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Constituent Declaration of the Coordinating Council
for the Protection of the Rights of the Javakheti Armenians

Akhalkalaki-Yerevan
December 22-23, 2009

Every day the Javakheti Armenians are suffering from political,
linguistic, cultural, educational, religious and socio-economic
discrimination.

In particular:

– The local self-government bodies of Armenian-populated
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Tsalka district of Kvemo-Kartli region are
denied the right to exercise the powers provided for by law;

– The internal socio-political and administrative life of the Armenians,
compactly inhabiting the Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Tsalka district
of Kvemo-Kartli region, is supervised and directed by the Georgian
police and security services (`KGB’);

– The law requires mandatory use of the Georgian language in all spheres
of public life (local governments, record keeping, administration,
education, etc.) in Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti region and
Tsalka district of Kvemo-Kartli region;

– The appointment to positions in the administrative, educational and
other public entities in the Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti
region and Tsalka district of Kvemo-Kartli region is linked to the
knowledge of the Georgian language, which the vast majority of the
Javakheti Armenians do not speak for objective reasons;

– The Armenian Apostolic Church still does not have a legal status in
Georgia. The Armenian religious buildings, confiscated during the Soviet
era, have not been returned to their legitimate owner up till now. As a
result of the consistent policy, run by the Georgian authorities and
aimed at delaying continuously the solution of this issue, the Armenian
cultural-historical heritage in Georgia is gradually being destroyed;

– The Georgian authorities are consistently implementing the policy of
renaming the Armenian settlements in the Georgian manner;

– The Georgian border guards create artificial obstacles to the
transportation of the Armenian literature and periodicals at the
crossing points of the Armenian-Georgian border;

– In 2007-09 several Javakheti-Armenian political activists have left
their homeland as a result of direct and indirect pressure from the
Georgian police and security structures. The trumped-up criminal cases
were brought against many of Javakheti Armenian activists defending the
rights of the Armenian population. The Javakheti political activist
Vahagn Chakhalyan was arrested on July 21, 2008; on April 7, 2009 he was
sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment based on trumped-up charges
and as a result of the court proceedings accompanied by flagrant
violations.

– Some politicians and public figures form Armenia, concerned with
defending the rights of the Javakheti Armenians, have been banned entry
to Georgia.

Most of the problems facing the Javakheti Armenians result from the
discriminatory policy of the Georgian authorities against the Armenian
minority of the country.

The requirement to address the problems of Javakheti Armenians comes
directly from the international commitments undertaken by Georgia in the
field of protection of human rights as well as the rights of ethnic
minorities; on this basis, the various authoritative international and
European structures, in their documents and recommendations urge the
Georgian authorities take steps in this direction.

Consequently, it is necessary to undertake sustained and systematic
efforts aimed at solution of the problems facing the Javakheti
Armenians.

Based on the abovementioned, we- the Compatriotic-charitable
non-governmental organization "Javakhk", Analytical Center
`Mitq’, the political party "Virk", the public movement
"Javakhk’ and the "Yerkir’ Union of NGOs for
Repatriation and Settlement, declare the establishment of the
Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the Javakheti
Armenians.

The main objectives of the Coordinating Council are:

– To pursue successively the solution of the political, linguistic,
religious, educational, cultural and socio-economic problems facing the
Javakheti Armenians;

– To draw the attention of the international community to the issue of
protection of the rights of the Javakheti Armenians in Georgia,

– To intensify the involvement of all Armenians in the efforts to
protect the rights of the Armenian population in Javakheti.

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the
Javakheti Armenians encourages the Georgian authorities to find a
solution in the atmosphere of dialogue and understanding to the problems
of concern of the Javakheti Armenians, and in particular to:

– Cease the illegal practice of interfering with the policy of local
self-government bodies in the regions densely populated by the
Armenians; to provide the Javakheti Armenians a higher degree of
self-government.

– Stop the police repression and political persecutions against the
Javakheti Armenian activists.

– Close all illegal proceedings led against the Javakheti Armenian
political activists.

– Abolish the ban on the use of the Armenian language in public life in
the regions compactly populated by the Armenians. To grant the Armenian
language a status of regional language.

– Allow and not prevent the establishment of the Armenian-Georgian
University in Javakheti.

– Give the appropriate legal status to the Armenian Apostolic Church in
Georgia and to return to it all the Armenian temples, confiscated during
the Soviet era.

Stop all the actions aimed at changing artificially the demographic
composition in the regions compactly populated by Armenians.

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the
Javakheti Armenians encourages the Armenian authorities to strengthen
their policy of protection of the rights of the Javakheti Armenians.

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the
Javakheti Armenians will consistently struggle for the implementation of
fair and legitimate rights of the Javakheti Armenians.

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the
Javakheti Armenians is open to all social, political organizations and
individuals who are willing to participate in solving the
above-mentioned problems.

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of the rights of the
Javakheti Armenians

The Compatriotic-charitable non-governmental organization "Javakhk"

Analytical Center `Mitq’
The political party "Virk"
The public movement "Javakhk’
"Yerkir’ Union of NGOs for Repatriation and Settlement