OSCE co-chair vows to act “fully” responsibly in Karabakh solution

Mediamax news agency
19 Apr 04

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received the US cochairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, in Yerevan today.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Steven Mann said that
he will act fully responsibly in his attempts to solve the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict.

The US diplomat declined to go into the details of the Prague-hosted
talks on 16 April attended by the mediators and the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers and said that it was confidential.

Steven Mann said that he will meet the foreign minister of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Ashot Gulyan, in Yerevan later today. The
mediator said that he is planning to visit Nagornyy Karabakh, but
refused to say when.

[Passage omitted: Steven Mann due to visit Tbilisi tomorrow and then
Baku]

ATP Tennis Masters Series-Monte Carlo Results

Associated Press
April 19, 2004

MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Results Monday from the $US2.92 million ATP
Monte Carlo Masters (seedings in parentheses):

Men
Singles
First Round

Nicolas Devilder, France, def. Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Taylor Dent, United States, def. Jiri Novak (12), Czech Republic, 6-4,
7-5.

Nicolas Kiefer, Germany, def. Hicham Arazi, Morocco, 6-3, 6-3.

David Sanchez, Spain, def. Bohdan Ulihrach, Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4.

Agustin Calleri, Argentina, def. Sjeng Schalken (11), Netherlands, 6-1,
6-3.

Fabrice Santoro, France, def. Igor Andreev, Russia, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Tim Henman (6), Britain, def. Vince Spadea, United States, 6-7 (5), 6-4,
7-6 (5).

Jean-Rene Lisnard, France, def. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3.

Max Mirnyi, Belarus, def. Fernando Gonzalez (13), Chile, 6-4, 6-3.

Jarkko Nieminen, Finland, def. Uros Vico, Italy, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Rainer Schuettler (4), Germany, def. Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil, 7-6 (3),
6-3.

Ivan Ljubicic, Croatia, def. Tommy Robredo, Spain, 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Nikolay Davydenko, Russia, def. Mariano Zabaleta, Argentina, 6-2, 6-4.

Felix Mantilla, Spain, def. Albert Costa, Spain, 6-4, 7-5.

Guillermo Coria (3), Argentina, def. Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, 6-0, 6-1.

Men
Doubles
First Round

Tomas Cibulec and Petr Pala, Czech Republic, def. Paul Hanley,
Australia, and Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Massimo Bertolini, Italy, and Robbie Koenig, South Africa, def. Mariano
Hood and Sebastian Prieto, Argentina, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Agustin Calleri and Guillermo Canas, Argentina, def. Chris Haggard,
South Africa, and Sargis Sargsian, Armenia, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Azeri politicians ambivalent on recognition of Turkish Cypriots

Zerkalo, Baku
17 Apr 04

Azerbaijani politicians are divided on possible consequences of
recognition of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
for the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. The issue came onto the agenda
following the Azerbaijani president’s remarks in Ankara. The
Azerbaijani opposition used to call for this recognition, but is now
criticizing the president’s stance, the executive secretary of the
ruling party said. The following is an excerpt from Teymurxanli’s
report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 17 April headlined “In the
wake of the statement” and subheaded “Azerbaijani politicians comment
on Ilham Aliyev’s remarks”; subheadings inserted editorially:

It probably will not be an exaggeration to say that the Azerbaijani
public’s attitude to President Ilham Aliyev’s recent statement was
ambiguous.

During the official visit to Turkey, Aliyev said [on 15 October] that
“in the event the Turkish Cypriots accept and the Greek community
rejects the reunification at the forthcoming referendum, Azerbaijan
may recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

Zerkalo newspaper contacted Azerbaijani politicians in order to learn
their stance on these remarks. Predictably, their views
diverged. Moreover, for reasons difficult to understand some
politicians simply refused to comment on Aliyev’s statement.

