Author: Chmshkian Vicken

SCANDAL AROUND NUBARASHEN BOARDING SCHOOL GATHERS PACE

ArmInfo
2010-04-26 16:25:00

ArmInfo. Scandal around Nubarashen Boarding School is gathering pace.

One of the complainants Hasmik Sinanyan could not attend the first
ession of the trial today on April 26. Green Movement activist Mariam
Sukhudyan told media that earlier in the morning on April 26 Sinanyan
was taken to the police office without any explanations. "The lawyer
was not allowed to see her. This arouses concern, for she has not
refused from her accusations against Levon Avagyan and has repeatedly
expressed readiness to go to the end," M. Suhkudyan said. She recalled
that in April-June 2008 a number of public activists participated
in the UN Project "Ten Best Schools" when the Boarding School No.11
was monitored as well. Monitoring revealed a series of shortcomings:
poor quality of catering, poor sanitation, and brutal treatment to
children. In addition, some students were forced to carry out hard
work in the land lots and houses of the school leadership.

The cases of sexual harassment of minors by their teacher Levon Avagyan
received wide public response. On Nov 13 2008 the Armenian Public
Television program "Haylur" reported of sexual abuse of certain D.A.,
a pupil of the Nubarashen special school No.11, by her teacher Levon
Avagyan. After the report, the Erebuni Investigation Department accused
Marian Sukhudyan, participant in the monitoring of the given school,
the well-known activist of the green Movement, instead of the actual
guilty party. She was charged with Article 135 part 1 of the Criminal
Code of Armenia (slander), then with Article 333 part 2 point 3 (false
denunciation for illicit gain) and then again with Article 135. Later
all these charged were removed. The Prosecutor General’s Office of
Armenia told ArmInfo that the Yerevan Investigation Department of the
Chief Intelligence Department of the Armenian Police revealed that
the Erebuni Community Department made its own interpretation of all
the proofs. A criminal case on the facts of sexual abuse of minors
has been initiated. The trial against L.

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN FRANCE REMINDS SENATE OF BILL CRIMINALIZING DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2010-04-26 12:03:00

ArmInfo. Representatives of the Armenian community in France
visited Senate on April 23 and met with Serge Lagauche, Chairman of
Armenia-France Friendship Group.

Quoting AFP, Le Figaro reported that the parties discussed the bill
criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide submitted in October 2006.

To recall, on October 12 2006 the bill was voted against by the French
National Assembly. Now, the bill’s fate is in the hands of the Senate.

President of the Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations
of France (CCAF) Alexis Govciyan says he expects certain progress
in the issue. He points out that Serge Lagauche was informed of the
concerns of the Armenian community about many facts of denial of the
Armenian Genocide, even in the written form. In response, Mr. Lagauche
promised to study the possibility of realizing the project, he says.

TURKEY SHOULD APOLOGIZE FROM THREE NATIONS: TURKISH DEPUTY

Panorama.am
15:18 26/04/2010

Turkish "Peace and Democracy" (BDP) Bitlis deputy Nezir Karabas
condemned the crime committed by the Ottoman Turkey in 1915 at a
conference in Denizli. Without questioning the historical truth of
the Armenian massacres, Karabas said a great number of Armenians were
resettled, tortured and violated, atrociously killed.

"Instead of discussing the events inside the country, assessing them
and apologizing like a number of contemporary states by bringing them
to the agenda, Turkey pretends nothing of the kind happened. Turkey
should apologize from three nations: the Armenians for the massacres,
the Kurdish people for partially involving them into the offense, the
Turkish people for concealing the truth for 90 years," Karabas said.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF ARMENIA, RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN SIGN A DECLARATION ON NAGORNO KARABAKH

armradio.am
26.04.2010 16:38

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Holy Armenian Catholicos,
and the Grand Mufti of the Caucasus signed an agreement on Nagorno
Karabakh on the sidelines of the Religious Leaders’ Summit in Baku,
RIA Novosti reports.

"It is ready and signed. It is very important," Patriarch Kirill said,
adding the agreement would push for reconciliation and attempt to
create an atmosphere of trust in the region.

He also said the deal may encourage political leaders to come to an
agreement over the dispute.

The Russian Church leader also said while religious leaders do not
have political power, they can send "an important signal to believers."

The declaration said potential of the religion, which called for peace,
martyrdom and patience, should be a power of reconciliation.

"We believe that our joint efforts will enable us to prevent the
international confrontation. It is vitally important not to allow
the disputes to return back to the military way. We will strengthen
our peaceful efforts to support the people’s hopes for elimination
of enmity because if the war continues it will be endless."

"We support the international efforts for the resolution of the
conflict. The communication should be extended to achieve peace and
peaceful coexistence with the view of strengthening mutual confidence.

Permanent peace is possible only if there is goodwill and sincere
intention. By supporting the efforts of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents we want to assist their initiatives. In order to contribute
to the resolution of the conflict, we think it is important to
continue the dialogue among the religious leaders. The resolution
of the conflict will allow the persons displaced during the war to
return to their native lands. We welcome the release of the captives
by the sides, call on the political and religious figures to activate
their efforts towards benevolent and humanitarian process. We condemn
the acts of barbarism and consider it important to protect religious
monuments, sacred temples of our nations."

The document says that it is not easy to achieve peace and
understanding. "It requires much work and strong will. But we have
great hopes that we will have a success. Let the God endow the
Caucasus with permanent and fair peace, our nations with happiness,"
says the declaration.

Cyprus Armenians hold series of events in commemoration of Genocide
95th anniversary

April 24, 2010 – 21:50 AMT 16:50 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Today, Cyprus hosted a political event to mark 95th anniversary of
Armenian Genocide, Editor-in-Chief of Gibrahayer e-magazine Simon
Aynejian stated.

As he told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, President of Cyprus House of
Representatives Marios Garoyian, Cyprus Foreign Minister Marcos
Kyprianou and Member of the European Parliament Ioannis Kasoulides
were invited to participate.

Cyprus Armenians held series of events in Genocide 95th anniversary
commemoration.

In Nicosia, Remembrance Day was started with a memorial liturgy for
1915 Genocide victims.

Southeast European Times
April 25 2010

Armenians mark 95th anniversary of "genocide"
25/04/2010

YEREVAN, Armenia — The country and Armenians worldwide marked on
Saturday (April 24th) the 95th anniversary of the killing of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan maintains that an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1917.
Turkey acknowledges that thousands of Armenians did indeed perish but
denies that genocide took place. Hundreds of people gathered at
Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday for a tribute amid heavy police
security. The event ended without incident.

Marking the anniversary, US President Barack Obama issued a statement
calling the 1915 events "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th
century", but avoided the term genocide. Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan welcomed that, saying Obama has taken into account
Ankara’s sensibility on the issue. The commemoration comes two days
after Armenia’s parliamentary majority announced it will freeze the
ratification of two protocols aimed at normalising ties with Ankara.
The documents on establishing diplomatic ties and reopening the border
between the two countries were signed in October. (Hurriyet, AFP,
Reuters – 24/04/10)

Obama cites `devastating chapter’ in Armenia past

Associated Press Online
April 24, 2010 Saturday 10:16 PM GMT

Candidate Barack Obama repeatedly promised he’d call the almost
century-old massacre of Armenians in Turkey a genocide. President
Obama twice now has refused to do so.

Commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day on Saturday, Obama called the
deaths of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I "one of the worst
atrocities" of the 20th century and "a devastating chapter" in
history. But he did not call it genocide.

Obama’s statement, issued as he and first lady Michelle Obama spent a
weekend getaway here in western North Carolina, earned him criticism
from all corners. The Turkish foreign minister said it was
"unacceptable," and activists took issue with the president’s tone in
marking the 95th anniversary of the start of the slaughter of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

It is "a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people,
and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those who were murdered
and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past," Obama
said in his statement.

Yet for a second year as president, Obama intentionally eschewed
calling it a genocide. Instead, he used an Armenian term used to
describe the first mass killing of the 20th century Meds Yeghern.

For Obama, referring to the killings as genocide could upend pledges
to have a closer partnership with Turkey, a vital ally in a critical
region. Steering around the word, however, put him at odds with his
own pledges to recognize the slaughter as genocide.

Marking the grim anniversary of the start of the killings, the
president said: "On this solemn day of remembrance, we pause to recall
that 95 years ago one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century
began."

The statement was less than the full and frank acknowledgment he
promised Jan. 19, 2008, when he vowed that as president, "I will
recognize the Armenian Genocide," and repeatedly used the word.

"I also share with Armenian Americans so many of whom are descended
from genocide survivors a principled commitment to commemorating and
ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances
of genocide in world history. As a U.S. senator, I have stood with the
Armenian American community in calling for Turkey’s acknowledgment of
the Armenian Genocide."

Saturday, activists and officials from across the spectrum were quick
to express disappointment.

