effective work on the genocide.
Richard Hovannisian was in Yerevan in late March and early April to
serve as the co-chair of the international jury that reviewed and
ranked the submissions for the first competition. Two presidential
prizes, each carrying a monetary gift of $10,000, were awarded for
the best submission from a resident of Armenia and one from abroad.
The jury selected Verjine Svazlian of Armenia for her work in oral
history and the collection of the woeful songs of exile that were
sung in Turkish by Armenian women deportees (now also published in
Turkey), and Edgar Hilsenrath of Germany for his Story of the Last
Thought, a powerful novel about the genocide and memory which has
been translated into several languages.
Genocide Education
Immediately after returning to Los Angeles, Hovannisian was the keynote
speaker on April 5 for an in-service teachers’ workshop of the Glendale
Unified School District on why and how to teach about the Armenian
Genocide. The teachers, according to Sara Cohan, Education Director of
Genocide Education Project which coordinated the event, were deeply
moved and impressed by the “smooth and thoughtful” presentation
and “compelling overview” of the Armenian experience. Hovannisian
previously participated in similar teacher workshops coordinated
by Facing History and Ourselves, Inc., in Los Angeles, Montebello,
Santa Barbara, Los Gatos, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Brookline,
Worcester, New York City, Annandale-on-Hudson, Long Island, Memphis,
and West Palm Beach.
Professor and Dr. Vartiter Hovannisian traveled to Clark University in
Worcester on April 19-20 at the invitation of President John Bassett
to take part in the celebration of the successful completion of the
fundraising campaign for the Kaloosdian-Mugar Chair of Armenian
Genocide Studies and Modern Armenian History. This is the only
position in Armenian Studies in the United States that carries the word
“Genocide” in its title, with the first chair holder being Dr. Simon
Payaslian, a graduate of UCLA’s Armenian History program.
During a dinner for major donors hosted by President and Mrs. Bassett
at their residence, the Harrington House, Hovannisian delivered a
congratulatory message and challenge to attract and support students
to the program. Then, following an engaging public lecture by Professor
Payaslian on his recent book, United States Policy toward the Armenian
Question and Armenian Genocide, he reflected briefly on the issue of
pragmatism versus humanitarianism in foreign policy.
Richard Hovannisian was in San Francisco City Hall on April 25
as the keynote speaker for the Bay Area’s commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide. Following the greetings of Mayor Gavin Newsom
and other civic officials and remarks in Armenian by Dr. Antranig
Kasbarian, Hovannisian addressed the large gathering on the theme
of universalizing the Armenian experience as a way of integrating
it into collective human memory. He noted the progress made toward
that goal in recent years and the challenges that still have to be
met in the long but unflagging struggle of the Armenian people for
international recognition and condemnation of the crime and for acts
of contrition and restitution by the perpetrator side.
Lyon, France
>From San Francisco, Dr. Hovannisian traveled to Lyon to participate
in a international symposium on April 28-29 under the honorary
presidency of Mary Robinson, former president of the Irish Republic
and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The conference
was organized by “Le Collectif Reconnaissance,” an alliance of
fifteen human rights groups, with support from a variety of French
academic institutions, municipal and regional administrations, and
the French Senate and Ministry of Culture. The primary themes of the
conference were devoted to Genocides and Crimes against Humanity;
The Consequences of Genocides; and The Prevention of Genocides:
Obstacles and Dynamics for Action. Each of the three themes was
further divided into particular topics. Opening addresses were made
by Jules Mardirossian, president of “Le Collectif Reconnaissance,”
and Jean-Jack Queyranne, former president of the Rhone-Alpes Region.
For the session on the political consequences of genocide, Richard
Hovannisian was asked to speak on a topic that appeared in the program
with the lengthy French title, “The Crime and Its State Denial Are
the Foundations of the Successor State That Oppresses the Survivors
and Nourishes Antagonisms: The Example of the Armenian Genocide and
Kemalist Turkey.” In his presentation, Hovannisian traced the patterns
of denial from the very beginning of the Genocide in 1915 through the
forced exodus of the survivors and appropriations of Armenian goods
and properties by the Kemalist regime in the 1920s.
He analyzed the efforts of the Turkish state to deceive and to suppress
memory of the crime, a campaign that has gone through several distinct
phases and now continues into the twenty-first century. General and
specific aspects of genocide and its prevention were addressed by
the twenty-five conference participants, who included, among others,
Roger Smith of the United States, Yair Auron of Israel, and Sevane
Garibian, Janine Altounian, and Kevork Kepenekian of France. A powerful
visual display, mounted under the direction of Daniel Meguerditchian,
incorporated the crimes committed against the Armenians, Ukrainians,
Jews, Gypsies, Cambodians, Tibetans, and Rwandans and other African
peoples.