Misleading media coverage

Political analyst [and ex-Foreign Minister] Tofiq Zulfuqarov told
Zerkalo that journalists’ interpretation of the remarks was somewhat
misleading. He talked about two aspects of the statement. First, it is
about supporting the referendum, “i.e. supporting in effect the UN
plan”. Second, “Azerbaijan is ready to back the Turkish population of
the Northern Cyprus if they vote for the reunification of the two
parts of Cyprus”.

“If this is about supporting the idea of the referendum, it means
support for the UN plan which does not envisage creation of two
separate states,” Zulfuqarov said.

In turn, the leader of the Azarbaycan Milli Istiqlal Party, Etibar
Mammadov, said that such a statement could create a precedent for
recognition of Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent state. Should the
Greek community vote “no”, it will in fact reject Northern Cyprus,
Mammadov said. “By contrast, Azerbaijan has not conducted such a
referendum. Therefore, the situations are different and should not be
viewed as similar,” he said.

Hasty remark

Aydin Quliyev, the secretary for ideology of the Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan, described Aliyev’s remarks as hasty. This issue has to be
treated carefully since Armenia is actively conducting a policy to
make the international community recognize Nagornyy Karabakh as an
independent state, he said.

This statement has done tangible damage to Azerbaijan’s interests and
can be viewed as suiting the interests of Turkey’s official
circles. “Albeit Turkey is our strategic partner, their interests must
not be realized at the expense of ours,” Quliyev said.

He also reckons that Aliyev’s remarks will negatively affect relations
with Greece, “because Greece will not be delighted by these words”. It
can be expected that the Armenian lobby will start an intensive
campaign regarding the Greek community’s stance on the referendum. In
the event the independence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
is recognized, this may create a dangerous precedent for recognition
of Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent state.

Ex-prisoner welcomes president’s statement

Isgandar Hamidov, ex-interior minister and chairman of the National
Democratic Party (Grey Wolves) who was recently released from jail,
said that “if there is an intention to recognize the independence of
Northern Cyprus, then I completely welcome it”. He does not believe
either that recognition of Northern Cyprus may result in recognition
of Nagornyy Karabakh’s independence. “There is a UN plan on Cyprus,
and it says that if one of the sides does not vote in the referendum,
then the other one will be recognized by international organizations,”
Hamidov said.

The situations around Northern Cyprus and Nagornyy Karabakh cannot be
compared, he said. “We are anyway unable to step on Karabakh soil,
regardless of whether the international community recognizes Nagornyy
Karabakh or not. And we have the legal right to liberate that
territory.”

Greek-Azerbaijani relations not to be affected

One should not expect any perceptible changes in Greek-Azerbaijani
relations, “since they were not especially friendly anyway”, Hamidov
said. “The Greeks have always sold weapons to Armenians,” he
said. “True, Greece says it supports Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity, but Greek-Armenian companies are active in Armenia and
Nagornyy Karabakh.”

He ruled out the possibility of Greece recognizing Nagornyy Karabakh’s
independence in the event of such a statement. “Even if there is such
a threat, we still should recognize Northern Cyprus’ independence.”

Biased stance

In turn, the executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party,
Ali Ahmadov, said that a biased stance should not be taken on this
issue. “At one time, opposition newspapers frequently carried calls
for Azerbaijan to recognize the independence of the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus. And now they say that this was a mistaken
statement. I believe that everybody should do their best to resolve
this issue,” Ahmadov said. Should the UN plan fail, Azerbaijan will
not agree with violation of Turkish Cypriots’ rights, he said.

[Passage omitted: Minor details]

NEW YORK TIMES TO USE TERM “GENOCIDE” IN REFERENCES TO MASSACRES OF
ARMENIANS IN OTTOMAN TURKEY

19.04.2004 18:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New York Times has lifted its long-standing policy against
the use of the term “genocide” in reference to the massacres of Armenians in
the Ottoman Empire. As reported by the Armenian National Committee of
America, the statement released by the newspaper’s editorial staff says:
“After careful study of scholarly definitions of “genocide” we have decided
to accept the term “genocide” in references to the Turks’ mass destruction
of Armenians in 1915″. To note, Boston Globe taken analogous decision in
July 2003.