"Today we join with Armenians in the United States and around the
world in voicing our sharp disappointment with the president’s failure
to properly condemn and commemorate the Armenian Genocide," Armenian
National Committee of America chairman Ken Hachikian said. "Sadly, for
the U.S. and worldwide efforts to end the cycle of genocide, he made
the wrong choice, allowing Turkey to tighten its gag-rule on American
genocide policy."

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called Obama’s statement
"not acceptable."

"If we are going to share griefs for humanitarian reasons, then we
would expect respect for our own grief as well," Davutoglu said.

And the Turkish Coalition of America said Obama’s statement does not
address "the equally tragic loss of even more Muslim lives in this
turbulent period of Ottoman history."

"Where does the ethnic cleansing of Ottoman Turks from the Balkans,
Eastern Turkey and the Caucasus with 5 million lost and 5.5 million
refugees come on the president’s list of ‘worst atrocities of the 20th
century?’" Turkish Coalition of America president G. Lincoln McCurdy
said.

Obama insisted he had not changed his view from the campaign, even as
he declined to state it.

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view of that history has not changed," Obama said in his statement,
issued as he played golf at a mountaintop resort. "It is in all of our
interest to see the achievement a full, frank and just acknowledgment
of the facts."

Obama is closely watching as Turkey and Armenia approach an end to the
long-simmering feud between the nations. The two countries signed
agreements for reconciliation in October, but the deals still need to
be approved by their parliaments. The agreements call for the
establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of their
border.

The agreement, if ratified, would reopen the border Turkey closed in
1993 to protest Armenia’s war with neighboring Azerbaijan. The Turkish
parliament has held up ratification of the deal as Turkey presses for
a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a region in
Azerbaijan that has been under Armenian control since the war.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Obama’s comments
but cautioned that Turkey would not take further steps to ratify the
protocols in parliament until there is peace between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Turkey insists Armenia must withdraw its troops from
Nagorno Karabakh before Turkey could reopen its border.

White House officials in March unsuccessfully tried to block the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives from calling
the Ottoman-era killing of Armenians a genocide a move the
administration worried would imperil those talks.

As a result, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan.
The ambassador has since returned to Washington.

Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks
around the time of World War I. Armenians and several nations around
the world recognize it as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey denies that the massacres were genocide, saying the death toll
is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest as the Ottoman
Empire collapsed.

COLUMN – GENOCIDAL KILLERS BENEFIT
Dennis Dalman, Alexandria Echo Press

Alexandria Echo Press
262/group/Opinion/
April 23 2010

Never forget! But, of course we do – again and again. Since the
Holocaust ("Never forget!"), in which an estimated six million Jews
were systematically put to death, untold more millions of human beings
have been slaughtered time and again.

Never forget!

But, of course we do – again and again.

Since the Holocaust ("Never forget!"), in which an estimated six
million Jews were systematically put to death, untold more millions
of human beings have been slaughtered time and again. Humankind not
only forgets but seems intent on repeating the horrors of the past.

What is just as despicable as this constant forgetting is the
insistence by some fools that the Holocaust never happened. Instead
of acknowledging the hideous crimes of history, these shameless
revisionists (some of them posing as "scholars") want to erase
historical facts, bury the evidence and muffle the screams.

To this day, Turkey will not admit it perpetrated genocide against 1.5
million Armenians from 1915-1923. Japan still refuses to acknowledge
the vicious rampages of its troops in Nanking, China in 1937 when
300,000 of the city’s residents (men, women and children) were shot,
beheaded, raped, drowned, hanged, disemboweled, buried alive and
burned alive. Japan and Turkey are only two examples of the denial
of genocidal butchery.

This refusal to accept responsibility is never-ending, country after
country.

"It didn’t happen." That’s the biggest cop-out line of all time.

How can we "never forget," how can we "always remember" when so many
ostriches, heads in sand, come up for air to squawk, "It didn’t
happen, didn’t happen." This willful "amnesia," in and of itself,
fuels genocide because such enabling behavior induces forgetfulness
and helps let perpetrators off the hook.

One of my personal heroes is Larry Tillemans of St. Joseph, Minnesota.

He was a secretary who transcribed testimony from Nazis during the
war-crimes trials in Nuremburg, Germany. He knows firsthand, indelibly,
the genocide that occurred in Germany. He cannot forget what he saw
and heard, and he wants others – especially younger people – to know
what happened and not to forget it. The fact that some so-called
"scholars" deny the Holocaust disgusts Tillemans to the bottom of
his very soul. That is why, even now in his early 90s, he continues
to give talks to any group that will listen. His message?

