AZG Armenian Daily #157, 03/09/2005

Independence Day

A VICTORY AT A PRICE

On August 30 of 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted its
independence declaration based on territorial wholeness of Democratic
Republic of Azerbaijan of 1918-1920. Three days later, on September 2,
the Councils of Autonomous Region of Nagorno Karabakh and Shahumian
region called a joint sitting declaring the independent Republic
of Nagorno Karabakh. On December 10 of the same year, a referendum
was held all over Karabakh besides Azeri-populated regions. The
overwhelming majority of participants said “yes” to the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh.

Legally and historically the right of Nagorno Karabakh for an
independent state is indisputable. Azerbaijan declared its independence
within the borders of Musafat Azerbaijan of 1918-1920, of which Nagorno
Karabakh never was a part. The League of Nations did not rejected
Azerbaijan’s membership as the latter pretended to join the most
influential organization of its time with “disputable territories”
behind. On November 30 of 1920, the Revolutionary Committee of
Azerbaijan accepted the epistle to Armenia’s Revolutionary Committee
that said: “From now on, the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan
is to be considered non-existing. Nagorno Karabakh, Zangezur and
Nakhichevan are recognized as part of Soviet Socialist Republic
of Armenia”. But Narimanov (chairman of the Council of People~Rs
Commissars of Azerbaijan) edited the letter of December 2 presenting it
this way: “The provinces of Zangezur and Nakhichevan are inseparable
part of Soviet Armenia but the workers of Nagorno Karabakh get the
right of self-determination”.

By formation of the Soviet Union Nagorno Karabakh was forced into
the structure of Azerbaijan and remained there for 7 decades on
terms of an autonomous region. The collapse of the Soviet Union
gave birth to two independent states, Nagorno Karabakh Republic and
Azerbaijan, on the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan. The latter was
immediately recognized by the world community whereas Karabakh is
still unrecognized, deprived of international support and suffering
the consequences of Azeri blockade.

Azerbaijan’s response to the September 2 decision was the war. Despite
success in the first half of the war, Azerbaijan was defeated in the
war that it provoked and agreed to a cease-fire only in 1994 averting
additional territorial loss. The victory of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh was tearful. The Armenian people, Armenians of Artsakh first
of all, paid incredibly great price for Karabakh’s liberation.

Each September 2, officials of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, part of
whom are former freedom fighters, take part in regular celebration of
birthday of Nagorno Karabakh Republic and lay flowers to the graves
of the perished. Only a life of dignity in free though unrecognized
republic may offer relief to the mothers, wives and children of
thousands of young Armenians who put their lives on the altar of
freedom.

By Tatoul Hakobian