HISTORIC RAISING OF ARMENIAN FLAG AT FRESNO CITY HALL

Armenian National Committee, Central California
Post Office Box 626
Fresno, California 93709

PRESS RELEASE

April 18, 2004

Contact: Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman
(559) 977-4894, E-mail, [email protected]

For the first time in Fresno’s history, to help commemorate the Armenian
Genocide, the City of Fresno will raise the Armenian flag to fly alongside
the United States and California flags in front of City Hall.

The flag raising ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 24, 2004, at
the flagpole area of Fresno City Hall (corner of “P” and Fresno Streets).

Steven M. Vartabedian, Associate Justice, 5th District, California Courts of
Appeals, is the guest speaker and Fresno City Councilman Tom Boyajian is the
master of ceremonies. After the presentation of the flag, the Homenetmen
Scouts will raise the Armenian Tricolor alongside the U.S. and California
flags. Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman of Armenian National Committee Central
California will also address the audience.

Over the years, the Fresno City Council has appropriately commemorated the
Armenian Genocide through proclamations citing April 24 as Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day. This year, Armenian National Committee took the initiative
to have the Armenian flag flown over Fresno City Hall to honor the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.

“The US and Armenian flags are symbols of hope, freedom and justice. This
gesture of good will honors the legacy Armenian-Americans share with the
City of Fresno, and it conveys a message that we stand shoulder to shoulder
to help resolve historic injustices, most notably the atrocities that befell
the Armenian people” said Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman.

The community is urged to attend this historic flag raising ceremony.
Parking is free at the designated North and South City Hall lots.

####

PRESS OFFICE
Contact; Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; [email protected]
Website;

His Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan visits
Armenian Church Canadian Diocese

Upon the invitation of His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate
of the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese the Primate of the Diocese of
Artsakh His Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan will be visiting
Canada from the 22nd to 29th April 2004.

-On Friday night, 23rd April 2004 Abp. Martirosyan will participate in
the Martyrs Prayer and Ecumenical service to be held at St Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Cathedral commemorating the 89th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide. Present will be Montreal Church leaders and
eminent politicians.

-On April 24, Abp Martirosyan will be celebrating the Holy Divine
Liturgy at Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Toronto, where regional
Church Leaders and ecumenical representatives will be attending the
special requiem service dedicated to the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.

-On 25th and 26th April, Abp. Martirosyan will visit the Armenian day
school of Toronto and will meet with the representatives of the
Armenian Community of Toronto.

-Upon the instruction of His Eminence Bishop Galstanian, Primate of
the Armenian Church Canadian Diocese, a meeting will be held on the
27th April, 2004 with the Youth of Greater Montreal Area.

On 28th of April, a special reception will be held in honor of His
Eminence Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan, giving an opportunity to
Armenian Community members to meet with His Eminence Archbishop
Martirosyan.

His Eminence Abp. Martirosyan has been the spiritual leader of and an
active participant in the war of liberation of Mountainous Karabakh
(Artsakh province of Historic Armenia). His Eminence was one of the
first Armenians to enter Shoushi, the strategic stronghold that was
held by the Azerbaijani forces. Shoushi’s conquest became the turning
point of liberation of Artsakh. Abp. Martirosyan immediately cleaned
up the All Saints (Amenapergitch) Armenian Church of the city and
celebrated the Divine Liturgy, giving thanks to the Lord for the
liberation of the once vibrant Armenian city of Shoushi. The Primate,
Diocesan clergy, Diocesan Council members and faithful are delighted
and honored to welcome His Eminence Abp Bargev Martirosyan, Primate of
the Diocese of Artsakh.

DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
04/19/2004
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1) New York Times Revises Policy on Armenian Genocide
2) New US Karabagh Envoy Visits Armenia
3) Turkey to Keep Border with Armenia Closed
4) Aram I Stresses Need to Condemn Genocide Perpetrators
5) Antelias Conference on Genocide, Impunity, and Justice

1) New York Times Revises Policy on Armenian Genocide

ANCA WELCOMES HISTORIC MOVE BY NEWSPAPER TO PROPERLY CHARACTERIZE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE

WOODSIDE, NY–The New York Times has lifted its long-standing policy against
the use of the term “Armenian Genocide,” reported the Armenian National
Committee (ANC) of New York.
According to a news release by the International Association of Genocide
Scholars, The New York Times revised guideline for journalists states that
“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 policy goes on to note 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 guidelines continue, noting that, “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.” Finally, it advises journalists
that
“while we may of course report Turkish denials on those occasions when they
are
relevant, we should not couple them with the historians’ findings, as if they
had equal weight.”
“We welcome this decision taken by the New York Times as a meaningful step
toward ending official US complicity in the Turkish government’s campaign to
deny the Armenian Genocide,” said ANC of New York Chairperson Tony Vartanian.
“We appreciate the tremendous contribution of all organizations, historians
and
activists who, over the years, worked to provide the necessary information to
the New York Times so that they can make this informed, but long overdue
decision. Armenian Americans feel a tremendous sense of pride that the
Times–the paper of record–no longer actively participates in the denial of
this great crime against humanity.”
The New York Times’ recently released guidelines returns the newspaper to its
policy of accurate reporting established during the years of the Armenian
Genocide. Nearly 200 articles on the genocide were published by The New York
Times between 1914 and 1922, all of which were compiled in a book by Richard
Kloian titled “The Armenian Genocide-News Accounts from the American Press:
1915-1922.”
For more than two decades, the ANC, working with its network of grassroots
activists around the country, initiated several nationwide campaigns to press
The New York Times to end its practice of dismissing the Armenian Genocide as
simply an Armenian historical claim. Armenian Weekly editor Jason Sohigian has
written extensively to the New York Times, working to provide timely
information and input to the editorial staff.
Last year, the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts spearheaded the successful effort
to urge the Boston Globe to suspend its policy against the use of the term
“genocide” when referring to the Armenian Genocide. The decision was made in
July 2003, setting a precedent for its parent company–The New York Times–to
reexamine its policy.

2) New US Karabagh Envoy Visits Armenia

YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)–Ambassador Steven Mann, the newly appointed chief
US negotiator on Mountainous Karabagh did not reveal details of his talks with
President Robert Kocharian and other senior officials in Yerevan on Monday.
Mann, who is on his first visit to the region in his current capacity as US
co-chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Minsk Group, said he had a “very useful and warm meeting” with Kocharian but
refused to disclose details. “I want to preserve the confidentiality of our
diplomatic dialogue,” he told reporters.
He was scheduled to meet with Ashot Ghulian, the foreign minister of the
Mountainous Karabagh Republic, later in the day.
The US envoy arrived in the Armenian capital three days after a meeting in
Prague between Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and his new Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov. The talks were mediated by the US, Russian, and French
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan, Oskanian said he and Mammadyarov
spent most of their time in Prague familiarizing with one another and did not
discuss any peace proposals in detail. He added that they reached a tentative
agreement to meet again next month.
Oskanian and Mann also met in Yerevan on Monday to discuss approaches to
conflict resolution, and explore means to strengthening the peace talks.
Deputy
foreign minister of Armenia Tatul Margarian and US ambassador to Armenia John
Ordway participated in the discussions.
Mann also met with Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian who was quoted as saying
that Armenia promotes a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and stressed the
Minsk Group’s essential role in the process of regulating the conflict.
Before assuming his current position, Mann for years served as a special US
representative to the Caspian Sea region, focusing on the development of its
oil and natural reserves by Western multinational companies. He admitted that
that his “familiarity with the region” played a major role in his
appointment.
“It has been 25 years that in one way or another I have been working
professionally with the Caucasus region and the former Soviet Union,” he
said.
In January 1992, Mann opened the US Embassy in Yerevan and served as the US
charge d’affaires to Armenia. He served as US ambassador to Turkmenistan from
1998-2001. A career diplomat, Mann has also held posts in Moscow, Jamaica, Sri
Lanka, and Mongolia.
Mann said that he will head to Tbilisi on Tuesday “for consultations with the
Georgian government” before proceeding to Baku later this week. He did not
specify the subject of those consultations.

