I suppose I owe some gratitude to the “leaders” in Yerevan’s halls of power for making it so easy to mouth off over their often imbecilic actions and policies. Forget about selling out/off natural resources and industrial infrastructure; even forget about the rampant corruption making people impoverished and cynical about building a truly representative government; let’s even turn a blind eye to the fawning and foolish act of honoring the megalomaniacal president of Georgia who’s busy persecuting the Armenians of Javakhk. All these and more are now eclipsed by the wholesale giveaway of Armenia’s and Armenians’ most basic rights and powerful legal weapons.
Of course, I’m referring to the two protocols just released by the government of Armenia, Switzerland, and Turkey. If you haven’t read them, please do. (You can find them on this publication’s website.) They’re very compact and efficient in the dissemination of pathetic policy. Just see how far your jaw drops.
Since I’m not fond of writing long, cumbersome articles, addressing all the foolishness filling those few pages is impossible. I’ll focus on the three most egregious elements in these platitude-filled documents. Discussing Turkey and respect for human rights in the same document, as occurs in the protocols, is just too laughable to address seriously.
The sanctification of the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity play right into not only Turkey’s hands, but Azerbaijan’s as well. Silly me, I thought Armenians agreed that we will settle for no less than the Wilsonian demarcation of borders. If the Republic of Armenia says the current border is what it recognizes, then it signs away our rights to these territories. Simultaneously, Artsakh (Karabagh) gets ceded to Azerbaijan by the same foolish stroke of a pen. Remember, Azerbaijan’s claims to Artsakh are based on the irrelevant, inapplicable “inviolability of borders and territorial integrity” arguments.
Then we have the much touted—by Turkey, its ilk, and their supporters—“historical commission.” Through these protocols, Armenia agrees to the creation of this stage for endless foot-dragging and a denialist talkfest. Remember TARC? How will this be any different? Just more U.S. Department of State-funded meaningless new-age type chatter. While David Krikorian, the Ohio Congressional candidate, is spending valuable time and money on fighting genocide denial, what is allegedly the highest official body representing Armenians, the government of the RoA, is busy giving away the store when it comes to genocide recognition, and, naturally and consequently, reparations for damages arising from this example of Turkey’s malevolence.
Of course, there’s the canard about the benefits of opening the Armenia-Turkey border. Turkey’s blockade may well be the best thing happening to Armenia’s minimal economy. Ankara has been successful in developing its economy so that it is one of the fastest growing in the world. Their manufacturing, and even agricultural, products would overwhelm what little Armenia has, further plunging the population into overseas-remittance-reliant misery. The irony here is that Turkey, having imposed the blockade over our success in Artsakh, now finds itself in a jam. Ankara wants to reopen the border to benefit its economy, but can’t be perceived as turning on its kissin’ cousins in Baku. What better way out than to get Armenia to beg for something that hurts Armenia, benefits Turkey, and provides cover against Azerbaijan’s expectations.
What’s going on? For whatever reason, Armenia’s current government has embarked on a losing streak. Plus, these people seem to have incredibly outsized egos, can’t recognize their errors, and therefore don’t cut our losses. It seems that with each step they take in this lurid dance with their Turkish counterparts, they’re trying to efface the shame and embarrassment of the previous step. They serve up some new, even grander plan. But this “new and improved” approach ends up digging them even deeper into a hole of utter shame. Plus, they do all this behind closed doors, away from the “prying” eyes of those of us who have a stake in the future of our nation and actually care to make it better.
It’s time to start hitting the government of the RoA much harder than it’s ever been hit. It’s time to demonstrate at official events. It’s time to let our revulsion show. And if after everything they persist in their nationally destructive path, then it will be time to assemble in a national conclave—Artsakh, Javakhk, Turkey’s crypto-Armenians and overt ones too, and the Armenian Diaspora—to declare that on matters of Armenian rights—territorial, human, genocide, reparations—the government of the Republic of Armenia has no right to speak for us.
If you agree, please say so, especially when you meet government representatives or visit Armenia. Maybe they’ll get the message.
Garen Yegparian
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Mr. Yegparian, thank you for you put the text in a very simplified words so that everyone can understand the disaster Armenians will face, even the two deceived leaders of Armenia when God forbids they test the result of the danger after is too late then they might or not face Armenian people who lost everything to admit that “You told us so”!! This is very hypothethical issue I wonder what they are thinking!! they live in illusion and putting over 10 million of Armenians faith at risk, they why we can’t stop before these dangerous two protocols are signed, forgive me if I say I son’t understand why all Armenians can’t prevent these two people playing with our destiny. We don’t want other genocide happens then who we turn to as the whole world will tell us thats what you wanted… Where our wise leaders, representatives to urge these two who have politically don’t understand the dangerous qonsequences!!!!! As you said and I have said it in my facebook as many others likewise ” IT IS UBSURD THAT THESE TWO UNWISE PRESIDENT, SERJ SARGSIAN & HIS TOP AID FOREGN MINISTER, EDWARD NALBANDIAN TO SPEAK OR REPRESENT ALL ARMENIANS’ Why our Armenian top relegious leaders don’t interfere to give advice to these naieve leaders… while we struggle to stop it I clearly see that the criminal Turkish & Azerbaijani leader look so relax with full smile it their face can’t wait to grab the opportunity which may come very easy to start to suppress us and another genocide start allover again. We as ordinary people see the transperance of their cunning minds underneath and why our supposedly two leaders cannot obviiously see that? Or have they been bribed with humangous cheques that make them deny and betray their own nation and their own Armenian people. I beg to everone be it a leader or not to express their resistence and get on feet together to stop tese dirty political game played by our enemy and superpowers, world leaders are behind them…..
Bravo, Garen! It could have not been better said. I sign under every word in this article.
I must add few more words: I just returned from Hayastan after spending a month there. I was absent 7 years. You see wealth on the streets of Yerevan, there are more Jeeps than students in the university. Most bought on the money robbed from other defensless Armenian citizens are as poor as you can get. Villagers live off the land, who thank Lord still provides a good harvest every year. Intellectuals are mostly gone, old generation which had values and was properly educated is dying out. Mob runs the country. Now let me ask you, what other solution to the “protocols” which defacto robbing Armenia of any chance ever to reconcile with the mass-murder commited by the Turks, other than a revolution and mass protest like we have seen in 1990th? Only this time we will have to face not the Russian tanks on Republican Square, but guns pointed at us by our brothers. Russians did shoot. But maybe Armenians will not shoot their brothers. If army wont obey orders to shot civilians, then we have a chance to get rid of the gangsters who been running our country.