RALLY IN JAVAKHK
Azg/arm
2 April 05
On March 31, despite the hindrances from the Georgian officials and
the Georgian Police, a rally took place in Akhalkalak (Javakhk,
Georgia) uniting several thousand people. The Georgian Police put up
roadblocks to hinder the potential rally participants to get to
Akhalkalak from the villages. At 9:00 AM the Police sealed off the
central square in Akhalkalak. However, after some verbal exchanges
with the people and the organizers of the rally, they opened the
square at 11:00 AM. At this time, about six thousand people had
gathered. Towards the end of the rally, the participants already
reached about nine thousand people.
United Javakhk accounted for the results from the last rally, which
took place on March 13 in front of the participants:
1 – The passport services have been returned to Akhalkalak, the tax
services have followed.
2 – Georgian officials agreed to include Armenian history classes in
the curriculum of the Armenian school in Georgia.
United Javakhk furthermore demanded that in the Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda areas the Armenian language be granted official status on
a par with the Georgian language.
United Javakhk will fight with all constitutional means for the
fulfillment of the demands from March 13 and which did not encounter
the needed response from the Georgian authorities:
1) Recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 by the Georgian
Parliament.
2) Voting of a law on the protection of National Minorities Rights in
Georgia.
3) Demand not to withdraw the Russian Military Base in Akhalkalak (as
it represents a major stability and economic factor for the region).
United Javakhk called upon the All Armenian Catholicos to give Javakhk
the status of a separate Diocese.
The participants furthermore called upon Armenians worldwide not to
forget about their kin in Javakhk and to pay attention to the problems
in Javakhk.
And a plea was directed at the Armenian Government to further and help
as much as possible the economic development of Javakhk.
Social Union – “United Javakhk”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress