Author: Babajanian Karo

ANCA Ugres Protest of New Sudanese Government Attacks on Civilians

asbarez
Friday, June 17th, 2011

Photo depicting the cycle of genocide

Action alert reinforces call by Congressman Wolf for President Obama
to send Colin Powell to Sudan to stop renewed violence against Darfur
and South Kordofan

WASHINGTON – Armenian Americans are joining with human rights advocates
and genocide-prevention activists from across America in calling for
decisive U.S. action to stop the Sudanese government of indicted war
criminal Omar al-Bashir from continuing its brutal onslaught against
civilians in Darfur and South Kordofan, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America.

Community activists nationwide are raising this urgent crisis with
their local legislators, person-to-person, through phone calls, and
via on-line advocacy, including through an ANCA action alert that
sends pre-drafted WebMail messages to Members of Congress from the
ANCA website.

The ANCA action alert stresses that Armenian Americans, as citizens
with a direct connection to the Armenian Genocide and an enduring
commitment to ending forever the cycle of genocide, bear a special
responsibility to prevent atrocities all over the world. The Webmail
letter echoes an earlier call by U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA)
upon President Obama to send former Secretary of State Powell to
Khartoum to personally impress upon Sudanese President Omar al Bashir
that he must immediately call off his military’s onslaught in Darfur,
Abyei, and the South Kordofan region of central Sudan. It also
outlined a number of additional steps that the Administration should
take, including:

Strengthened United Nations economic, political, and diplomatic
sanctions targeting Khartoum – with specific benchmarks, hard
deadlines, and concrete consequences.
Concerted efforts, in coordination with the United Nations, to ensure
that humanitarian provisions – most urgently water, food, and medical
supplies – are able to reach at-risk populations, including the
establishment of a no-fly zone over South Kordafan.
Expanded support for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in South Kordafan
and the African Union/UN Hybrid Operation (UNAMID) in Darfur.
The letter ends with a general call for a `clear and direct signal to
Khartoum’ that the United States will not reward the Sudanese regime,
move toward normalization of relations with its government, or allow
it to conduct business-as-usual with the international community as
long as its leaders continue to defy international justice, and are
committing war crimes and atrocities against innocent civilians in
Darfur, Abyei, and South Kardofan.

Below are links to additional on-line information, and the full text
of the ANCA WebMail:

Asbarez
Fear Pervades Nuba Mountains that Sudan Government Intent on Genocide
By Samuel Totten, June 14, 2011

The New York Times
Fighting Takes Ominous Turn in Central Sudan
By Jeffrey Gettleman, June 15, 2011

Wolf Urges President To Send Colin Powell To Sudan To Salvage Peace
Agreement, June 9, 2011

Genocide Intervention Network
Help Prevent Violence in South Kordofan

TEXT OF LETTER TO CONGRESS

Dear Representative/Senator:

I am writing to ask you to support the principled call upon President
Obama by your Congressional colleague, Representative Frank Wolf, to
send former Secretary of State Powell to Khartoum to personally
impress upon Sudanese President Omar al Bashir that he must
immediately call off his military’s onslaught in Darfur, Abyei, and
the South Kordofan region of central Sudan.

In addition to this urgent step, I would encourage you to work with
your fellow legislators and the Administration to support strengthened
United Nations economic, political, and diplomatic sanctions targeting
Khartoum – with specific benchmarks, hard deadlines, and concrete
consequences. In order to avert the worsening of the humanitarian
disaster already under way, please urge the White House to undertake
all necessary actions in coordination with the UN – including the
establishment of a no-fly zone over South Kordafan – to ensure that
humanitarian provisions – most urgently water, food, and medical
supplies – are able to reach at-risk populations. The UN Mission in
Sudan (UNMIS) in South Kordafan should be immediately expanded and, in
light of the ongoing crisis in Darfur, additional support should be
extended to the African Union/UN Hybrid Operation (UNAMID).

We need to send a clear and direct signal to Khartoum. We will not
reward its regime, move toward normalization of relations with its
government, or allow it to conduct business-as-usual with the
international community as long as its leaders continue to defy
international justice, and are committing war crimes and atrocities
against innocent civilians in Darfur, Abyei, and South Kardofan.

As an American devoted to tolerance, peace, and an end to the cycle of
genocide, I urge you to take urgent action to prevent further killing
in South Kordofan.

