Category: 2017

GLENDALE—In 2017, 26 Armenian soldiers have been killed by Azerbaijani fire and landmine explosions. At least 7 out of the 26 were born in the year 1998, which made them 19 years old and 10 out of the 26 were born in the year 1997, which made them 20.

The “With Our Soldiers” Committee informs all community members that Azerbaijani aggression shows no signs of halting and hostilities at the frontlines still remain very active. Armenian soldiers are killed every couple of weeks as the ceasefire regime is violated by Azerbaijan on a daily basis.

To put things into perspective, in the last week alone, Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire more than 200 times, firing over 2300 shots at the Line of Contact. Azerbaijan has proven yet again that it has no respect for the ceasefire regime.

As we enter this season of family, friends, and festivities, it is also important for us to be mindful of our brothers serving for our country and protecting our borders. Therefore, with the holidays around the corner, the committee urges all supporters and community members to donate to this worthy cause so that we can once again aid the soldiers serving the frontlines and all those affected by Azerbaijani aggression.

Since the “April War” and the restart of the “With Our Soldiers” campaign, the committee has raised over $150,000 that it has dispersed to about 130 families of fallen soldiers, and through the delivery of supplies to local soldiers in Artsakh. With work currently in progress, the committee is organizing plans to once again continue supplying the frontlines with various supplies, such as weather protective goggles, power generators, and gloves as a part of With Our Soldiers 3.0 that includes other components as well.

Although there is no all out war like last April, soldiers are still dying, families are being left without breadwinners, and children are being left without their fathers. President Aliyev has enforced a political climate where xenophobic behavior towards Armenians is being promoted and those who murder Armenians are being rewarded.

We saw this recently with Azerbaijani ax murderer Ramil Safarov being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel of his country’s armed forces. We also see this with Armenian community leaders as well as Members of Congress pursuing the path of justice for Armenians being blacklisted for visiting Artsakh.

And simultaneously, meetings between Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats with representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group are showing slow signs of progress. Therefore, it’s up to members of the diaspora to stand in solidarity with the Armenian people and assist. The “April War” of 2016 became a test for Armenians all around the world to see how prepared we were to address the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters in the homeland.

It is absolutely necessary for our community to unite during this time of need to assist our soldiers, especially with the cold Armenia winter approaching. The ‘With Our Soldier’ Committee is prepared to personally make visits to the military bases it plans to aid.

More details will be announced in the coming weeks as plans become finalized. However, it is imperative that we have the support of our community in order to move forward with our efforts and achieve all the goals we have set out.

The AYF’s “With Our Soldiers” campaign, originally launched in 2012, provided medical services and assistance to more than 80 veterans of the Artsakh Liberation Movement. To learn more about the WOS campaign or to make a donation today, you can visit withoursoldiers.com.

Founded in 1933 with organizational structures in over 17 regions around the world and a legacy of over eighty years of community involvement, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.

From the website of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh and the Defense Ministry of Armenia: The names of the soldiers killed in 2017 by Azerbaijani fire and landmine explosions.

26. November 21, 2017: Sargis Melikyan (b. 1997)
25. November 21, 2017: Sargis Abrahamyan (b. 1998)
24. November 21, 2017: Gegham Zakaryan (b. 1995)
23. October 19, 2017: Tigran Khachatryan (b. 1998)
22. October 11, 2017: Chaplin Margaryan (b. 1998)
21. September 28, 2017: Seyran Sargsyan (b. 1998)
20. September 1, 2017: Hayk Khachatryan (b. 1998)
19. August 27, 2017: Artak Bisharyan (b. 1991)
18. August 14, 2017: Arman Movsisyan (b. 1998)
17. July 10, 2017: Vazgen Poghosyan (b. 1997)
16. June 17, 2017: Narek Gasparyan (b. 1997)
15. June 16, 2017: Arayik Matinyan (b. 1997.
14. June 16, 2017: Vigen Petrosyan (b. 1997.
13. June 16, 2017: Vardan Sargsyan (b. 1997.
12. May 26, 2017: Armen Harutyunyan (b. 1996)
11. May 20, 2017: Karen Danielyan (b. 1996)
10. April 28, 2017: Mher Arzumanyan (b. 1998)
9. April 24, 2017: Narek Harutyunyan (b. 1997)
8. March 31, 2017: Gor Hovhannisyan (b. 1993)
7. March 28, 2017: Artak Rafaelyan (b. 1997)
6. March 1, 2017: Nver Babajanyan (b. 1980)
5. February 8, 2017: Gegham Manukyan (b. 1979)
4. February 6, 2017: Gor Gareginyan (b. 1997)
3. January 22, 2017: Karen Ulubabyan (b. 1995)
2. January 18, 2017: Andranik Musikyan (b. 1997)
1. January 16, 2017: Garik Vardanyan (b. 1996)(wounded on Dec. 20, 2016)

