COORDINATION COUNCIL FOR JAVAKHK ARMENIANS’ RIGHTS PROTECTION FORMED IN RA
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.01.2010 13:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian NGOs – Javakhk benevolent organisation,
Mitq analytical center, Yerkir Union, Virk party and Javahk national
movement – combined efforts to form a coordination council for
protection of Javakhk Armenians’ rights, reported the press service
of Armenian National Neo-Conservative Movement.
Javakhk is first mentioned under this very name in "Armenian History"
by the V c. historian Movses Khorenatsy in regard to the administrative
reforms realized by king Vagharshak. Regardless of the different
interpretations of the list of the kings of the pre-Christian period,
all the researchers agree that the aforementioned events date as
far back as the II c. BC. In the IV c. BC Javakhk was the summer
residence of the Georgian king Parnavaz, "In autumn and spring he
lived in the city of Mtskhet , in summer in Javakhet and in winter
in Ganchenk". About 185 BC, Artashes I annexed the province to Metz
Hayk Kingdom , while in 37 AD it became part of Georgia.
In the IV c. AD Javakhk is mentioned in the description of St. Nune’s
journey to Mtskhet,"… and in June I came to Mount Javakhet, and to
the Parnava Sea, and when I came there I saw fishermen by the sea and
shepherds on the seashore…". When Armenia was first divided between
Byzantium and Sassanid Persia, Javakhk was annexed to the Georgian
Province headed by the Marzpan (the governor) of the province, along
with the other provinces of Gugark Region.
The Armenian-Georgian war for Javakhk started on December 5, 1918 and
was stopped after British interference on December 31. An agreement
signed in Tiflis in January 1919 stated that the northern part of
Borchalinsky district passed on to Georgia, the southern part passed
on to Armenia while the middle (Lori and Zangezur) was announced a
"neutral zone" and was under control of British governor-general.
In 1921 Turkish troops intruded into Javakhk, meeting no resistance
from the Georgian army. As result, half of the region’s population
died.
After establishment of the soviet rule in Georgia, Javakhk issue
was raised again. Overwhelming majority of the province stood for
joining Armenia. A final decision was taken at the plenary session
of the Caucasus Bureau and was forwarded to consideration of the
Georgian Communist Party’s Central Committee, which decreed that
"taking into account Akhalkalaki’s political and economic ties with
Tiflis, the proposals of our Armenian comrades is unacceptable."