Author: Chakrian Hovsep

REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the victims of
the Armenian Genocide, one of the great tragedies of the 20th century.
Last Saturday, April 24, 2004, marked the 89th anniversary of the
beginning of that tragic period and I urge all Americans to take time
to remember, reflect, and pledge never to forget what happened.
On April 24, 1915, under the guise of collecting supplies for its
participation in World War I, the Ottoman Empire launched a brutal and
unconscionable policy of mass murder. The New York Times reported that
the Ottoman Empire had adopted a policy to annihilate the Armenians
living within the empire. Throughout the following years, Armenians
faced violent attacks, starvation, deportation, and murder. Sadly, the
world took little notice.
Before the violence began in 1914, 2.5 million Armenians lived in the
Ottoman Empire. As a result of the genocide, 1.5 million Armenians had
died and another 500,000 had been driven from their homes and villages.
We must remember and pay homage to those that died. We must remind the
world of these deaths and renew our commitment to ensure that such
tragedies never happen again.
I am proud to represent an Armenian community of half a million in my
great State of California. They are a strong and resilient community,
taking strength in the tragedies of the past and the promise of a
better tomorrow. This community is leading the effort to preserve the
memory of the Armenian Genocide not only for future generations of
Armenian Americans, but, indeed, for all Americans and all citizens of
the world.
I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering the first genocide of
the 20th century. Through our commemoration of this tragedy, we make
clear that we will not tolerate mass murder and ethnic cleansing ever
again and we will never forget.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, people around the world are joining
together to solemnly remember and honor the men, women and children who
perished in the Armenian genocide. Eighty-none years ago, 11/2
million Armenians were systematically massacred at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire. Over 500,000 more were forced to flee their homeland of
3,000 years. Before genocide was defined and codified in international
law, Armenians experienced its horror.
Yet it appears that the international community did not learn the
lessons of Armenia’s genocide. Throughout the 20th century, the
international community failed to act as governments in Germany,
Yugoslavia and Rwanda attempted to methodically eliminate people
because of their religion or ethnicity. Minority groups were abandoned
by the international community in each instance to be overwhelmed by
violence and despair. In Armenia, as in Rwanda and the Holocaust, the
perpetrating governments scapegoated their minority groups for the
difficulties they faced as societies. They justified their campaigns of
hatred with political and economic reasons in an attempt to rationalize
their depravity.
This is why we must remember the Armenian genocide. To forget it is
to enable more genocides and ethnic cleansing to occur. We must honor
its victims by reaffirming our resolve to not let it happen again.
In the shadow of the Holocaust, in 1948, the United Nations adopted
the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide. What Winston Churchill once called a “crime without a
name”, was now called “genocide” by the Convention and defined as
“acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a
national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” The Convention
required its parties to create domestic legislation to hold
perpetrators of genocide accountable for their actions and to place
these perpetrators before domestic courts or international tribunals.
The international community has a long way to go in punishing and
especially, preventing genocide. But we have made the first steps. As
we move forward, we must learn the lessons of Armenia’s genocide. Can
we recognize the rhetorical veils of murderous leaders, thrown up to
disguise the agenda at hand? Have we, the international community,
learned that we must not stand by, paralyzed, as horrors occur, but
work collectively to prevent and stop genocides from occurring? We owe
the victims of the Armenian genocide this commitment.

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 29 2004

AZERI PRESIDENT PINS HOPES ON RUSSIA FOR OIL EXPORT ROUTES

STRASBOURG, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – As co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
group, Russia can do much for Karabakh settlement, said President
Ilkham Aliev of Azerbaijan. He was addressing a news conference at
the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg.

The President hopes for Russia to join hands with the USA and France,
other Minsk group co-chairs, together to step up Karabakh conflict
extinguishing efforts. Russia has an ample chance to gain prominence
in the efforts thanks to its long-established friendly contacts with
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two contenders for Karabakh.

President Aliev shifts entire responsibility for the conflict on
Armenia. As he emphatically said, “Azerbaijan will never recognise
independence of the self-proclaimed Karabakh Republic, and will never
tolerate it joining Armenia, either.” He made a strong call to
reinstate Azeri territorial integrity.

Azeri petroleum exports were another principal theme of the news
conference. Their northern route, via Russia, needs much improvement.
At present, an annual 2.5 million tonnes of Azeri oil is going abroad
by the Baku-Novorossiisk mainline, and another six million by the
Baku-Supsa. Both terminals are Russia’s and Georgia’s Black Sea
ports, respectively. The figures the President quoted concerned only
an Azeri government oil-drilling company, with no account for
expatriate companies in Azerbaijan, he pointed out.

Another mainline is being laid from Baku to Ceyhan, Turkish terminal
in the East Mediterranean. Azeri exports may amount to fifty million
tonnes a year after the line is commissioned toward next year’s end.
“This does not mean we shall give up the Baku-Novorossiisk line-a
route which has to be improved,” said Mr. Aliev.

An Azeri-Russian ad hoc team is weighing up prospective improvements,
he added.

PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington D.C.
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3553

Sacramento
501 I Street, Suite 7-600
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 448-2787
(916) 448-2563 fax

SENATOR BOXER INTRODUCES ARMENIAN VICTIMS INSURANCE FAIRNESS ACT

Dear Friend:

Between 1915 and 1923, the Ottoman Empire conducted the first
Genocide of the 20th Century, killing an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians and displacing thousands more. The campaign was so
devastating that at the beginning of World War I, there were
2.1 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire; following
the Genocide, fewer than 100,000 Armenians remained.

Survivors and descendants of the Armenian Genocide–even after
all of these years–are still trying to recoup the benefits
owed to them from insurance policies that were issued prior to
the Genocide. Insurance policy documents held by the victims
were often destroyed during the Genocide, and death
certificates were not issued to those Armenians who lost their
lives. Therefore, survivors and descendants can only rely on
the documents held by insurance companies as proof that they
are owed benefits. Unfortunately, insurance companies have
offered little cooperation in disclosing the documents and
opening up their records. As a result, I recently introduced
S. 2344 which gives states the authority to require insurance
companies to disclose records of policies that were issued in
areas controlled by the Ottoman Empire between 1875 and 1923.

It is absolutely critical that survivors of the Armenian
Genocide, and their decedents, receive full disclosure of the
insurance records that demonstrate their rightful claim to
insurance policies obtained during this frightful period of
world history. The horror of this international tragedy
continues to resonate strongly in the hearts and minds of
Armenian-Americans, and it is the responsibility of the U.S.
government to step in where insurance companies have not to
bring some measure of peace and resolution to this aspect of
the suffering so cruelly imposed on an entire generation of
people.

If you have questions or concerns about this or any other
matter, I encourage you to contact me at
.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

A1 Plus | 14:31:23 | 03-05-2004 | Social |

YEREVAN MAYOR SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE

On Monday, Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakaryan, speaking at a news conference,
said Northern Avenue construction would be completed in 2006 and Main Avenue
in 2007-2008.

He said 3 billion 180 million drams had been spent for urban construction
for past three months.

In his words 24,000 trees have been planted in the Armenian capital for the
last months.

Zakaryan said 100 minibuses are expected to be brought to Yerevan from
France and Italy.

And another dodgy flood story . . .

The Guardian – United Kingdom
May 04, 2004

It was interesting to discover yesterday that there is to be yet
another expedition to Mount Ararat in north-east Turkey to see whether
Noah’s Ark is still up there. A Christian millionaire, Daniel P
McGivern, who lives in Hawaii, is putting up half a million pounds to
send “scientists” close to the 16,000ft summit, to a spot where aerial
photographs suggest something boat-shaped is to be found.

I foresee two problems. The first is that it has been done before. An
Armenian did it in 1903, found something he thought very ark-like, but
couldn’t find his way back. A Russian did it in 1916, but it turned
out to be a hoax. An American did it in 1960, took samples and
artefacts, and then went on to discover (I can’t remember in what
order) the Ark of the Covenant, the Red Sea crossing, the site of the
burning bush on Mount Sinai and both Sodom and Gomorrah.

