Western U.S. edition - Armenian Reporter

Number 116
May 30, 2009
the armenian
reporter
President Serge Sargsian said on
May 28 that he would declare an
amnesty for dozens of people imprisoned
in connection with unrest
that followed the February 2008
presidential elections – but only if
Armenia’s leading political groups
Armenia
President Serge Sargsian says amnesty for
March 1 detainees depends on public sentiment
A concert commemorating the Armenian
Genocide and raising money
for the Fund for Armenian Relief,
took place at the College of the
Holy Cross on April 19. The concert
Armenian-Americans and Greek-
Americans heard from Rep. Xavier
Becerra (D.-Calif.) on May 27 during
an educational issues briefing.
The briefing offered attendees an
Commentary
Turkish intellectuals and state denial
In a speech delivered on May 9 in
Althen-le-Paluds, France, Laurent
Leylekian argues that the Turkish
political field is not neatly divided
between ultranationalists who
deny the Armenian Genocide and
a progressive, pro-European civil
society that advocates cosmopolitanism
and favors recognition of
Arts & Culture
Community
National
show that there is strong public
support for such a move.
The Speaker of parliament had
earlier said that the president would
announce an amnesty on May 28.
See story on page 20m
the Genocide. In fact, he argues,
there are those who oppose the
Turkish state system and those
who simply want to improve its
image by giving its most questionable
practices a more cosmetic appearance.
See story on page 22m
Student raises $10,000 for FAR through music
featured father-daughter duo Fr.
Untzag and Ani Nalbandian, and
the John Berberian Ensemble.
See story on page 18m
Representative Xavier Becerra briefs community
Community
Al Pacino
to play
Jack
Kevorkian
on HBO
Al Pacino will
star in an HBO
opportunity to interact closely
with a high-ranking member of U.S.
House of Representatives.
See story on page 2m
AGBU Europe asks European Parliament
candidates about seveb key Armenian issues
National
made-for-cable
movie about
r i g h t - t o - d i e
champion Dr.
Jack Kevorkian,
Variety reported
on May 26.
The movie will
be directed by
Barry Levinson.
See story on
page 14m
The Armenian General Benevolent
Union’s European board (AGBU Europe)
has launched a pre-electoral
campaign asking candidates in the
European elections for their positions
on seven key issues that impact
Armenia, Karabakh, and Armenians
in Europe.
See story on page 6m
Geoffrey Goshgarian wins PEN Club award for
translation of Hagop Oshagan’s The Remnants
Geoffrey Goshgarian’s English
version of an extract from Hagop
Oshagan’s The Remnants was one of
eight translations honored with a
PEN Club translation fund award at
a ceremony in New York on May 19.
See story on page 5 m
At Sardarapat, Armenians
proudly celebrate indepedence
Nowhere in Armenia
is there as much
energy as at this
monument
by Tatul Hakobyan
Proposal discussed
in 3 countries on
USArmenia TV
by Vincent Lima
YEREVAN – On a television program
on May 24 that connected Yerevan,
Moscow, and Burbank, Calif.,
Armenia’s Diaspora Minister Hranush
Hakobyan introduced the
concept of an Armenian “national
council” to bring together Armenia
and diaspora communities
worldwide. She was joined in the
Yerevan studios of Armenia TV by
Ara Abramyan, president of the
powerful Union of Armenians in
Russia and of the fledgling World
Armenian Congress.
Ms. Hakobyan said that Mr.
Abramyan had agreed to slow down
the development of the World Armenian
Congress and would work
with the ministry to establish the
national council, which would be
chaired by the president of Armenia.
Participating in the forum from
USArmenia TV’s studios in Burbank,
businessperson and philanthropist
Vahe Karapetian sounded
a cautionary note, counseling
against rash moves and calling for
the differences and similarities of
Schoolchidren visit the memorial complex at the site of the May 1918 Battle of
Sardarapat, May 22, 2009. Photo: Tatul Hakobyan for the Armenian Reporter.
ARAKS VILLAGE, Armavir Province,
Armenia – “My name is Karen.”
“My name is Rafael.”
“My name is Narek.”
“My name is Lazar.”
“My name is Armen.”
“My name is Alex.”
“My name is Hrant.”
The fifth-graders of City of Artik
School No. 3 introduced themselves
during their May 22 field trip to the
Sardarapat Memorial Complex.
They were accompanied by their
teachers and parents.
Asked what had happened here
at Sardarapat, they spoke at the
same time, completing each other’s
sentences: “The Armenians beat
the Turks because the Turks were
trying to kill people and occupy Armenia.”
In May 1918, the hometown of
these children, Artik, and the whole
of the Shirak plateau were occupied
by Kazim Karabekir’s army. It was
only toward the end of the year,
when the armed forces of Ottoman
Turkey, defeated in the First World
War, were forced to leave Transcaucasia,
that Armenia – war-torn and
famine-ravaged – expanded its borders
to 60,000 sq km from 10,000.
The end of the
Armenians
It seemed in May 1918 that the
end of the Armenian people had
come. Four Turkish divisions had
diaspora communities and institutions
in various countries to be
studied carefully and considered.
The president of Armenia’s National
Academy of Sciences, Radik Martirosyan,
participated in the forum
from Yerevan. (See sidebare of page 5.)
Henry Aghayan, a distinguished scientist
and a member of the leadership
of the Union of Armenians in Russia,
participated from Moscow. Aramayis
Paronian, a physician and benefactor,
participated from Burbank.
begun an attack on Gharakilisa
(today’s Vanadzor), Bash-Aparan,
and Sardarapat. A setback in Gharakilisa
did not determine the fate
of the Armenian people because
the Armenian forces – responding
to an appeal from the Mother See
and with the help of the people –
Continued on page 19 m
Diaspora Ministry seeks to establish
“national council” to link Armenians
Vahe Karapetian and Dr. Aramayis Paronian at the USArmenia TV studios in
Burbank, Calif., discuss Armenia-diaspora relations with Hranush Hakobyan
and Radik Martirosyan at the Armenia TV studios in Yerevan, May 24, 2009.
Alina Khachatryan, host of
the Hairenik-Spiurk (Homeland-
Diaspora) program on Armenia
TV, moderated the panel. She was
joined by the host of the Goodnight
Armenians program in Moscow and
Arayik Ghazarian in Burbank.
The participants said CS Media
– with which Armenia TV, US-
Armenia TV, and this newspaper are
affiliated – was playing a significant
Continued on page m