The Holocaust happened. Learn what happened and how it happened and
then don’t you forget it!

The trouble is, so many eyewitnesses to the genocidal barbarity during
World War II are now dead and gone. Too many young people think the
Holocaust was so long ago, why should the world keep dwelling on it?

Many do not know (or they forget about) the variations of Holocaust
that have happened all through the 20th century and into this one:
Pol Pot’s bloodbath in Cambodia, Chinese persecutions and killings of
people in Tibet, Idi Amin’s homicidal fury in Uganda, the vicious
ethnic rapes and killings in Serbia-Bosnia-Croatia, the mutual
slaughters between Hutus and Tutsis in Uganda, the current mass
murders in Darfur. The long, long list of genocide goes on and on,
as the world keeps forgetting.

That is what most genocidal killers depend upon – human beings’
penchant for forgetting the "bad." After their bloody crimes, tyrants
often go unpunished, living in hiding or in exile and sometimes in
plain view among populations that forget – or too easily forgive.

Thank goodness for the War-Crimes Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands
where justice, now and then, is still meted out to the savage
criminals who led their all-too-willing people to commit so much
violence against innocent people.

They say those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to
repeat it. But we cannot learn anything if we remain in a state of
willful amnesia. Of course, we cannot dwell on those horrors daily
forever. But at the very least, we can acknowledge with dread and
sorrow they did, in fact, happen.

A good way to "remember" is to Google "Holocaust Museum in Washington,
D.C."

Dennis Dalman, a former reporter for the Echo Press, is a regular
contributing columnist to the Opinion page. He is currently the
editor of the St. Joseph Newsleader. He can be reached via e-mail
at [email protected].

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT HOLDS MEETING AT DEFENSE MINISTRY

APA
April 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev held meeting on army building at the
Ministry of Defense on April 23, APA reports quoting AzTV.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief noted that the army building had always
been in the focus of attention in Azerbaijan: "This is the issue of
primary importance for us, because the territories of Azerbaijan are
under the occupation for long years".

The Head of State underlined that that the existing situation makes
Azerbaijan strengthen its military potential at high level: "Armenia
and its supporters have committed special cruelty and mercilessness in
the process of occupation. Khojaly Genocide is a bright example for
this. Armenia roughly violates all legal norms. Despite the adoption
of four resolutions by the UN Security Council in the early 1990s
demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian
armed forces from the occupied lands, the Armenian armed forces are
still holding our territories under occupation and do not implement
these decisions".

Taking stance on updated Madrid principles, the Head of State said that
the last proposals might be a ground for preparation of the agreement:
"I want to reiterate that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
has never been and will never be a subject of discussion.

Prolonging the negotiations, Armenia does not want to free the
territories it has occupied. Our biggest compromise is that Azerbaijan
is still committed to the peace process for 20 years. The international
community should respect for their decisions. No problem can be solved
in the region unless the Armenia – Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno
Karabakh is resolved, because the conflict seriously impact on the
processes in the region".

Speaking about the significance of the meeting, the President stated
that further development of the military sphere is in the focus of
attention in Azerbaijan. According to him, the military preparation
is at high level in Azerbaijan, military expenses has increased by ten
times over the last 5-6 years, military industry is rapidly developing
and a great number of military equipment has been purchased: "This is
our natural right. Today the Army of Azerbaijan is stronger and more
professional than Armenian one in all spheres. Azerbaijan is one of
the rare countries in the region that doesn’t need the help of anyone".

Further, Minister of Defense, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev provided
detailed information on the measures taken in the direction of the
army building.

Issues on army building were discussed afterwards.

ARMENIANS MARK 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2010 – 10:37 AMT 05:37 GMT

Today, April 24, marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide was masterminded by the Central Committee of
the Young Turk Party led by Mehmed Talat Pasha, Ismail Enver Pasha,
and Ahmed Djemal Pasha. 95 years ago today, Armenian intellectuals
of Constantinople were arrested, the figure reaching 800 during a week.

Majority of them were killed in prisons, the others died when being
exiled.

In all, from 1.5 to 2 million people were slaughtered in the Ottoman
Empire during the WWI. The entire population of six vilayets of Western
Armenia was annihilated. Those who survived found shelter in different
countries of the world, forming the Armenian Diaspora.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying
the atrocities as "deportation to secure Armenians". Only a few
Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and
scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize
the Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France,
Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states,
parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National
Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm,
Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.