3) Turkey to Keep Border with Armenia Closed

(AFP)–Turkey reinforced its ties with neighboring Azerbaijan on Monday when
the Turkish foreign minister said his country would not re-open its border
with
Armenia.
“For now, it is out of the question to re-open the Turkish-Armenian border,”
Abdullah Gul said, days after visiting Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to support Baku in its war
against Yerevan over the Mountainous Karabagh enclave. Azerbaijan had feared
that Turkey would re-open its border with Armenia in a bid to please the
European Union, which it is hoping to join. Aliyev said in a recent interview
that relations with Ankara would suffer if Turkey again opened the border.
While Turkey’s foreign minister renewed his support for Azerbaijan on Monday,
he also urged the two countries to find a solution over Karabagh. “We cannot
let this question go into hibernation,” he said. He said Ankara wants to
organize a meeting “in the next few months” between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and
Armenia to help find a settlement over the region.
A Turkish diplomat told AFP that the meeting, the third of its kind in recent
years, could take place on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Istanbul on
June
29.
Improvement of ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia carry significance for
Turkey. Such a prospect can pave the way for a corresponding thaw in relations
between Ankara and Yerevan.

4) Aram I Stresses Need to Condemn Genocide Perpetrators

ANTELIAS–In his speech “Genocides in The 20th Century and Lessons to
Humanity,” delivered to the international conference “Lasting Peace in
Africa,”
His Holiness Aram I, emphasized that taking a punitive approach is crucial in
preventing genocides. Referring to the Armenian Genocide as “still awaiting
justice,” his statement stressed that neither negation nor denial would
promote
dialogue, or serve to restore justice, build peace, or achieve
reconciliation.”

Teny Simonian, who accompanied the General Secretary of the World Council of
Churches Dr. Sam Kobia, delivered the address on behalf of Aram I, who was
unable to travel to Kigali, Rwanda for the conference.
In another address to a public gathering at the Kigali stadium, His Holiness
Aram I expressed extended support to the people of Rwanda in their process of
renaissance and reconciliation. “The truth must be told and accepted; memory
must be respected.” That text was delivered by Very Rev. Krikor Chiftjian, the
Communication Officer of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.
Kobia and Simonian, on behalf of His Holiness Aram I, met with the President
of Kenya and the Prime Minister, and referred to the Armenian Genocide in
their
official meetings and at public gatherings.

5) Antelias Conference on Genocide, Impunity, and Justice

In commemorating the Armenian Genocide this year, the Armenian
Catholicosate of
Cilicia will hold an international conference, “Genocide, Impunity and
Justice,” in addition to religious and political functions marking April 24.
The conference will take place April 22-23 in Antelias, Lebanon, under the
auspices of His Excellency General Emile Lahoud, the President of the Republic
of Lebanon.
Composed of three panels, the conference will address Impunity: a Juridical
Perspective: Impunity: a Religious Perspective; Overcoming Denial and
Impunity.

Several university professors, lawyers, and special guests will participate
part in the conference, including French Court of Cassation Magistrate and
Rapporteur of UN sub-Commission on Human Rights Louis Joinet, who will present
a lecture on the United Nations and the struggle against impunity; Haigazian
University President Dr. Paul Haidostian, who will present a Christian
perspective on impunity; Professor of Sociology and Social Anthropology Dr.
Abdallah El-Sayed, who will present a Muslim perspective on impunity; and
Lebanese University professor Dr. Meguerditch Meguerditchian, who will present
the Armenian experience on overcoming denial and impunity.
The Rwandan president’s representative will address the conference and
participate, along with a high-ranking delegation form Rwanda.

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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.