DEFENCE MINISTRY: BAKU’S ACTIONS SLOW RETURN OF POWS TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 17, 2011 – 18:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In June 17, Armenian Defence Ministry hosted the
cession of the committee on POWs, hostages as missing persons. The
session was led by the head of the committee, Armenian Foreign Minister
Seyran Ohanyan.

The session focused on activities implemented in 2011 as well as future
programs. As the session participants noted, the return of Armenian
captives is progressing slowly, for, as opposed to Armenian side,
Azerbaijan does not show willingness and resoluteness in the issue.

Those present stressed the importance of calling the attention of
international institutions to Azeri attempts at restricting the
activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
in Baku, also taking efforts to increase the effectiveness of ICRC
activities for return of hostages, Armenian Defence Ministry press
service reported.

GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA APPROVED THE USAGE OF JOINT BORDER CHECK POINT WITH IRAN

/ARKA/
June 17, 2011
YEREVAN

On Friday the Government of Armenia approved the agreement with Iran
“On joint use of border check point Megri-Nurduz”.

The agreement is targeted at the facilitation of passing the border
and avoiding duplication of customs procedures.

Joint services will be rendered in border check point Megri-Nurduz
for facilitation of international transportation of passengers,
cargo transportation and transport means.

DIGNIFIED TRANSPORT: FACEBOOK ACTIVIST SAYS MINIBUSES ARE BREAKING THE ‘NATION’S BACKBONE’

epress.am
06.17.2011 12:11

Created a few days ago was a Facebook group called “Dignified
transport,” which already has at least 500 members. Speaking to
Epress.am, group administrator and Yerevan resident Arman Gharibyan
described the group’s activities.

“We, those concerned with the state of [public] transportation
[in Armenia], had thought about doing something long ago. It’s not
possible to live in Armenia and not to be discontented with the
transportation, except for the metro, which, regretfully, does not
serve all communities.

“Minibuses [commonly referred to as marshrutkas] work very poorly; they
don’t follow their obligations listed in the tenders; don’t approach
stops at the correct frequency, but rather are intentionally late,
so that they can fit as many people as possible in one vehicle and
earn a lot of money,” he said.

According to Gharibyan, this is an issue of national security (or
rather, safety): the nation’s backbone is being broken in public
transportation – both physically and psychologically.

“Every time I am forced to stand in public transport [crouched over,
as one cannot stand straight up in the minibuses], I feel dishonored,
offended. Perhaps we don’t realize it, but that’s a daily stress for
all of us,” he said.

Gharibyan noted that the vast majority of the population make use of
the minibuses, as a result of which people are either late getting
to work or are forced to travel in an inhumane state.

“The time has come to put an end to this situation that’s incompatible
with human dignity. We are going to demand the state provide dignified
transport to the public. This is that problem which cannot be refused;
if it will be [refused], we won’t tolerate it, we will fight,” he said.

The group “Dignified transport’ is not yet fully formed: the group’s
activities will be confirmed at the meeting this Saturday, Gharibyan
added.

GEORGIA PROPOSAL REMINDED MP OF ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT

epress.am
06.17.2011 16:26

The visit of His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, to Georgia was historical, but, at
the same time, it had negative consequences, said Republican Party
of Armenia (HHK) MP, Javakhq (Javakheti) Patriotic Union President
Shirak Torosyan, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.

“The Catholicos’ visit was historical, since no Armenian Catholicos
had gone to [the Armenian-populated Georgian region of] Javakhq
[Javakheti] since 1905. It was very inspiring for the Georgian-Armenian
community, for Javakhq’s Armenians – ten thousand people greeted the
Catholicos. This visit conveyed a new charge for Javakhq-Armenians,”
he said.

On the other hand, the MP noted that the Catholicos’ visit resulted in
negative consequences. “The text of the communique put forth by the
Georgian side was a surprise for us. With this text it became clear
that the Georgian side wants to lead this process into a deadlock. The
Georgian side’s proposals were unjustified, unacceptable for us.”

Torosyan then listed the provisions in the communique in which the
Georgian party proposes that the Armenian Apostolic Church have the
same status in Georgia as the Georgian church has in Armenia.

“You can’t put this issue on the same level. A few hundred thousand
Armenians live in Georgia, while there’s practically no Georgian
community in Armenia,” said Torosyan.

The Javakhq Patriotic Union leader mentioned one other provision in
the communique which refers to contentious churches. “They insist
that 5 churches operating in Armenia are Georgian, when there isn’t
even a single Georgian who lives in the area of those churches.”