The second is the disappointing probability that – had there been an
ark – it wouldn’t be 16,000ft above sea-level unless everything except
the Himalayas had been flooded (not a concept that “scientists” would
easily agree with), and that 5,600-year-old wood tends not to keep,
especially atop a volcano that last erupted in 1840.

But, as McGivern told the Honolulu Star: “All three of the
monotheistic religions believe that we are all descended from Noah and
his three sons. In these times it is good to have something that Jews,
Christians and Muslims all agree about.” Even if it is complete and
utter nonsense.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
May 3, 2004 Monday

Soviet prisoners of war filing lawsuit to demand compensations

By Olga Fronina

MOSCOW

Several hundred former Soviet prisoners of war are considering a
class suit to Germany’s Supreme Administrative Court with a demand to
make them eligible for the compensations that the German government
pays to the former forced toilers of the Third Reich, a lawyer
representing the POWs said.

“The class suit will be filed in May on behalf of several hundred
POWs now living in Armenia,” said Stefan Taschian, the lawyer.

In April he completed work in Moscow archives and is now in getting
familiarized with the documents on his clients in Yerevan.

The lawsuit will be addressed to the German Finance Ministry and the
fund that pays out money to the victims of Nazism.

This is not the first time that Taschian is handling such suits. Last
year, he represented the interests of two former POWs trying to get
the compensations as other categories of Nazi convicts in a Berlin
court.

The lawsuit was rejected, however, with the judges saying German
legislation did not regard the former POWs as a category eligible for
compensations.

German officials insist that all the issues pertaining to the POWs
were settled back in 1953 by the London agreement on debts and by
agreements on reparations.

These documents stipulate that only the POWs, whom the Nazis
transferred to the category of civilian convicts, can aspire to
reparations.

Taschian said in this context that a group of Italians, who had filed
a suit simultaneously with his clients, had won a verdict for
compensation.

ARMENIA AND INDIA TO COOPERATE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
26 Apr 04

(Presenter) Only three countries in the world Ireland, Israel and
India have chosen the development path in the information technology
sphere. In 12 years India increased export volume to 13bn dollars in
this field. Armenia has also chosen high technology as the main
development path in the economy and India’s experience in this field
is valuable for our country. A cooperation agreement in this field was
reached during the Armenian president’s state visit to India. The
Indian deputy minister of information technology is in Armenia today
(26 April).

(Correspondent) India’s export volume in the information technology
sphere constituted 20m dollars in 1995, this indicator reached 13bn
dollars in 2003. According to the Indian specialists’ assessments
four years later, the export volume in the sphere of information
technology will constitute 60bn dollars annually. Indian Deputy
Minister of Information Technologies Lakshminarayanan announced that
this is based on business and government cooperation.

(Indian Deputy Minister of Information Technology Lakshminarayanan,
captioned, in Indian with Armenian voice over) The government is
preparing the programmes, creating favourable conditions for
developing information technologies.

(Correspondent) Armenia’s export volume in the field of information
technologies constitutes 50m dollars annually.

(Director of Armenian Fund “Information technology” Garegin
Chugaszyan, captioned) We had a tradition of some generations, which
India had not. And India’s scientific potential in this field has been
created later than in Armenia. These differences must also be taken
into consideration when we are comparing Armenia with India.

(Correspondent) Apart from this we have much to learn from India,
especially in the systematizing field. India is ready to render
assistance to Armenia in this field. An agreement on cooperation in
this field has been signed a year ago, during the Armenian president’s
visit to India on the bases of which are being made the first steps.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-363-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
April 26, 2004
Contact: David Zenian
E-Mail [email protected]

PRESIDENT BUSH AVOIDS THE WORD “GENOCIDE” TO MOLLIFY TURKEY

WASHINGTON -The Armenian Assembly of America Monday expressed surprise and
disappointment in President Bush’s statement of commemoration on the
occasion of the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide which used
language to clearly define the events but once again stopped short of using
the word genocide.

