California Governor signs Armenian Genocide Education Act into law
Panarmenian.net, September 19, 2014, https://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/182611/
California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1915, the Armenian Genocide Education Act into law, Asbarez reported.
The bill adds Armenian Genocide survivor and witness oral testimonies into the teachings of human rights in California public schools and encourages professional development activities and resource development for teachers to teach about the Genocide.
General News on Armenia
Nalbandian: Free expression of Scots’ will is realization of self-determination
Panorama.am, September 19, 2014, https://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2014/09/19/nalbandyan/
Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, the free expression of the will of Scots is an example of the realization of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has told Tert.am.
“In any country, where human rights and democratic freedoms are respected, the principle of self-determination of peoples cannot be disregarded,” said Armenia’s top diplomat.
International community never responded to destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Azerbaijan - Serzh Sargsyan
Tert.am, September 19, 2014, https://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/09/19/President-vaticaan-speech/
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has arrived in Vatican for an official visit. Armenia’s leader participated in the opening of the photo exhibition “Parables of the Orient. Christianity and the Challenge of the New Millennium” at the Vittoriano Museum Complex in Rome.
“Recently we could see consistent destruction of medieval Armenian khachkars in Jugha – records of culture and faith. The destruction of the centuries-old cemetery in Jugha, which dates back to the 9th-16th centuries, was a manifestation of the policy of complete eradication of Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhijevan and Azerbaijan over the past two decades. And the international community has never adequately responded to that.”
Date Set For Armenian Opposition Rally
Azatutyun.am, September 19, 2014, https://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26590771.html
Three leading Armenian parties critical of President Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday decided to hold a joint rally on October 10 which might mark the beginning of their campaign of anti-government street protests.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), another opposition party represented in parliament, announced, meanwhile, that it will not participate in the rally because it disagrees with the troika’s unconditional rejection of sweeping constitutional amendments planned by Sarkisian.
The announcements came after a two-hour meeting of senior lawmakers from the four parties that have increasingly worked together in challenging the Armenian government over the past year. Their cooperation culminated in a list of 12 political and economic demands that were issued to the Sarkisian administration in June. The opposition quartet said at the time that it will rally supporters this fall to discuss the authorities’ response to those demands. The date of that rally was not known until now.
General News on Karabakh
Karabakh FM condemns Azerbaijani provocations
News.am, September 18, 2014, https://news.am/eng/news/229627.html
The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities consider Azerbaijan's provocations targeted at maintaining tension at the line of contact unacceptable, NKR Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan said commenting on the killing of 24-year-old officer Mher Hakobyan by Azerbaijani sniper.
“After trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and a meeting of presidents with Secretary of State John Kerry, this is the first case of blatant violation of ceasefire regime that led to death, and Azerbaijani military and political leadership is responsible for escalation,” Mirzoyan said.
Azerbaijan violates ceasefire in NKR 45 times in past two days
Aysor.am, September 19, 2014, https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/09/19/azerbaijan/
On September 18-19 Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire about 45 times on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Defense Ministry of the NKR said.
The frontline Azerbaijani units fired over 210 shots from guns of various calibers at Armenian positions. The frontline units of NKR Defense Army observed the ceasefire and confidently performed their military duties along the Line of Contact.
Armenia-Turkey
Turkey is not ready to apologize
Repairfuture.net, September 19, 2014, https://repairfuture.net/index.php/en/forgiveness-reconciliation-dialoguestandpoint-of-turkey/turkey-is-not-ready-to-apologize
According to Ali Bayramoglu, who led the petition campaign called “I apologize” in 2008, there are some positive effects of the campaign that are reflected in today. While for the Turkish-Armenian relations, the effects of Erdogan's election to the Presidency shall be limited, it is seen that Turkey is still far away from reaching to the state of apologizing.
