CLINTON ISSUES LOPSIDED INVITATION TO DISCUSS PROTOCOLS
By Ara Khachatourian
Asbarez
Jan 11th, 2010
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited Armenian-American
organizational representatives to discuss the Armenia-Turkey
protocols. Her invitation, however, focuses on the grouping of Armenian
organizations that have supported the protocols, with the exception
of the Armenian National Committee of America.
The invitation sent to the Armenian Assembly of America, the North
America Dioceses, the AGBU, the Knights of Vartan and the ANCA is seen
as a response to an ANCA-initiated letter by Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid urging Clinton to give Armenian-Americans "an opportunity
to share their views with you."
Aside from the ANCA, all the groups invited to the meeting jointly
signed a letter in support of the US-backed protocols.
In his letter Reid also emphasized Armenian-American concerns on the
protocol-mandated formation of a commission to study the Armenian
Genocide.
Missing from the list of invitees are the North American Prelacies
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Relief Society, the
Armenian Youth Federation, the Armenian Democratic League (Ramkavar
party), the Social-Democratic Hunchakian Party and the countless
other organizations that joined a cross-section of the community in
opposing the protocols during mass demonstrations in New York and Los
Angeles during the now infamous Diaspora tour by Armenia’s President
Serzh Sarkisian.
In a letter to Secretary Clinton, ANCA chairman Ken Hachikian on Monday
expressed "serious concern" saying the invitation to the meeting,
scheduled for Feb. 9, "does not represent our traditional community
leadership nor does it reflect the widely understood Armenian American
opposition to the Turkey-Armenia Protocols."
"As presently configured, the meeting you have proposed will not
serve the vital and worthwhile aim of healthy discourse, and would,
at this sensitive moment, in fact be counter-productive. The current
arrangement, which, by all appearances, intentionally excludes so
many of our traditional community and Church leaders on the basis of
their views and values, would set an undemocratic and highly negative
precedent," added Hachikian in his letter.
"Our community’s traditional leadership group, as you may know, met
with President Clinton in 1994 and has, collectively, signed a series
of letters to the White House over the past two decades, including
as recently as President Obama’s inauguration. The organizations that
signed our community’s congratulatory letter to President Obama on his
inauguration, in addition to the groups that you have invited to meet
with you – namely the Armenian Assembly, ANCA, Eastern U.S. and Western
U.S. Diocese of the Armenian Church, Armenian General Benevolent Union,
and the Knights of Vartan – include: the Eastern U.S. and Western
U.S. Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Apostolic Exarchate
for Armenian Catholics, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America,
Armenian Missionary Association of America, Armenian Relief Society,
Armenian Bar Association, Armenian International Women’s Association,
Armenian Rights Council of America, Armenian Youth Federation,
Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural & Education Association, Homenetmen
Armenian General Athletic Union, Tekeyan Cultural Association,
United Armenian Fund, and the U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee,"
continued ANCA.
"I respectfully call upon you to reconsider your initial arrangements
for your first meeting with Armenian American leaders. An open,
inclusive meeting – one that allows for the full expression of the
Armenian American perspective – will, we are confident, serve all of
our hopes and aspirations for lasting peace and justice in the region,"
urged Hachikian.
In an August 20 letter to Clinton, the ANCA asked for a meeting with
all community members to discuss what was then a "roadmap."
"Thank you for your consideration of our views. We respectfully request
an immediate personal meeting between you and the Armenian American
community’s civic, religious, and charitable leaders so that we can
address these matters in greater detail."
Clinton’s and the State Department’s blatant disregard for popular
voices of the community and their insistence to meet with a group
whose majority has come out in support of the dangerous protocols,
signals that the Obama Administration is unwilling to have a serious
dialogue about this critical matter that will impact the future of
Armenia and the Armenian Nation.
By ignoring the vast cross-section of the community, Clinton’s
invitation appears to be a mere gesture to appease her long-time
colleague Reid and, once again, tramples on the many Obama campaign
promises for inclusion, dialogue and transparency.
Leaders of the organizations that have been marginalized by this
invitation should demand that their strong voices are also heard by
the State Department and the meeting is not, by and large, a gathering
of yes-men who traditionally have parroted the State Department’s
agenda in the community.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
