CONFLICT PARTIES HAVE POTENTIAL FOR PEACE TALKS
E. Babayan

Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
01 June 2006

An international seminar entitled “Evolution and Effective Management
of Conflicts. Principles, Approaches and Technologies” was held on May
18 and 19 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The seminar included representatives
from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, South Osetia,
and Nagorno Karabakh. Our country’s representative was Albert
Voskanian, the director of the Civic Action Centre human rights NGO,
the coordinator of the task force on the missing, hostages and POWs
in the Karabakh conflict area. On returning from Tbilisi Albert
Voskanian told our reporter that he had presented a report on “The
Problem of Disadvantages of Negotiation Formats. Double Standards”
noting that the Karabakh conflict had been artificially moved from the
Karabakh-Azerbaijani to the Armenian-Azerbaijani plane, distorting
the essence of the conflict. “The armistice in 1994 was signed
by three parties: Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. It
is unfair and wrong that Nagorno Karabakh was forced out of the
talks. The people of Karabakh should decide their fate themselves at
the table of negotiations with Azerbaijan directly. The legitimate
government of Nagorno Karabakh must participate in the talks and
represent the interests of its people,” said Albert Voskanian, adding
that in the referendum in 1991 the people of Nagorno Karabakh made
their choice. After his report during the seminar Albert Voskanian
received a number of questions, which mainly referred to the occupied
territories and refugees. Albert Voskanian stated that these are
questions that should be settled at the table of negotiations. “When
we consider the return of Azerbaijani refugees, we should not forget
about the Armenian refugees, who also have the right to live where
they used to live. For the territories occupied during the war,
these are now a “security area” for Nagorno Karabakh, guaranteeing
the security of Nagorno Karabakh settlements in case Azerbaijan
bombs these settlements.” He also reminded the participants about
the territories of Nagorno Karabakh controlled by Azerbaijan, namely
the region of Shahumian, a number of settlements in the regions of
Martakert and Martuni. Albert Voskanian thinks that it is necessary
to prepare the publics of the conflict sides for possible compromise
to achieve progress in the peace talks. “The leaderships of the
conflict parties should work with their publics, prepare them for the
idea that compromise in signing a peace agreement is inevitable and
it is a practical step, not a half measure. This perception lacks,
the Azerbaijani side constantly threatens to start military actions,
and Karabakh displays its readiness to counterattack.” At the same
time, he said the conflict over Karabakh is the only conflict in the
post-Soviet space where no peacemakers are involved. “The military
actions did not resume after signing the armistice on May 12, 1994,
and tens of thousands of lives were spared. This allows concluding
that the conflict sides have the potential for peace talks,” said
Albert Voskanian. Elchin Behbutov, the chairman of the Committee
Against Torture, has stated recently that there are secret prisons
in Karabakh, and the Armenians torture Azerbaijani POWs. In answer to
this statement Albert Voskanian said this is but misinformation. “Our
organization regularly conducts monitoring in the penitentiaries in
the country, the remand prison of Stepanakert and the prison of Shushi
for over four years, to find out the state of sanitation and hygiene,
rights of prisoners, etc. In the reports, which are extended to the
Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, the OSCE
and other international organizations, we have noted a number of times
that the inmates are Armenians only. If there were inmates of other
nationalities, including Azerbaijanis, we would write about it by
all means,” said Albert Voskanian. “The officers of the International
Committee of the Red Cross in Stepanakert also visit the penitentiaries
of Nagorno Karabakh, and there are no closed doors for them. I think
they will also refute the information on Azerbaijani POWs in the
prisons in Karabakh. After the ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict area
Azerbaijani human rights defenders visited the prisons in Karabakh. So,
the information in the Azerbaijani mass media that Azerbaijani soldiers
undergo violence in the prison of Shushi is false.”