15 YEARS AFTER SHAHUMYAN EVENTS
Alisa Gevorgyan

Radiolur
13.06.2007 16:31

Today is a tragic day for the whole population of Getashen. Fifteen
years ago 21 thousand people were forcefully displaced from their
historic lands.

The refugees from Shahumyan region and Getashen have a number
of unsolved problems in their current places of residence: many
have no homes or live in poor social conditions, education is a
problem for the youth, not even speaking about the war captives and
missing persons. Presenting all these problems, President of the
Shahumyan-Getashen Patriotic Union Edik Balasanyan, however, laid
the emphasis on other issues.

"Azerbaijan must understand that resolution of the Karabakh issue
through mutual concessions means that it must return the occupied NKR
territories to Armenia. The solution of this problem will make easier
for part of Armenian refugees to return to their native lands," said
the President of the Union, adding: "Lands should be allocated in the
liberated territories for repatriation of our forcefully displaced
compatriots and provide them the opportunity to return for permanent
residence. It must certainly be included in the NKR, thus ensuring
the return of refugees to their motherland and safe residence"

"For 15 years June 13 I have been opening the newspapers, trying to
find a small message, saying that this is a tragic day equivalent to
April 24, but my attempts are vain. There has never been any mention
of it," Vahagn Martirosyan said.