ARMENIAN YOUTH PARTY TO SEND DELEGATION TO MOSCOW TO PROTEST RACIAL KILLINGS

Armenpress
Apr 27 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: The last weakened killing of an
Armenian student in Moscow and an attack on an Armenian film critic
have re-ignited anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia with many of
its ordinary citizens questioning the wisdom of Yerevan’s allied
relationships with Moscow.

The Youth Party of Sarkis Asatrian was the first among political
forces to react publicly to what he termed was ‘the sinister wave
of hate murders across Russia.” Speaking to a news conference today
he urged all Armenians irrespective of their political affiliation,
to show determination and unity to demand that Russian government
takes swift action to put an end to racial killings.

But Asatrian warned that protest actions alone would not be
sufficient, saying other ways of struggle must be put in action, by the
government, but very cautiously so that not to harm Russian-Armenian
relations. “The government must take all possible actions, develop a
list of actions, have a plan of actions to press for an end to this
problem,’ he said.

Asatrian said he was concerned that the so-called Russian ‘skinheads’
who are behind murders and attacks on non-Slavs could have been
trained by special interior squads. This means, according to him,
that they are not ‘hooligans’ as declared by Russian officials,
but ‘ a well-organized group.” Asatrian went on to argue that
many forces inside and outside Russia are interested in inciting
instability across it and even ‘to force a wedge in Russian-Armenian
relationships. Asatrian said his party will gather a team of 15
prominent Armenian intellectuals to fly them to Moscow on May 15
where they will meet officials from the Russian president’s staff,
chief prosecutor’s office, interior and foreign ministries.

“This time we have to be resolute and act jointly so that to have a
dialogue with able Russian forces to shift the problem to a civilized
field,’ he said, adding it was regretful that attacks on Armenians
in Russia are taking place in a year declared Year of Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress