PanARMENIAN.Net
26.07.2008 GMT+04:00

GEORGIA CARRIES OUT A SYSTEMATIC POLICY OF WIPING OUT ARMENIANS FROM JAVAKHK

Tbilisi cannot but understand that Azerbaijan and Turkey have
implemented a policy of destructing and excluding Armenians if not
from the region, then, at least, from the enclaves and places of
dense habitation.

Once again the situation in Javakhk has become strained. Yet again
Armenia finds excuses through appropriate formulations of the kind:
RA Foreign Ministry closely watches the situation in Javakhk. No one
knows what is really going on, and yet people die; Armenians of Javakhk
are on the edge of complete eviction. It means the Turkish-Azerbaijani
forces have gained control of the northern border of Armenia too.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On July 18, 2008 there was an explosion by the house
of Akhalkalaki Chief of Police in the regional center of Akhalkalaki,
mostly inhabited with Armenians. In the evening several policemen,
as well as about 40-50 strangers in civilian clothes, all armed,
burst into the house of United Javakhk democratic alliance member
Gurgen Shirinyan under pretence of detention in connection with the
explosion, and searched the house. During the unauthorized search,
under mysterious conditions was killed policeman Arthur Berujanyan,
Armenian by birth. On July 20 Georgian Special Forces encircled a
rundown building in Akhalkalaki, where, as they claimed, Shirinyan was
hiding. In the course of the operation another Armenian policeman was
killed. Day and night the office of United Javakhk democratic alliance
is under police control. On July 21 at 4:00 a.m. the Emergency Platoon
broke into the house of a United Javakhk leader Vahagn Chakhalyan,
searched the house and arrested him and his family members. Hours
later Chakhalyan, his father and underage brother were transferred to
the regional center of Samtskhe-Javakheti-Akhaltsikhe, after which
they were all removed to Tbilisi, their detention term prolonged
for another 2 months. Immediately following Chakhalyan’s detention,
another 6 members of "United Javakhk" were detained, who were set
free after inquiry was held.

Though various Armenian experts and journalists claim that the
occurrences in Javakhk are provocation, the systematic policy of wiping
out an aboriginal nation, which finds itself to be a minority, cannot
be treated as provocation. However strange it may be, no one paid
much attention to Saakashvili’s statement in Kars, saying "Azerbaijan
is the guarantor of Georgia’s independence." Presently they are the
mainstream of both foreign and home policy of Georgia, which, in fact,
has never really been independent, like Azerbaijan… If the Georgian
President were more sincere, he was to have mentioned that Turkey and
the USA were guarantors of Georgia. However, the funds for the transit
of the Caspian oil made Saakashvili say what he said. Tbilisi cannot
but understand that Azerbaijan and Turkey have implemented a policy
of destructing and excluding Armenians if not from the region, then,
at least, from the enclaves and places of dense habitation.

The railway project Kars-Tbilisi-Baku, which is already most often
referred to as Baku-Ankara railway, had its say in the aggravation of
situation too. Actually, Armenia was made to realize that she has to
change her attitude towards other countries of the region, otherwise
she will lead herself into a deadlock and be completely isolated. In
a word, Armenia is suggested to become a second Georgia -controlled,
weak and torn apart by antagonism. Moreover, Armenia may simply be
crossed off the map. Not by chance President of Turkey Abdullah Gul
mentions only Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan among countries of the
region. Iran and Armenia are not even made mention of.

"Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project (BTK) is open to all the countries
in the Caucasus," declared Gul at the ceremony of inauguration
of the Turkish section construction of the railway. In his words
"The project will not only unite Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, but
will also bring together Asia and Europe." "The project is of great
economic importance to the region and to other countries involved in
the project. In spite of doubts on the part of ‘some countries’ about
expediency of BTK, a range of Asian states, including Kazakhstan, are
interested in the implementation of the project. And Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev confirmed it," announced Gul at the ceremony.

The Turkish President also voiced satisfaction that along with Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Georgia attached great importance to the project
too. "Should the countries have political ambitions, a plenty of
projects can be implemented, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipe,
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipe and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which
we are already putting into practice. I am sure the project will
be a success, since all the three countries apply great efforts. The
project unites not simply two countries but the entire Caucasus region,
which proves independence of these countries," Gul said, Trend Azeri
news agency reports.

In all probability the conflict in Javakhk will be settled, but
there is no guarantee that Armenians in Javakhk will share the fate
of Nakhichevan or the lowlands of Nagorno-Karabakh. If the railway is
opened by 2011, which does not raise a slightest doubt, the future of
Javakhk looks vague for Armenians. Finally Georgia will have to carry
out the EC resolutions on resettlement of Turk-Meskhetins, who will
definitely be moved to Samtskhe-Javakheti, in spite of the fact that
Armenian MPs of Georgian Parliament strongly refute the fact. However,
no one really listens to them in Tbilisi, and especially in Javakhk
or Yerevan…