DECLARATION ON INTOLERANCE AND XENOPHOBIA PREVENTION ADOPTED IN YEREVAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2008 18:51 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ‘Tolerance and Xenophobia in the South Caucasus
Region’ international conference was held in Yerevan on occasion of the
20th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms. The conference participants
adopted a declaration which says in part,
"We realize that provocation of hate and intolerance are threat
for the deed of strengthening of democratization both national
and international levels and are obstacle for peace and trust
building. They also carry new potential of strengthening of
inner-ethnic and inner-state conflicts in the South Caucasus region.
"We challenge the participants acting on the name of non-governmental
organizations of different states to urge their assemblies and
governments to take measures prohibiting the destruction of the
cultural heritage in the region which has become of terrible measures
and is approved by official authorities of state-breaking. As example
may serve the barbarous annihilation of the Armenian medieval cemetery
of Jew Julfa and Nakhijevan in Azerbaijan."
The 1998 Sumgait pogroms claimed lives of 32 Armenians. Some 20
thousand had to flee their homes.