In his statement this year, the President said, in part:

“On this day, we pause in remembrance of one of the most horrible tragedies
of the 20th century, the annihilation of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
through forced exile and murder at the end of the Ottoman Empire.”

While the choice of words in President Bush’s statement were in effect a
textbook definition of the crime which many nations have acknowledged and
recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century, the statement this
year again fell short of his 2000 election campaign pledge when he said:

“The 20th century was marred by unimaginable brutality, mass murder and
genocide. History records that the Armenians were the first people in the
last century to have endured these cruelties. Armenians were subjected to a
genocidal campaign that defies comprehension… If elected President, I
would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the
Armenian people.”

But for the 4th Armenian Genocide commemorative statement since his
election, President Bush again failed to fulfill his election promise.

“It is deeply disappointing that our President chose to avoid historical
truth and the politically inevitable – U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. With our northern neighbor last week joining the growing list of
nations that reject Turkish threats of retribution, the U.S. may well be the
last western nation to do what is right,” Assembly Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian said.

The Canadian House of Commons last weeks joined France, Italy, the Vatican,
a number of other European countries and the European Parliament in
acknowledging this crime against humanity as genocide.

Also last week, the New York Times reversed decades of ambiguity by
declaring in favor of using the term “genocide” to describe the cataclysm of
1915. The Boston Globe adopted a similar policy change last year.

“The process of genocide affirmation is clear. When any reputable or
resolute government, journal or international body examines the facts, sets
aside politics and rejects Turkish intimidation, the Armenian Genocide is
reaffirmed,” Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian said.

Unlike President Bush, Democratic Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry
(D-MA) last week reiterated his often stated recognition of the Genocide and
called on “governments and people everywhere to formally recognize this
tragedy. Only by learning from this dark period of history and working to
prevent further genocides can we truly honor the memories of those Armenians
who suffered unjustly.”

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR # 2004-046

Following is the text of President Bush’s statement:

“On this day, we pause in remembrance of one of the most horrible
tragedies of the 20th century, the annihilation of as many as 1.5
million Armenians through forced exile and murder at the end of the
Ottoman Empire. This terrible event remains a source of pain for
people in Armenia and Turkey and for all those who believe in
freedom, tolerance, and the dignity of every human life. I join with
my fellow Americans and the Armenian community in the United States
and around the world in mourning this loss of life.

The United States is proud of the strong ties we share with Armenia.
>From the end of World War I and again since the reemergence of an
independent Armenian state in 1991, our country has sought a
partnership with Armenia that promotes democracy, security
cooperation, and free markets. Today, our Nation remains committed to
a peace settlement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and is grateful
for Armenia’s continuing cooperation in the war on terror. By
advancing understanding and goodwill, free nations can help build a
brighter future for the world. Our country seeks to help Armenia
expand its strategic relations with the United States and our
European allies.

Generations of Armenian Americans have also strengthened our
communities and enriched our Nation’s character. By preserving their
heritage, faith, and traditions, Armenian Americans enhance the
diversity that makes America great.

I commend individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have worked to
support peace and reconciliation, including through the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, and call on Armenia and
Turkey to restore their economic, political, and cultural ties. I
also send warm wishes and expressions of solidarity to the Armenian
people on this solemn day of remembrance.”

GEORGE W. BUSH

Russia absents in UN vote on human rights in Turkmenistan

Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow
23 Apr 04

Russia has absented in the UN Human Rights Commission’s recent vote on
Turkmenistan, which is said to violate human rights of ethnic
minorities, including Russians, a Russian newspaper has reported. The
participation in the development of Turkmen energy sector “looks much
more attractive to Moscow than the protection of human rights of its
own citizens”, the newspaper suggested. The following is the text of
Viktoriya Panfilova’s report entitled: “The UN is no authority to
Turkmenbasy. Moscow conspires with Asgabat by refusing to support a
resolution on protection of national minorities in Turkmenistan” and
published by Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta website on 23
April; subheadings inserted editorially:

The other day in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Commission adopted a
harsh resolution condemning the violation of human rights in
Turkmenistan, with 25 countries voting for the resolution, 11 against
it, and 17 abstaining from voting. The document states inadmissible
facts of “discrimination in the sphere of education and employment of
ethnic Russians, Uzbeks, and other national minorities,” “arbitrary
arrests, incarceration, and curtailed freedom to obtain information
and self-expression.”