ISTANBUL—German and Turkish officials are said to be investigating explosive claims by the Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), who on Wednesday asserted that he was in possession of intelligence suggesting that Turkish citizens in Europe, including academics, journalists, politicians, Armenians and opinion leaders from the opposition ranks were targets of assassination plots.

The Hurriyet Daily News reported Friday that following Paylan’s remarks, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it had launched an investigation into the claims, calling on the HDP deputy to testify as a witness on the issue.

German authorities have also stated that law enforcement agents are aware of “the danger situation,” state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Dec. 22.

The officers are conducting an investigation with “the utmost sensitivity” but have ruled out providing any details or protection measures regarding Paylan’s intelligence, according to Deutsche Welle’s report.

“I received intelligence last week over plans to assassinate several Turkish citizens living in Europe, especially in Germany. I have verified the information from multiple sources,” Paylan said at the press conference on Wednesday, signaling a “Turkey-based group” that could mobilize certain assassins for the plot.

“Thousands of academics, journalists and politicians have been forced to live in Europe because of the political atmosphere in Turkey,” Paylan said, referring to the arrests, court cases and job dismissals that took place with state of emergency decrees imposed in the wake of the July 15, 2016, military coup attempt in Turkey. He also claimed that three assassins were assigned by a “secret structure,” similar to Ogün Samast, who killed journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 19, 2007 in broad daylight in Istanbul.

Paylan said a hate campaign smearing Dink of “being a traitor” had been launched to psychologically prepare the public for his murder.

In an interview with the Hurriyet Daily News published on Friday, Paylan said he thought such a structure could be made up of “those who assumed personal missions encouraged by the current political atmosphere in Turkey, or something even more serious than that.”

He said it could also consist of people who were seeking an opportunity to carry out another coup attempt or wanted to further distance Turkey from the EU and the West.

Police officers on duty at the time of Dink’s murder have recently been arrested; they have alleged links to the illegal network of Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based Islamic preacher accused of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt.

When asked whether he was suspicious of the Gülen network of being behind the assassination, Paylan said he did not have adequate information to confirm that, but regarding the Dink murder he said, “Those who made the decision to kill him were part of a secret structure in security institutions and there were Gülenists within it who were aware that Dink would be killed but did nothing to stop it, in order to create more hostility in the political atmosphere.”

Paylan urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, political figures and journalists to stop using the language currently used against dissidents and halt targeting them in order not to let the political antagonism to escalate, which could lead to similar consequences, “God forbid.”

BY JOSEPH DAGDIGIAN

It was recently reported that exploration for oil and gas in parts of Armenia would begin soon. Having seen some of the environmental destruction caused by Armenia’s mining industry, I have little confidence in Armenia’s ability to protect the environment from damage from mining and, in the future, from petroleum and gas production.

In the U.S. we are often reminded of gas wells contaminating ground water and negatively affecting the health of nearby communities. Should we not expect the same or worse in Armenia?

Following is a reference to a special issue of the Noyan Tapan newspaper regarding mining, together with some personal observations of mining’s effects in Armenia:

Amulsar gold mine
The August 2, 2017 edition of the English language Armenian newspaper, Noyan Tapan, dedicated its entire issue to four reports critiquing the Amulsar gold mine.

The front page of Noyan Tapan contains a plea, printed in red:

“Dear Reader: This special issue is completely dedicated to Amulsar Gold Mine. We hope it will attract the attention of our readers including RA officials, heads of international organizations, foreign ambassadors, and the international Armenian community, and together we will be able to prevent this disaster.”

The proposed mine, near Armenia’s Jermuk resort area, requires that large quantities of cyanide and other highly toxic chemicals be imported, endangering aquifers and possibly the Spandaryan reservoir. The mine will use 600,000 gallons of water per day. Already there are water shortages in Armenia, which are exacerbated by oligarchs diverting water from farming villages for their own projects. Where will the 600,000 gallons of water per day used by the mine be stored or discharged? What chemicals or heavy metal residues will the water contain?

