ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL LEGAL NORMS, FORCIBLE DISPLACEMENT OF ARMENIAN POPULATION OF AZERBAIJANI SSR WAS ETHNIC CLEANSING

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 17 2006

STEPANAKERT, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “18 years
ago tragic events took place in Shoushi that played a big
role in strengthening of confrontation and resumption of the
Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict. On May 16-17 1988, the leadership of
Azerbaijani SSR by means of its agents and Azerbaijani authorities
of Shoushi region of Nagorno Karabakh began forcible displacement
of the Armenian population of the town of Shoushi,” NKR Foreign
Ministry May 16 statement read. The NKR foreign political department
is convinced that these actions that became possible as a result of
impunity of the Armenian massacres in the town of Sumgayit in February
of the same year had a goal to exterminate the Armenian element in
Nagorno Karabakh. According to the document, the circumstance that
these actions considered to be ethnic cleansings according to the
international legal norms did not receive an adequate estimation by
the leadership of the USSR, enabled the authorities of Azerbaijani
SSR to implement massacres and displacement of the Armenian population
(Khanlar, Kutkashen, Vardashen, Shamkhor regions, town of Mingechaur,
etc. – November-December 1988, town of Kirovabad – November 1989, Baku
– January 1990, “Ring” operation – April-June 1991), which created
preconditions for the beginning of a large-scale aggression against
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. NKR Foreign Ministry draws the attention
of the international community to the fact that the militaristic
propaganda and deepening of xenophobia in the Azerbaijani society are
the continuation of the policy of Azerbaijani authorities. The document
contains an appeal to give the respective estimation to these actions
and to recognize the international legal responsibility of Azerbaijani
Republic for mass violations of basic rights of the Armenian population
of the former Azerbaijani SSR and for aggressive war against Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, which “will have great importance in strengthening
of security and peace in the region and final settlement of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict”.