RUSSIAN PAPER PREDICTS HEIGHTENED TENSION IN ARMENIAN- POPULATED REGION OF GEORGIA

ArmenPress
July 20 2005

AKHALKALAKI, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS: A recent conflict between Georgians
and ethnic Armenians living in the mostly Armenian populated region
of Javakhk in Georgia was covered by the Russian newspaper Pravda,
which wrote, “While at first glance the incident appears insignificant,
it can potentially become a grave problem for Georgia.”

The paper writes that until now, stability in the region has been
maintained because of the Russian military base there. “But once
the Russian servicemen leave the region, serious ethnic and economic
problems will emerge-which Georgia is unable–and unwilling to cope.”

Residents of the Armenian-populated town of Akhalkalaki, in Javakhk,
attacked a local branch of Tbilisi State University on Sunday,
shattering windows and breaking furniture. They also attacked Georgian
students, after learning that they had “cleaned up an abandoned church
and surrounding grounds, located in the remote village of Samsa.”

The chairman of Javakhk’s Virk party, however, said those reports are
not accurate. Tavit Rstakian told Radio Liberty that student and a
representative of the Georgian church in Javakhk entered the church
with tools and began to desecrate Armenian inscriptions by removing
stones. Armenian women at the church began to protest their actions,
and were subsequently thrown out by the students. A local source was
quoted by the Regnum news agency as saying that Armenians were deeply
offended by the developments and rose to defend the church from being
seized by Georgians. A police investigation has been launched under
the law on religious intolerance.