In return for the mine’s operation, the Armenian government is supposed to receive $50 million per year for 10 years ($500,000,000 total). This amount will not adequately compensate Armenia for a future environmental disaster. There are alternative sources of tax revenue and investment in Armenia. Noyan Tapan states, “We know that $10 billion dollars illicit money were flown out of the country from 2004 to 2013 and is continuing instead of investing in Armenia while our national debt stands now at close to $6 billion.”

Lydian Armenia, the company that is to develop and operate the mine, was founded in 2005. It is totally owned by Lydian International, which is incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands – a financial tax haven and British crown dependency. If there is a major environmental mishap, or if the mine turns out to be unprofitable, the mine’s operator could simply declare bankruptcy and walk away.  To the extent that a cleanup would be possible (which it probably would not), the cleanup cost to the Armenian government could exceed Armenia’s entire state budget.

Kapan
Near Kapan, in Syunik province, a huge lake of liquid mine waste fills a nearby valley. Local residents told me that children are getting sick, and there is no diagnosis for the illnesses. It is believed that the mine and its toxic waste are the culprits. As a consequence families with children are leaving the area and moving to Yerevan. If work is not found in there the families, or at least the husbands, will relocate to Russia to find work.

Kajaran
A valley on the outskirts of Kajaran, also in Syunik province, is 80% filled with mine tailings. The height of the tailings pile dwarfs the remaining trees in the valley. Rain and water from melting snow collect in the valley, mixing with the mine tailings. Where does this water end up? What chemicals or metals are leeched out of the tailings?

Akhtala
The 10th century Akhtala monastery in Lori marz sits upon a hill. In medieval times this region was known as “Bghntsahank” (copper mine) due to its mines. Mining in the region continues, but now with modern, efficient mining equipment. Below the monastery, meters from the Debet River, is a mining waste dump. The Debet River is polluted. In nearby valleys as well, tailings are dumped onto the valley slopes.

Zod/Sotk
The Sotk gold mine is adjacent to the new northern road to Artsakh. The mine is in Armenia, close to the Artsakh border, adjacent to the Tatar/Trtu River. Huge mountains of mine tailings are piled up close to the highway. When I was there, the Tatar/Trtu river water was grey. Since this was in the middle of a dry spell, it was unlikely that soil was being washed into the river causing the grey color of the water. The grey color of the water probably was from the mining activity.

Sarsang Reservoir
On a number of occasions I have visited the Sarsang Reservoir in northern Artsakh. The first time, perhaps 15-20 years ago, Sarsang’s water was clear. The next time I visited Sarsang, the water was green, undoubtedly due to a new Base Metals factory on Sarsang’s shore. Base Metals, the largest taxpayer in Artsakh, belongs to the Valex Corporation.

Armenia is inviting more mining companies
The January/February 2014 issue of Foreign Affairs, an influential journal of global affairs, contains a nicely done 11-page advertisement entitled “Armenia, Roadmap to Growth”. Despite the continuing environmental damage from mining, 2 ½ pages of the advertisement are devoted to enticing mining companies to come to Armenia and exploit Armenia’s minerals.

Conclusion
There are other environmentally damaged sites I have encountered which I’ve not listed. According to a U.N. survey, about 15% of Armenia’s land is suitable for agriculture. Some of this land is already being polluted. Valleys are being filled with solid or liquid mine waste. Many villages are without adequate water for irrigation while oligarchs divert water for their own use, and mining companies continue to pollute. Water issues will become more severe as global warming progresses. In the future, Armenia might have to contend with the environmental impact of oil or gas drilling as well.

The American University of Armenia (AUA) has a group studying “responsible mining”. Mining generates waste, often toxic waste, which needs to be stored. How long does this waste remain toxic? How long does this waste need to be stored? Forever? How long will dams or retaining walls last? How many valleys will be filled with toxic waste? I contend that at least in the Armenian context, “responsible mining” does not currently exist! How many “Love Canals” will Armenia be host to?

In 1968 Armenians commemorated the 2750th anniversary of the founding of Yerevan (Erebuni). In 2001 Armenians celebrated the 1,700th year of Armenian Christianity. Next year we will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first republic. In the wake of irresponsible and unsustainable exploitation of Armenia’s minerals, including perhaps oil and gas, in 200 or even 100 years what will we commemorate? Armenia’s environmental destruction?