FORCES, WILLING TO INCITE ETHNIC CONFLICT IN AZERBAIJAN, ATTEMPT TO USE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AVARIAN PEOPLE

Today.Az
July 16 2008
Azerbaijan

An appeal of a group of Azerbaijani residents from Zaqatala, Qakh
and Balaken to the then-working president of Russia Vladimir Putin,
President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliyev and Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan
Vasily Istratov was published some time ago at the internet website

The appeal says that being representatives of the Avarian nationality,
they are discontent with the living conditions of national minorities
in Azerbaijan and are pursued by Azerbaijani officials.

The appeal also states political, cultural and socioeconomic
discrimination against Avarians and notes that they feel isolated
from their compatriots.

On the whole, the appeal contained a number of separatist
announcements. The appeal was signed by over 50 residents of the
aforementioned regions. Moreover, the website posted the list of
those who signed.

One of the regional correspondents of Day.Az tried to investigate the
problems of the representatives of the Avarian people, whose names were
listed on the website. The results of the journalist investigation was
quite unexpected. Persons, whose names were listed on the website,
noted that they had not signed any appeals of the kind and even had
not heard about it.

At the same time, several curious facts, which completely disprove
the facts about the alleged discrimination, persecution by officials
of Azerbaijan and so on, have also been revealed.

It turned out that 7 people of the said lists have previously occupied
positions of the municipality chairmen, 9 are current chairmen of local
self-government bodies, one person is a businessman, one is a chairman
of the trade union in the agrarian sector, one-the chairman of the
regions post office, one the chairman of the regional organization
of the Azerbaijan’s Popular Front Party, one the secretary of the
regional organization of the Musavat party and one is a chief of the
rural library.

They noted that appearance of such information on the separatist
website, is not by accident and can be posted by forces, which attempt
to incite ethnic conflict in Azerbaijan, using the issue of national
minorities.

They said these forces sometimes try to raise the so-called Lezgium
and Talish issue and now they intent to involve Avarian people in
it. They said Armenians and their supporters are the main characters
who wish division of Azerbaijan into smaller parts and Armenian trace
should by primarily searched in such cases.