While in Lyon, Professor Hovannisian visited the newly-dedicated
Armenian memorial in the heart of the city at the Place Bellecour.
Designed by architect Leonardo Basmadjian, the monument includes
thirty-six aesthetically-placed columns and a ground-level,
gold-lettered stonework with a trilingual commemorative inscription
in French, English, and Armenian: “In the memory of the 1,500,000
Armenians, who were exterminated by the ‘Young Turk’ government during
the years 1915-1918, and of the victims of all genocides and crimes
against humanity.”
END

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
WESTERN PRELACY’S APRIL 24 EVENT
DIANA APCAR: A HEROIC SERVANT OF THE ARMENIAN CAUSE
In the month of April, with the deluge of Genocide commemoration
events, it’s rare and refreshing to find a hall filled to capacity for
what many refer to as a “cultural” event. On the evening of Sunday,
April 30, under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, Los Angeles area residents were educated
and enlightened about the power and strength of Armenians all over
the world.
The main attraction of the event was the book, From the Book of
One Thousand Tales: Stories of Armenia and Her People 1892-1922,
a collection of sixteen short stories, written by Diana Apcar,
Armenia’s Honorary Consul General to Japan during the first Armenian
Republic. Lucille Apcar, granddaughter of Diana Apcar, contacted H.E.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian to introduce herself and her
grandmother’s book, after she discovered the original manuscripts in
the rubble of her parents’ home in Yokohama.
The program went beyond introducing the author and the book to Western
Prelacy friends and supporters. It went beyond commemorating the
Armenian Genocide victims and martyrs. The program distinguished itself
from other events due to its unique content and messages delivered
by activist Raffi Hamparian, Lucille Apcar and Archbishop Mardirossian.
Raffi Hamparian reminded attendees about the importance of
collaboration, participation and support. He continued by emphasizing
the value of time as he requested individuals to remember Genocide
survivors who did not abandon their culture or heritage after
witnessing the burning of churches, inhumanities to man, and the
continuance of struggle to merely survive.
The program included a brief biography of Diana Apcar presented by
Master of Ceremonies Mr. George Bedigian, comments by Honorable Gagik
Giragossian, Consul General of Armenia, and Honorable Dr. Masahiro
Kohara, Acting Consul General of Japan. The program also included
the reading of excerpts from the book, including “The Sultan’s Cat,”
a short story with a stunning metaphor equating the well-mannered
feline pet with an obsequious Turkish Sultan seeking the acceptance and
respect of his surrounding countries, including the Armenian Patriarch.
Entertainment that evening included musical interludes by Ms. Nanor
Jamakordzian, Violin and Ms. Hermine Amirian, Vocal, accompanied by
Mrs. Garine Der Gevorkian on the piano.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian closed the program with words of
praise, gratitude and prayer. His remarks celebrated the life of
Diana Apcar and the many lost lives of the Armenian Genocide. He
acknowledged the grand efforts of men and women around the world
and their dedication to their faith and the Armenian nation-women
like Diana Apcar, whose knowledge and grasp of Armenia’s history
is incredible when one learns that she was born in Burma, lived in
Japan for 43 years and never set foot in any of the countless Armenian
cities and towns of which she wrote about. Thus, this can only attest
to a voracious reading of Armenian history and a lasting love of her
ethnic heritage.
“The Western Prelacy is dedicated to working diligently to revitalize
the cultural, spiritual, and educational conditions of its community,”
said Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. “The Western Prelacy has and
will continue to make a substantial impact on expanding its reach
to the Armenian-American community as we continue to see dedicated
activists and humanitarians like the Apcar women.”
To view this special event, please watch the Western Prelacy T.V.
program on Sunday, May 7th at 9:00 a.m. on Horizon. For a copy of
this book, please call the Western Prelacy at 818-248-7737.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
04-05-2006
Minister Oskanian Participated at International Conference in Vilnius
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is concluding a two-day visit to Vilnius,
Lithuania, where he participated in the international conference entitled
“Common Vision for a Common Neighborhood.” The presidents of Lithuania and
Poland opened the conference. High level officials from two dozen European
countries were in attendance.
President Adamkus, on behalf of all participants, expressed condolences on
the tragic crash of the Armavia plane yesterday, over Sochi, and the
resulting loss of life.
In his statement, Minister Oskanian first expressed Armenia’s appreciation
for the generous expressions of sympathy, and proceeded to speak about
political processes in the post-soviet space.
Minister said, “Democracy is not a one-shot deal, it does not happen
overnight. We know that, and we believe that as long as you know that you
are on the right track and are confident that you are moving forward and not
backtracking, then the evolutionary and incremental approach to democracy is
more effective and enduring.”
He also reflected on the Nagorno Karabakh resolution process.