There was also another point in the communique, according to which a
committee should be created which would discuss the issue of church
affiliation. Torosyan compared this committee with Turkey’s proposed
committee of historians to debate the Armenian Genocide, as it means
to initially cast doubts on the facts.

LE CCAF EXPRIME SON INDIGNATION SUITE AUX ACTES DE CENSURE A L’UNESCO

CCAF

Publie le : 17-06-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire le Communique de presse du CCAF (Conseil de coordination
des organisations armeniennes de France) publie le 16 juin 2011.

Le CCAF exprime sa plus vive indignation suite aux actes de censure
inadmissible qui ont frappe l’exposition “l’art de Khatchkars- croix
de pierre armeniennes” au siège de l’UNESCO, place Fontenoy a Paris.

La suppression de toutes les legendes des photos de cette manifestation
culturelle, au motif qu’elles indiquaient les lieux geographiques
de ces monuments, constitue une offense a l’histoire et a la memoire
du peuple armenien et une grave atteinte au droit a l’information du
public sur cet aspect du patrimoine immateriel de l’humanite.

Le CCAF demande instamment au secretariat de l’organisation de
reintroduire dans l’exposition les legendes censurees, de replacer la
carte montrant l’emplacement geographique de ces monuments, de revenir
sur le caviardage du tableau de presentation de cette exposition, ecrit
par le professeur Patrick Donabedian, et de repositionner le drapeau
des Nations-Unies dans la salle d’exposition d’où il a ete retire.

Le CCAF denonce le caractère aussi odieux que detestable de ces
agressions, qui donnent a cette manifestation culturelle une dimension
politique, laquelle revèle au grand jour l’etendue de l’intolerance
et de l’ostracisme dont les Armeniens sont victimes dans la region,
mais aussi au sein de certaines instances internationales qui en
l’occurrence ne font pas honneur a leur vocation.

A Paris, le 16 juin 2011

Retour a la rubrique

L’UE FELICITE ERDOGAN POUR SA VICTOIRE ET ESPÈRE DE NOUVELLES REFORMES
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 17 juin 2011

Le president de l’UE, Herman Van Rompuy, et le president de la
Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, ont felicite lundi le Premier ministre
turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pour sa victoire aux legislatives, esperant
un nouvel elan dans les reformes et dans les negociations d’adhesion.

“Nous vous felicitons pour les resultats des elections tenues le
12 juin”, ecrivent les deux dirigeants europeens dans un communique
commun.

“Le resultat ouvre la voie a un renforcement des institutions
democratiques de la Turquie, ainsi qu’a une modernisation du pays,
dans la ligne des valeurs et standards europeens”, poursuit le texte.

“Nous sommes convaincus que la periode qui s’ouvre offre de nouvelles
possibilites pour de nouvelles reformes, y compris pour travailler a
une nouvelle Constitution dans le cadre de la plus large consultation
possible et dans un esprit de dialogue et de compromis, et pour le
renforcement de la confiance entre la Turquie et les Etats membres
de l’UE”, ecrivent Herman Van Rompuy et Jose Manuel Barroso.

“Des progrès dans ces domaines devraient egalement donner un
nouvel elan aux negociations d’adhesion avec l’Union europeenne”,
ajoutent-ils.

Le parti issu de la mouvance islamiste de M. Erdogan a remporte
dimanche une victoire ecrasante aux legislatives, s’assurant une
troisième legislature consecutive.

L’AKP n’obtient cependant pas la majorite des deux tiers au Parlement
pour modifier, sans avoir a consulter l’opposition, la Constitution
heritee des militaires après leur putsch de 1980.

Mais M. Erdogan a promis qu’il rechercherait “le plus vaste consensus”
avec l’opposition et la societe civile pour “rediger une nouvelle
Constitution liberale digne de la Turquie”.

Ses detracteurs ont denonce ses tendances autocratiques et lui pretent
l’ambition de se hisser plus tard au poste de chef de l’Etat, dans
le cadre d’un regime presidentiel.

L’UE a ete la grande absente de la campagne, un projet auquel beaucoup
d’electeurs ne croient plus.

Les negociations d’adhesion pietinent en raison de l’opposition de
la France et de l’Allemagne a une pleine adhesion turque, mais aussi
du blocage politique sur l’île divisee de Chypre, Ankara refusant
d’ouvrir ses ports et aeroports a la republique de Chypre, pourtant
membre de l’UE.