Symptomatically, the abstaining countries included Russia, whose
citizens living in Turkmenistan are considered people of second
quality and know first-hand what discrimination is. It seems that a
hypothetical opportunity to take part in the development of Turkmen
energy resources looks much more attractive to Moscow than the
protection of human rights of its own citizens.

The official position of Moscow was voiced by Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Yuriy Fedotov, who declared: “Basically, we proceed from the
fact that so-called ‘country-specific resolutions’, particularly those
made by the UN Human Rights Commission, can hardly improve the real
situation.”

Russia’s ‘absolute indifference’

It is unclear how much attention Moscow paid to the fact that in
appreciation of the support he received from Russia, Turkmenbasy
Turkmen President Saparmyrat Nyyazow signed an edict on construction
of yet another fountain in place of the recently demolished Russian
Theatre of Drama in Asgabat. It seems that the Russian-speaking people
have become accustomed to absolute indifference displayed by the
historical homeland to their problems and do not count on help from
bureaucrats from Smolensk Square Russian Foreign Ministry seat or the
Kremlin.

The Russian indifferent position unties Nyyazow’s hands, and as a
result the discrimination of ethnic minorities in Turkmenistan is
worsening. Specifically, the specialists who graduated from higher
education institutions after 1993 outside Turkmenistan are to be
dismissed by 22 May of this year. Representatives of national
minorities are not allowed to hold positions in financial and military
structures, the judicial system, or the police and other security
services. In addition, teachers and doctors have been dismissed as
well. In an overwhelming majority of cases, those are Russians,
Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Armenians, and children from mixed marriages. Even if
one of the parents is Turkmen, more lenient treatment should not be
expected.

Human rights situation worsens

It stands to reason that President Nyyazow has not reacted in any way
to yet another portion of criticism on the part of the international
community. Turkmenbasy respects no resolutions, especially that they
are adopted on a permanent basis. Last November, for example, a
document condemning the violation of human rights in Turkmenistan was
adopted by the UN General Assembly. “Unfortunately, the Turkmen
government has not resolved the problems raised by the UN Human Rights
Commission. On top of it, the human rights situation in Turkmenistan
noticeably deteriorated in 2003 and early months of 2004,” Aaron
Rhodes, the International Helsinki Federation executive director, has
declared.

Sympathizing country

Notably, Ukraine proved one of the 11 countries sympathizing with
Turkmenbasy. Similar to Moscow, Kiev hopes to sign a gas contract for
25 years. It is unclear, however, whether Turkmenistan has enough gas
for everyone who wants it.

Recently, Russia itself was classified into the same group as
Turkmenistan and Belarus, drawing criticism from the UN Human Rights
Commission. Last week in Geneva, an EU resolution on Chechnya was
discussed. The EU’s main complaint is that the crimes being committed
in Chechnya have not been properly investigated. So, Moscow has no
time now for some compatriots living in the “spiritually close”
Turkmenistan.

Baku Today
April 22 2004

Mann is in Azerbaijan

Baku Today 22/04/2004 16:07

OSCE Minsk group’s US chairman Steven Mann has arrived in Baku today.
Mann is having talks with Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar
Mammadyarov at the moment.
Later today he will meet with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.
Mann started his fist tour of the South Caucasus as the OSCE Minsk
group’s US chairman on April 19, 2004.

He has visited Armenia and Georgia earlier.

The United States authorized Mann for the Minsk group on April 17.

US’s third spokesman at the group Rudolf Perina handed over his power
to Mann during the Minsk group’s peace mediating meeting in Prague
between Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers over Karabakh
conflict.