“With their oil resources and with high oil prices, Azerbaijan has
unfortunately come to believe, or at least they publicly proclaim, that
there is a military option available to them. With that kind of thinking, it
will not be easy to compromise. But they need to be told very clearly by the
EU and others, that there is no military option, so that they make the
necessary compromises, as Armenia has already done, to reach a peaceful
resolution,” Minister Oskanian said.
In the margins of the conference, Minister Oskanian met with Javier Solana,
High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy,
Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union. They discussed the
European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan which is near completion. They also
spoke about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the Minister updated the High
Representative on the status of the process.
Minister Oskanian also met with Karel de Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Belgium, and the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE. They explored
Armenia-OSCE relations, as well as the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The two
ministers discussed Armenia-Belgium bilateral issues, as well.
Finally, Minister Oskanian met with the Foreign Minister of Romania, Razvan
Ungureanu with whom he discussed bilateral issues and matters dealing with
the Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership to be held in Bucharest in
early June.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY AND ARMENIAN DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS OPEN BOOKS OF CONDOLENCES
AZG Armenian Daily
04/05/2006
On occasion of yesterday’s tragic crash of Armenian jet that claimed
lives of 113 people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and
Armenia’s diplomatic representations worldwide will open books of
condolences and will lower the Armenian tricolor.
For foreign embassies in Armenia the book of condolences will be open
on May 5 and 6 from 12.00 to 3.00 pm.

CHANGES IN LAW ON CONSCRIPTION
AZG Armenian Daily
04/05/2006
On May 2, Artur Aghabekian, deputy defense minister, presented the
suggested amendments to the Law on Conscription. He informed that
an ad hoc commission set by the decree of the Armenian president
involving lawmakers is drawing up a document on organizing national
security strategy. Armenia receives professional support within
the framework of Armenia-NATO cooperation. The document will enter
National Assembly in late 2006 and afterwards will be presented to
the president for confirmation.
Simultaneously the process of introducing civil life elements into the
army has begun. Defense Ministry is specifying the positions that can
be replaced by civil servants. The Law on Conscription allows that
the Ministry gradually pass to military service on contract basis,
which is a way of creating a professional army. Artur Aghabekian stated
that there are already detachments in the Armenian army that enroll
contract servicemen. The peacekeeping detachment is one of them. The
term for contract service is 3-5 years. The issue of reducing the
term for compulsory army service is not on the agenda today.

THE ODYSSEY OF GOLDBERG’S ‘THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’
AZG Armenian Daily
04/05/2006
“Public television’s attempt to illuminate a dark period of European
history is demonstrating that in the world of documentaries, few
topics are black and white. ‘The Armenian Genocide’ began airing this
week on dozens of PBS stations, including nine in the nation’s top
TV markets. Josh Belzman, cover producer on the MSNBC.com, writes on
April 23.
“We chose to air ‘The Armenian Genocide’ based on its merits and
because we felt it was balanced and presented both sides of the story,”
said Lucy Sholley, director of media relations of the WGBH station
in Boston. “We felt the documentary stood on its own.”
KCTS in Seattle aired the film and the panel discussion. Program
manager Eric Maki said in a statement that the station wanted to give
viewers as much information as possible to “make an informed decision”
and “better understand the world around them.”
On April 24 Goldberg screened his documentary at Hollywood’s Egyptian
Theatre before an audience estimated at 1,000. “I didn’t want
this story to not have a chance to be shown to the Armenians in Los
Angeles,” he said. “It’s a story that many of them had taken part in,
through their involvement or just being connected with it.”
Through tattered photos, letters and celebrity voiceovers, the
documentary created by New York-based filmmaker Andrew Goldberg
depicts a Turkish campaign of expulsion, rape, and murder that led
to the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians between
1915 and 1920.
As they come of age, a growing number of Armenian Americans are
demanding the government recognize their ancestors’ deaths as genocide,
Josh Belzman writes.
Filmmakers and Grammy-nominated bands with Armenian roots, such
as System of a Down, have staged benefits calling attention to the
issue. The band and other activists are scheduled to meet with members
of Congress next week to again press their case.
“Is change near? Another look at history casts doubt: Nearly every
year federal legislation is introduced.
All of the measures have either died in the House or languished in
the Senate,” he concludes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WHOLE WORLD CONDOLES WITH ARMENIA
A1+
[11:46 am] 04 May, 2006
Different countries of the world are sending their condoling messages
to Armenia and Russia in connection with the crash of the “Armavia”
airplane “A – 320.”
The personnel of USA President George Bush has already expressed
condolence on the disaster, “We sincerely console with Armenians and
Russians as well as with the families of innocent victims.”
According to the agency “IRNA” the Foreign Ministry of Iran has also
sent consoling message to Armenians.