UNLIKE KOCHARIAN, KAREN DEMIRJIAN DIDN’T SHOOT AT HIS OWN PEOPLE: LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN

Tert.am
18:05 ~U 27.11.09

Karen Demirjian’s bas-relief was affixed near the entrance to the very
same museum which bears his name. November 27 was chosen as the date of
this ceremony because, as noted by Demirjian’s widow Rima Demirjian,
on this day in 1974, Demirjian met the public for the first time and
with his words, Armenia’s steep upsurge began.

Participating in the opening ceremony were Armenian National Congress
leaders led by first president of the Republic of Armenia, Levon
Ter-Petrossian.

Speaking about Karen Demirjian during his speech, Ter-Petrossian wanted
to focus attention on that which, in his words, has been ignored for
20 years.

"That is the issue connected with Karen Demirjian and
Nagorno-Karabakh. Perhaps no one has assessed why on May 21, 1988, if
I’m not mistaken, they discharged Karen Demirjian from his post. Karen
Demirjian was discharged exclusively for one reason: he didn’t crush
the Karabakh movement, didn’t shoot his own people – something that
Gorbachev couldn’t forgive him for… For me, this is perhaps one
of the most historic, possibly the most important, pages of Karen
Demirjian’s life. The people’s leader, who didn’t go against his
people, unlike Robert Kocharian, who on March 1, cold-heartedly fired
at his own people, much like they shoot at elephants and rhinoceroses
in safaris," noted Ter-Petrossian.

The Armenian National Congress leader noted that it would be wrong
to identify Demirjian with the system.

"With the last count, Karen Demirjian became the system’s victim;
one shouldn’t and mustn’t identify him with the system," added
Ter-Petrossian.