"THE ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK SHOULD UNITE AROUND THE STRUGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS"

AZG Armenian Daily
13/06/2009

Javakhk

Interview with Sevak Artsruni, the President of "Yerkir" Union of
Non-Governmental Organizations for Repatriation and Settlement

– It is about two months that the jury gave Javakhk Armenian political
activist Vahagn Chakhalian’s verdict on April 7, 2009. During that
time, the Armenian community of France organized two demonstrations
in support of Vahagn Chakhalian, the representatives of the Armenian
community of Switzerland met with the Georgian Ambassador of the
country. FIDH international authoritative human rights organization
made an announcement condemning Vahagn Chakhalian’s trial. How do
the Georgian authorities respond to these processes?

– Though Vahagn Chakhalian’s case is a part of protection for the
rights of the Armenians of Javakhk, as he is in prison because of his
actions directed to the protection for the rights of Javakhk Armenians,
it is better to review the processes of protection for the rights of
Vahagn Chakhalian and the Armenians of Javakhk separately in order
to assess the situation more thoroughly.

After Vahagn Chakhalian’s sentence, several facts were fixed during
these two months. First, the Georgian authorities sentencing Vahagn
Chakhalian to ten years in prison hoped that the Javakhk Armenian
political activist would fall into despair and lose his determination
to struggle. But on the contrary, the unjust verdict gave him more
strength and determination. He refused to sign the appeal for mercy
and shows endurance in spite of the pressure on him in the prison.

Second, at present a consistent work is being carried on to move
Vahagn Chakhalian’s issue in the field of Georgian inner public
discussions. A new attorney Nino Andriashvilli is involved in Vahagn
Chakhalian’s case. Vahagn set a task that she should carry on work
with local, Georgian media, human rights organizations, and civil
society institutions to present the false accusations against him,
and the outrageous violations during the investigation Third, "Yerkir"
Union consistently works with Diaspora communities and international
human rights institutions to enlarge the support front of Vahagn
Chakhalian. We hope to obtain good results soon.

One thing is clear; the outward unyielding position of the Georgian
authorities on Chakhalian’s case is not a result of their strength but
their weakness. They became the hostages of their own wrong decision
on Vahagn Chakhalian’s arrest taken on July 21, 2008. Instead of
correcting it, the Georgian authorities made new mistakes plunging
deeper into it.

However, what is failed in case of Vahagn Chakhalian, the Georgian
authorities seem to succeed in Javakhk. Today the atmosphere of fear,
persecution and impunity of some officials – started from July of
last year, when the arrests took place – continues. The Georgian
authorities are making every effort to keep up the present situation.

– What is the reason for the Georgian authorities’ similar posture?

– There are numerous reasons, but we should separate two of
them. First, it seems to Saakashvili administration that the lever
for transit road is enough to make Armenians not to worry about
their brother’s fate in Javakhk. Actually, with this the Georgian
authorities decide our national priorities instead of us. But it is
a misunderstanding. The Armenian nation cannot make any demographic
or territorial retreat.

The second and maybe the most important reason is that the Georgian
authorities and the special services can easily make use of the
disarray among the Armenians of Javakhk – their incompetence to pursue
one common aim with one common front and to carry on a consistent
struggle.

– Don’t you think that Georgia’s uncompromising posture has
geopolitical bases?

– No, absolutely not, it’s a fallacy. Today Georgia is in a difficult
geopolitical situation. As a result of its improvident policy, it has
already lost a part of its territory. Moreover, the geopolitical split
in Georgia disrupts the society little by little. And the international
institutions that one and an a half-two years ago perceived Georgia as
a "Torch-bearer of democracy" in the region today more and more loudly
express their concern about the authoritarian style of Saakashvili
administration and human rights violations as a result of it.

Georgia is isolated in the international political arena; it loses
its geopolitical role step-by-step becoming a geopolitical tool. The
Saakashvili administration that clutches at the authority has no longer
an inner power, and it can only restrain the Georgian opposition and
people’s insurrection by obediently executing different power’s will.

Georgia being in similar difficult geopolitical situation has no
resources to stand up against the Armenians of Javakhk that struggle
for their just rights.

– It is rather a long time that Yerkir Union raises the alarm about
the issues of the Armenians of Javakhk. Isn’t it a sufficient impulse
for Armenians to unite around the mentioned issue?

– In cooperation with the international corresponding institutions
and with the support of some Diaspora communities, in three years we
succeeded in creating all components of the All-Armenian conception
of protection for the rights of Armenians of Javakhk based on the
international law; protection of human and national minorities rights.

However, the main bearers of the rights of Armenians in Javakhk are
naturally the Armenians of Javakhk and the political institution that
acts and speaks on behalf of them. Unfortunately, similar institution
does not exist. And it naturally weakens the All-Armenian front that
is forming round this issue.

I want to believe that eventually we’ll succeed to form a political
unit in Javakhk and Armenia that becoming the bearer of the
Javakhk Armenians’ rights will be able to act having a clear and
unanimous political position based and concentrated on one purpose
– implementation of the Javakhk Armenians’ linguistic-educational,
cultural, religious, social-economic and other rights corresponding
to the international norms.

The steps of Yerkir Union or any other organization will not be of
full value until the Armenians of Javakhk will unite around this
struggle with combined forces.

– Georgian President will visit Armenia in the nearest future. As
regards this, the idea of Armenian-Georgian friendship is being
underlined continuously. What real steps are being taken to strengthen
that "friendship"?

– The geopolitical interests of Armenia and Georgia may coincide, if
Georgia wants it. Because of Saakashvili’s pro-Turkish geopolitical
position, unfortunately the Armenian-Georgian relations embrace
only the framework of the trade over the transit roads. From this
perspective, the fact of existence of the Javakhk Armenians jeopardizes
Georgia’s interests, as the geographical location of Javakhk involves
the resources that can release Armenia from the status of a "road
beggar".

I want to repeat that similar format of relations is established
because of Georgia. The speeches about the Armenian-Georgian
"friendship" are groundless and idle, as Georgia deals with
Armenia from the position of self-interested materialist and
exploiter-monopolist. I don’t think that the Armenian side isn’t
fully aware of it.

– How do you picture the future of the struggle for the rights of
Armenians in Javakhk?

– In the third millennium, the state borders lost and continue to lose
their one-time meaning. Being in the political territory of Georgia
but populated by Armenians and being a part of the Armenian plateau,
Javakhk will remain Armenian as long as Armenians live there.

Georgia as a modern state is obliged to take into consideration
this fact.

I am confident that the future of Javakhk is not in the hands of
Georgian or Armenian authorities but the Armenians of Javakhk.

The Armenians of Javakhk should unite around the struggle for their
rights. Mercenary and obsequiousness are inexcusable things. The
imperative is clear. The public-political figures of Javakhk should
consolidate round the started struggle for the status of the Church
and Armenian language, foundation of Armenian University in Javakhk
and stopping of political persecutions.

The Armenians of Georgia need leaders versed in international law
and experienced in politics, who will be able to present and protect
their rights everywhere – in Akhalkalak, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Strasbourg,
Washington, etc. It is time the Armenians of Javakhk present themselves
as fighters for their rights.