"ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ANYTHING AND ARE READY TO COUNTER FALSE PROPAGANDA OF AZERBAIJAN": DEMONSTRATIONS HELD IN ARMENIA AND ABROAD ON FEBRUARY 27 TO MARK 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF SUMGAIT MASSACRES
Noyan Tapan
March 1, 2010
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In connection with
the 22nd anniversary of the Sumgait massacres, numerous demonstrations
in remembrance of the innocent victims took place in Armenia and
abroad. The demonstrators demanded that both the perpetrators and
organizers of those massacres be brought to justice. Haylur Program
of the Public Televion Company of Armenia reported that marches,
demonstrations and rallies were held in many capital cities across
the world. Armenian youth staged a protest outside the Azerbaijani
embassy in Washington, demanding that the perpetrators and organizers
of genocide in Sumgait, subsequently in Baku, Kirovabad, Shahumian,
Maragh and other areas populated by Armenians be punished, and
anti-Armenian hysteria as well as speeches against Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh in international organizations be stopped.
On February 27 – Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Sumgait
Massacres, dozens of Armenian Americans gathered outside the
Azerbaijaini mission in Washington to demand justice and recognition
of the historic facts. They carried flags and maps of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh and chanted the slogans: "Azerbaijan is responsible
for the Sumgait crime", "We will never forget Sumgait", "Put an end to
Armenophobia", "Freedom to Nagorno Karabakh", etc. They demanded that
the Azerbaijani government say the truth about Sumgait and Khojalu.
"We will continue staging protests until our demands are met," the
protesters said.
In the words of Yerevan-based scientist Harutyun Marukhian who was
sent on a mission to Washignton, he conducted a study on national
recollection. "The Sumgait events evoked our people’s memories of the
1915 Genocide, and this consciosness became the driving force of our
national struggle 22 years ago," he said. The priests of two Armenian
churches in Washington offered prayers in remembrance of the Armenian
martyrs of the Sumgait massacres.
Members of the Armenian community of Poland also organized a protest
action. Rafael Amirian – one of representatives of the Armenian
community in Warsaw – read a letter of protest outside the Azerbaijani
embassy, while the Armenian protesters demanded that the Azerbaijani
authorities should take responsibility for the Sumgait massacres,
and the international community should condemn these massacres and
consider them as a continuation of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
After reading the letter of protest, R. Amirian accompanied by director
of Musa Ler enthongraphic ensemble Hakob Baghdasarian made an attempt
to hand the letter to a representative of the Azerbaijani embassy,
but the embassy employee declined to take it, explaining that he does
know Polish, so the letter was put in the embassy’s mailbox.
The community members also lit candles at the khachkar in the yard
of the Armenian embassy. Armenian Ambassador to Poland Ashot Galoyan
stated that the protest outside the Azerbaijani emabassy bears evidence
of the fact that the Armenians around the world have not forgotten
anything and they are ready to counter false propaganda conducted by
Azerbaijan and all anti-Armenian provocations.
Armenian youth organizations of Greece also organized protest actions.
The protesters held the flags of Armenia and Artsakh in front of
Azerbaijan’s mission. They demanded condemnation of the Sumgait
tragedy, justice and compensation.
In Yerevan, Armenian youth gathered at the Monument to the Sumgait
Victims in the Tsitsernakaberd Complex, condemning the Sumgait crime
and demanding its condemnation by the international community. The
Armenian youth sent letters condemning the Sumgait massacres to the
Yerevan Offices of the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe. It is
said in these letters that during the acts of violence committed over
3 days in the city of Sumgait, in the vicinity of Baku, in February
1988, several dozen people were killed, 200 were injured, nevertheless,
no legal and political assessment was given to those events.
The Switzerland-Armenia Association issued a statement with
condemnation of the Sumgait events, considering Azerbaijan’s agression
against Nagorno Karabakh and the destruction of khachkars in Jugha
as an expression of its continuing propaganda of an atmosphere of
hatred for Armenia and the Armenian people.