LE PROCESSUS DE PAIX ENTRE DANS UNE ” PHASE DE MISE EN ~UVRE ”
Marion

armenews.com
vendredi 17 juin 2011

Robert Bradtke, co-president americain du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE,
a declare que les efforts internationaux visant a resoudre le conflit
du Haut-Karabagh entrent dans ” la phase de mise en ~uvre “, alors
qu’il plaidait pour un plus grande le rôle de l’Union europeenne dans
le processus de paix mercredi 15 juin.

Temoignant devant une commission du Parlement europeen, il a reaffirme
l’espoir des mediateurs internationaux que les presidents armenien
et azerbaïdjanais parviennent a un accord-cadre lors de leur reunion
a Kazan en Russie.

” Alors que nous franchissons une etape du processus – de la
negociation d’un accord a sa mise en ~uvre – je pense que tous les
pays auront un rôle plus important dans le soutien au processus de
paix. Et je pense que c’est certainement le cas pour l’Union europeenne
“, a-t-il declare.

” Comme nous entrons dans une phase de mise en ~uvre, un continuum
d’actions allant des mesures de confiance, aux rencontres, en passant
par un dialogue entre les parties sur les questions plus difficiles
a trancher, mènera vers l’issue du processus, la retablissement,
la reconstruction. Pour toutes ces questions, je pense que l’Union
europeenne aura un rôle important “, a ajoute R. Bradtke.

Le co-president francais, Bernard Fassier, a egalement souligne le rôle
” absolument decisif ” de l’UE dans les prochaines etapes du processus
de paix alors qu’il s’exprimait durant les audiences sur le conflit
du Karabagh organisees par la commission des Affaires etrangères du
Parlement europeen.

R. Bradtke, B. Fassier et le troisième co-president russe, Igor Popov,
se sont rendus dans la region la semaine dernière pour discuter des
preparatifs du sommet de Kazan prevu le 25 juin. La visite a ete
suivie d’une reunion des ministres des Affaires etrangères armenien,
azeri et russe a Moscou.

Bakou et Erevan ont par la suite annonce que les parties au conflit
ont reduit leurs divergences sur les principes fondamentaux d’un
règlement du conflit propose par les puissances mediatrices.

Selon B. Fassier, les mediateurs esperent que les parties ”
consolideront les progrès sous forme ecrite dans un proche avenir “.

B. Fassier a ajoute que les chances d’un accord de paix
armeno-azerbaïdjanais ont de nouveau ressurgi après que les presidents
Serge Sarkissian et Ilham Aliev ont realise ” des progrès ” lors de
leur dernière reunion tenue a Sotchi, en Russie en mars dernier.

Le ministre armenien des Affaires etrangères Edouard Nalbandian a
declare la semaine dernière que la dernière version des principes de
base discute lors du sommet de Sotchi est largement acceptable pour
la partie armenienne.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM: MY LOSS WAS A RESULT OF WRONG STRATEGY
Alisa Gevorgyan

“Radiolur”
17.06.2011 14:02

“My loss was a result of wrong strategy,” boxer Arthur Abraham told
reporters in Yerevan, commenting on his loss in the bout against
American boxer Andres Ward.

Abraham will return to Germany in about a month to prepare for his
future fights and will try to restore the lost.

After several qualification bouts, Arthur Abraham will again fight for
the Champion’s title. Before that he will implement charity programs
in Armenia and will think about marriage.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE NEW ARMENIAN MP IN THE CYPRIOT PARLIAMENT

Catholicosate of Cilicia – Antelias
06/05/2006

His Holiness Aram I received the newly elected Armenian MP in the
Cypriot Parliament, Vartkes Mahdessian in the Veharan on June 5. The
MP visited Antelias to receive the Pontiff’s blessings as a new MP.

Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian (Catholicosal Vicar to Cyprus) and
Tsolag Tutelian (member of the Central Executive Council) also attended
the meeting.

The Catholicos congratulated Mahdessian on his election. He
advised the MP that as the representative of the entire Armenian
community of Cyprus, he should work with commitment to strengthen to
comprehensiveness and internal unity of the community. The Pontiff
added that the MP should coordinate efforts with the Catholicosal
Vicar to Cyprus, to gather the Cypriot-Armenians around the Church.

His Holiness advised that the government-Armenian community contacts
should be more organized always having the community’s collective
interests in mind. The MP promised to do his best in this direction
in cooperation with all the structures of the community.