Davutoglu sings same old songs in Baku
Armenpress.am, September 19, 2014, https://armenpress.am/eng/news/776933/davutoglu-sings-same-old-songs-in-baku.html
The Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu during his official visit to Azerbaijan touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and sang his same old songs about the Turkish thesis on that issue. Armenpress reports, citing the Anadolu News Agency that Davutoglu said: “As the Prime Minister of Turkey, I state for one more time that until the last centimeter of the Azerbaijani land is freed, Turkey will always be next to Azerbaijan”.
Armenia-Diaspora: New forum in Yerevan expected to pay attention to relations with Turkey
Armenianow.com, September 19, 2014, https://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/56945/armenia_politics_analysis_diaspora_forum_turkey
On September 19-20, Yerevan will host another, fifth Armenia-Diaspora forum. It will be attended by representatives of pan-Armenian structures, media, figures of culture, education, as well as businessmen and members of the clergy – a total of about 700 people from more than 60 countries. The forum will discuss the upcoming events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the development of relations between Armenia and its Diaspora.
Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora in recent years are experiencing hard times. Investments have significantly dropped, the scale of joint projects has reduced, there is a lot of criticism heard in the Diaspora against the government of Armenia, which has monopolized the national goods and prevents access to “outsiders” to the country’s economy. Nevertheless, the Diaspora remains an essential resource for the promotion of national policy, providing a reliable lobbying for national interests.
News from International Sources
Alameda: Survivor's child pens text on Armenian genocide
Mercurynews.com, September 17, 2014, https://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26554965/Alameda:-Survivors-child-pens-text-on-Armenian-genocide
From 1915 through 1923, Armenians -- and other ethnic minorities -- were systematically rounded up and expelled from Turkey in an ethnic cleansing that bore many resemblances to the Holocaust in Germany.
More than 1.5 million Armenians were murdered if they refused to leave their homes or died on the "death march" from Turkey to Syria. Ellen Sarkisian Chesnut has published a new memoir based on her father's eyewitness account of the genocide entitled "Deli Sarkis: The Scars He Carried: A Daughter Confronts the Armenian Genocide and Tells Her Father's Story,"
A book launch for the memoir will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Ave. Chesnut, 75, has lived in Alameda with her husband, Glen, since 2006. She was born in Iraq and came to the United States with her father, mother and brother when she was 2 years old -- to also escape threats in Iraq.
"From 1915 to 1923, 1.5 million Armenians died as a result of outright massacre or deportation. The killings went on for eight years," said Chesnut, whose father was only 10 years old when his family was forced to leave their home in Turkey -- or face death. "I wrote my book because I don't want this to be a hidden genocide anymore."
News from Azerbaijani Sources
Azerbaijan should reconsider cooperation with European Parliament
Trend.az, September 18, 2014, https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/2313291.html
The draft on Azerbaijan submitted for discussion to the European Parliament was prepared by the forces not satisfied with Azerbaijan's role in European energy security, and persons acting under the direct support, custody and influence of the Armenian lobby, the deputy executive secretary of the Yeni Azerbaijan ruling party Siyavush Novruzov told reporters Sept.18.
He noted that the main reason of the subjective resolutions adopted against Azerbaijan is economic growth, accelerated development, revenue growth, reformation of the country, success in social and military sphere, the growing economic and political influence.
Failure of the UN mission will have consequences for Azerbaijan
Contact.az (Oppositional website), September 18, 2014, https://www.contact.az/docs/2014/Politics/091800090850en.htm#.VBvST_mSyts
Disruption of the mission of the UN Subcommittee on Human Rights in Azerbaijan will cause serious damage to the country's image in the international arena, according to human rights activists. "The regime for 20 years, and especially during the last 10 years, shows a similar disregard for the representatives of international organizations. Now they are all frustrated and perform their duties in the UN representatives" Turan was told by a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF), lawyer Namizad Safarov. Such defiance against members of the United Nations will be consequences, and will be reflected in the reports, he said. Ultimately, such a policy could lead to sanctions against Azerbaijan, Safarov said. Condemned the failure of the UN mission and the head of the Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov.