Protesters Demand Reforms in Armenia, Threaten Egyptification

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) held a large rally in front of the Madenataran, which then moved to Freedom Square, on March 17. Thousands of protesters gathered to demand reforms.

A scene from the protest.

In his speech, the leader of the opposition, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, said the time was ripe to implement democratic changes in Armenia. Thirteen demands have been presented to President Serge Sarkisian, including early elections and Sarkisian’s resignation.

Ter-Petrosian warned the ruling party that he had no doubt the events in Egypt and Tunisia will repeat in Armenia.

In a surprising move, authorities gave the protesters, which numbered 9,000 according to Hetq, permission to enter Freedom Square. The square had been off-limits to demonstrations following the March 1, 2008 protest against what many called rigged elections, which ended violently, leaving 10 dead. Ter-Petrosian personally led the crowd to the square, according to reports.

The police had blocked the streets leading to the square where Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian was staging a hunger strike, a “Freedom Fast,” since March 15. As the police allowed protesters in, the crowd began chanting, “Raffi! Raffi!” Speaking to the crowd, he called for free elections and dignity for the people. He later told reporters he was pleased to welcome the people’s right to reenter Freedom Square.

Earlier, there was speculation that Hovannisian’s strike ahead of the rally was aimed to steal attention away from the ANC. In a “feeling of jealousy,” some in the ANC expressed surprise that Hovannisian managed to “seize” the square, noted News.am.

During the protest it was announced that two political prisoners were set free by authorities: Roman Mnatsakanyan and Harutyun Urutyan. Both were arrested in relation to the March 1, 2008 events, for allegedly organizing the mass demonstrations. Both were released early.

Urutyan was present at Freedom Square. He thanked the protesters and the ANC.

Part of the demands of the opposition was the release of the nine prisoners. Ter-Petrosian said there were still eight more prisoners that had to be freed. Seven of the prisoners have been in jail since 2008; he also added an eighth political prisoner, who was arrested during the past March 1 protest.

Loud music, dancing, and attractions for kids created a festive atmosphere in the square. The opposition declared its entry into Freedom Square a victory.

The crowd chanted “Levon! Levon! President! President!” and “Struggle! Struggle! Until the end!” with the occasional “Sergik leave!” “Free, independent Armenia!” and “Raffi! Raffi!”

Others who spoke at the rally included the leader of the People’s Party of Armenia, Stepan Demirchyan, the chairman of the Board of the Armenian Pan-National Movement, Aram Manukyan, and ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan, among others.

News reports say that the Armenian authorities banned transports to Yerevan from other regions.

In a  March 15 analysis titled “Spillovers from the Arab Revolts: Is Armenia Next in Line?” and appearing in the Centre for European Policy Studies’ policy brief, Hrant Kostanyan proposed that “The phrase used 20 years ago—’Armenia is a country in transition’—is still often repeated today. It can even be argued that the country is de-democratizing.” He noted that “The ANC currently spares no efforts to draw parallels between the situation in the Arab world and Armenia. Censorship, corruption, and kleptocracy are cited repeatedly.”

Observers claim that aside from the first presidential elections, all subsequent elections have been fraudulent to some degree.

Ter-Petrosian was forced to resign in 1998, due to dissatisfaction with his handling of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. Many attribute much of the current corruption to his presidency.

The organizers called for another rally on April 8. Speaking in ultimatums, they demanded authorities apply reforms fast and release the other prisoners. The protest appears to have ended peacefully.

Nanore Barsoumian

Nanore Barsoumian

Nanore Barsoumian was the editor of the Armenian Weekly from 2014 to 2016. She served as assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly from 2010 to 2014. Her writings focus on human rights, politics, poverty, and environmental and gender issues. She has reported from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh, Javakhk and Turkey. She earned her B.A. degree in Political Science and English and her M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the University of Massachusetts (Boston).
Nanore Barsoumian

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33 Comments

  1. Levon may the leader of the ANM/ANC, and he may be A leader of the opposition, but he is not THE leader of the opposition.  He is certainly responsible for founding the kleptocracy that is Armenia’s government today.  He created the Roberts, the Serjes, the Vanos and their oligarch spawn; he set the example for rigging elections, he smothered free speach by re-established the atmosphere of fear, jailing opponents or even having them killed.  What is puzzling is why anyone in Armenia with half a brain would support this hipocrite. 

  2. Some consolation ,Nanore,as you describe,¨The Demonstration appears to have  ended peacefully¨. Ought it to have  ended otherwise,comes to mind…
    At  a very crucial juncture when arabs are revolting and great Turkey is in the observer position,non committal and awaiting for an(adverse) outcome,why should Armenians follow suit to the arabs. We esteem and have respect  to the arabs,but our position far distances itself from such a move,especially after the March 1st 2008 experience.
    Nothing was gained from latter ¨Ambokhavaragan¨,i.e., Multitude conducting Showdown.
    Todo al revez,all the contrary,we lost.Dashnagtsutyun , as ever was the watchdog-as ever- to see to it  that those Multitude handlers would not steal the show.And mind  you i´m no Dashnag.I respect all authentic -traditional Armenian political parties.New ones? well there  were some 66  when Re independence was gained,however,these were not to be and were reduced  to a lot  less.Main issue here   that I´m to point  out is:-
    If Mr. LTP  or other followers  of him(and his close assistents ) are to be taken very seriously,I suggest(that means ,take it or  leave  it) that  they Elect  from amongst  themselves  delegates to go and Dialogue,discuss mattersw  that  are  of our  National interest,without taking to the streets  with a multitude  behind.For latter bodes BAD,again.
    Time is to be  of service  to the poeple/nation,  not  to think  of gaining positions.Read,presidency  and lower  posts  in Govt. Time to think of shaping a real CIVIL SOCIETY. What  I have always  advocated as A CRYSTALIZATION MODE  THAT WILL ALOOW PRESENTATION AND REPRESENTATION FROM ALL WALLKS  OF LIVES.NO,NOT THE AT RANDOM PERSON ON THE STREET  FROM TOWN OR VILLAGES,BUT  FROM  THE MORE THAN A 100,000  ARMENIANS NOWADAYS OCCUPYING  POSTS  IN SOME 15  FIELDS  OF PROFESSIONS.  FOR  THESE ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR PEOPLE  NOT THE AFOREMENTIONED AT RANDOM PERSONS ON THE STREET,OR IN THEIR HOMES,FROM 18 YEARS OLDS TO BABIK MAMIKS..WE NEED  TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES, TAKE STEPS WITH THE TIMES.IF YOU WISH I CAN AGAIN EXPLAIN HOW  EVEN  MY PCA´S  OUGHT TO DELEGATE  FROM AMONGST  THEMSELVES  THE ELITE  THOSE  ENDOWED WITH 3 MERITS.FOR THAT  IT THE CRYSTALIZATION MODE,GRADUALLY MOUNTING THE STEPS TOWARDS PEAKS…BEAR  WITH ME AND ASK ME WHATEVER FURTHER DETAILS AS TO REAL ELECTIONS AND REP.&presentation,also UNGERAYNUTYUN

  3. If these peasants try anything kind of revolution I hope they are hit hard.  Last thing Armenia needs is a revolution with a populist and western tool at its head.

  4. Mr Levon Ter Petrosyan, the first Armenia President is the Armenian Gandhi. He is a political genius. Soon, the World will see which has the victory — Geniality or greediness.

  5. What a joke…Levon Ter-Petrosyan leading the reform movement in Armenia??? HAHAHAHA Why Serge Sarkisian doesn’t arrest him and throw away the key is what’s most surprising!

  6. Everything we hate about Armenia today is directly connected to Levon’s destructive rule in the 1990s. Levon Petrosian represents a gang of criminals and foreign agents that raped and pillaged Armenia and placed Artsakh on the Turkish market for sale – and we still have lunatics that want them back! Amazing.
      
    Never before has Armenia’s/Artsakh’s borders been as secure as they are today. Never before has Armenia’s crucially strategic alliance with Russia been as fruitful as it is today. Never before has Armenia’s friendship with Iran been as good as today. Never before (at least not in the last one thousand years) has independent Armenia enjoyed this much geopolitical clout in the Caucasus region. Never before had Armenia’s top leadership been this professional. All this has been due in large part to Serj Sargsyan’s political foresight and courage.
      
    Political “freedom” does not excuse destructive behavior in an embattled little nation surrounded by enemies in the volatile Caucasus. Let’s face it, Armenians do not know what political freedom means and will not for some time. Armenians also act like a bunch of little troubled children when it comes to political affairs. It will be a long time before Armenians actually wake up and understand the political world they live in. In the meanwhile, Armenians simply need to allow Serj Sargsyan to cleanup the ugly mess created by Levon Petrosian and the West during the 1990s. The process has started, the president needs our collective support and encouragement.

  7. The ONLY person I can trust is Raffi Hovanissian. Why is the Armenian Weekly giving the news of his hunger strike just now? By not giving this important news earlier you are just as bad as News.am. As always the Tashnaks put party before nation.

  8. Geniality for Raffi, yes for sure.
    I’m yet glad to know, that there wasn’t a throwing stones, as the others did.

  9. Do you have something against peasants? Peasants usually come from the villages, and they are called inhabitants of rural areas now… in the 21st century. (where is the moderator when you need him!) Indeed Sir, or should I call you Your Highness?, these rural inhabitants were not allowed to come to Yerevan for the protest thanks to criminal Serj. I suggest you leave your insulting jargon in your kitchen and not on these pages and let democracy do its thing.

    Although Levon is not the solution, the immoral government of Armenia must be brought to justice.

  10. This is the article where all the comments should be. Not something relating to the Genocide or something relating to Azerbaijan, but to the reclaiming of Armenia.  The Diaspora NEEDS to get behind Raffi Hovanissian NOW. It is for the survival of our nation! We need a smart Armenian leader with courage who CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE and wants a strong Armenia instead of these stupid gangsters who only care about fattening their pockets. Please AGBU, ARF help Raffi. It is our best hope. Forget all this other noise. How many more chances do Armenians want?

  11. Hetq was quoting official police sources when it published the 9,000 number for the demonstrators.

    The actual figure was closer to 40,000 – 50,000. I was there.

    And please, to all those political arm-chair analysts in the diaspora, who just can’t stand LTP – NO One in Armenia cares what you think!!!

    Those peasants you deride as baffoons and ignorant boobs know that real change is needed in Armenia and will follow those who give them a modicum of hope.

    But those same peasants will turn on LTP, Hovannisian, an others if they ever sell them out.

    In the meanwhile, you should stick to genocide lobbying or protesting the 1921 Treaty of Moscow. It’s what you deem most relevant, NO??

  12. and what moral government is going to help the people of armenia to clean up their country of the the criminals that are…have…and will continue to rule

    take your pick, the criminal mafia controlling washington OR
    the criminal mafia controlling brussels     OR
    the criminal mafia controling moscow      OR
    the criminal mafia controlling beijing

  13. It’s been said back in March 2008 and is being repeated today: most of the people, as someone said, with “half a brain”, who gather at ANC rallies support Levon only because they despise Serj, and not because their “half brains” fail to understand that their current misery is directly connected to Levon’s destructive rule in the 1990s. Unfortunately, Levon and his ANC is the only opposition party that has the ability of gathering people under their banners. Besides, was it not Levon who brought Rob and Serj to the fore? Aren’t all of them from the same cohort?
     
    Revolutions are not welcomed, but on the other hand how else does the populace manage to improve their lives under the past or present ruling cliques if their votes are being discarded, elections continuously rigged, and lawlessness widespread?
     
    As for panegyrics for Serj and excessive Russophilia, securing Armenia’s/Artsakh’s borders hasn’t started under Serj. The liberation war and securing of the borders was waged when Serjik was just a commander on Artsakh fronts, not the president of Armenia.
     
    Armenia’s strategic alliance with Russia is not something which Serjik needs to take credit for. It was a long process that—due to changing geopolitical circumstances, not Serjik’s genius—led to such an alliance. Besides, the “fruitfulness” of rigid alliances is a very dubious topic. Political science reckons that rigid alliances may be fruitful in the short run, but may turn detrimental for a country’s national security in the long run.
     
    Armenia’s friendship with Iran has always been managed to stay steady, and there’s no need to give credit for this to Serjik.
     
    It is not true that “never before (at least not in the last one thousand years) has independent Armenia enjoyed this much geopolitical clout in the Caucasus region.” In the last thousand years, there was an independent Cilician Armenian Kingdom in the 13-15th centuries (although not in the Caucasus region) that enjoyed considerable geopolitical clout as an ally to the European nations. Besides, empty words of “geopolitical clout”, to me, must be first and foremost measured by the living standards of your people and the ability of the government to implement an effective domestic policy. Any county could enjoy a “geopolitical clout” if it subscribes to become a client-state of a mightier power.
     
    “Never before had Armenia’s top leadership been this professional.” What weed are you smoking?!
     
    “All this has been due in large part to Serj Sargsyan’s political foresight and courage.” Yeah… and the creation of a notorious clan system, imposition of lawlessness and impunity, sheer mismanagement in handling the domestic affairs, defeatism in foreign affairs as in case of protocols, monopolization of the market by a few oligarchs, artificial currency fluctuations, enrichment of the few and further impoverishment of the many, are also Serj Sargsyan’s “political foresight and courage”…

  14. Dear Grish Begian:

    re: “Levon should go back to his real hometown, Syria, and and start a revolution there!!”

     
    If it weren’t for people like Levon’s parents, and mine – Հայրենադարց – who left their comfortable lives in Lebanon and Syria and immigrated to Armenian SSR in 1946/47, there would be no Armenia today. Due to the huge losses of Armenian men fighting Nazis – about 250,000 dead, lost – and due to Armenia’s population having dropped below  threshold, there were concrete plans to downgrade Armenia from the status of SSR to ASSR (Autonomous): same as Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabagh, and then attach it in parts to Georgia SSR and  Azerbaijan SSR.
     
    Without an Armenian SSR, all Armenian populated ASSRs would have suffered the same fate as Nakhichevan ASSR: ethnically cleansed of all Armenians.
     
    Every Armenian’s real homeland is Armenia, the one we have now, and the larger one will have in the future: people like you don’t decide which Armenian’s homeland is what country. It’s the thinking like yours – that differentiates between Armenians – that  has plagued our people for centuries.

    Maybe Immortal Monte also should have stayed in his ‘real hometown’ Fresno ?  Maybe all those Armenians that came from Diaspora and fought and died alongside their local brothers in Artsakh also should have stayed in their ‘real hometowns’  ?

  15. Avery, Levon went to Armenia because he had Bolshevik ideas and philosophy, then he turned against authorities…he does not have stable mentality…he turned against ARF during his reign and now goes and visit them to collect votes…he wanted to give up Artsakh because of outside pressure from Turkey and Israel, therefor as an Armenian insider, I would never trust a person who has bipolar attitude toward Armenia and Armenians in general..plus why Armenians should elect Levon, or Serge or Robert???to me they are history!!Armenia needs vibrant new stable leader, who can be able to play political tunes with West and Russia and Turkey and Israel!!something that we do not see within today’s Armenian Government!! I believe you are talking about the leadership of Karen Demirchian during ASSR, yes I agree with you that he did a lot for Armenia beside Monte and others!!multilingual Levon is good to be an Armenian professor in Armenia’s top university…somewhere that he will get more respect, than to be a political “riot leader” where he shows hate toward others, for immediate political personal gain!!for this reason he will be better off start a riot in Syria, than in our beloved Armenia!!

  16. LTP is not bipolar. He is tripolar. Bought and paid off by all sorts of foreign forces. I pity the man. It seems he’s made of different-color scraps. The guy has no individuality, no self-identity. He suits the political expediency of whoever urges him to step up. As for Rob and Serj, they’re provisional figures and will disappear whenever the Artsakh conflict is resolved or forgotten. Armenia does need a vibrant new stable leader, but the problem is that sinister behind-the-scene forces who manipulate events in the world fiercely oppose the emergence of independent-minded, public-spirited leaders. What to do?

  17. about Levon go back to Syria

    I DON’T CARE WHO YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE,IT IS DISGUSTING TO CREATE DIVISIONS AMONG ARMENIANS,ON THE BASE OF FROM WHERE THEY COME,IF ALL THE ARMENIANS IN ARMENIA
    THINK AS YOU,THAN , I , HAVING 5 PASSPORTS AND 5 POSSIBLE HOMES,I WILL LIVE AND STAY
    IN THESE 5 “REAL” HOMES OF MINE !!!!  ARRIVEDERCI ARMENIA ????

  18. Grish:

    Have you considered running for President of Armenia ?
    You seem to have an excellent grasp of Armenia’s history and politics.
    Plus, being an ‘Armenian insider’, your motives would be beyond reproach: no one can accuse you of being an agent of this or that country.

  19. Arsen:

    You are welcome to the hyeclub forums where you can debate all of those issues which you brought up.  A forum is the better setting to discuss and debate.

  20. the hometown of every armeni regardless of where on earth they are born is armenia

    the sooner every one of us accepts this noble concept the faster we will prevail  

    so everyone please enough of this, yes americahay, du syriahay, isk inq francahay,
    anoanq rusahay,

    bolor@s miazhamanak armeniner, our one and only  hairenik armenia without putting much emphasis on the borders de jour, eastern, western, etc. etc…   

  21. We dont need Levon, Levon is the ENEMY of Armenian people, HE almost bowed down and gave away Artsax, No one has right to decide the faith of Armenian lands but the people themselves. He is fighting for freedom and jailed opposition members, when he himself jailed Dashnaks on some fake drug charges. Since Kocharyan and Serj have come to power, Armenia has gained considerably economically, militarily , although their MAFIA and monopoly is like a cancer. But everyone in this forum should agree with me that the problem we have today is not because of Serj or Kocharyan, it is a disease in the Armenian society. Armenians can not leave without bribing, it is not the president’s fault. Change as many Serj’s as you want, until the people start respecting rules , it will not change. So the solution is not a revolution, especially when Levon is coming on a dark horse. If he could anything he should have done. He is history.   The solution is to have new generation of politicians and political reforms and make the transformation of power as smooth as possible.
    At the end of the day it is about Armenia not about Levon or Serj and now with Armenia being in such a crucial crosspoints in history, and I have to say having considerable clout in the region, we need to crack down, reform justice system, outlaw monopoly, really fight against corruption and most of all create more professional,effective law enforcement agency.

  22. Dear Avery, Garo, Hayrenaser,
    Please read the Armenian Weekly above article one more time:
    “Ter-Petrosian warned the ruling party that he had no doubt the events in Egypt and Tunisia will repeat in Armenia”
    I have right to be offended by Levon’s word….we are not part of Arab or Islamic nations we are part of ancient Christian “noble people” of the world…Armenians do not look for revolution they are looking for solution…revolution will lead us no where especially with a leader like LTP..I wonder why other politicians do not talk about revolutions but Levon himself.. is he represent himself as “Lawrence of Arabia” in Armenia??

  23. TO GRISH AGAIN

    PLEASE READ WELL WHAT I HAVE SAID,THINK WHATEVER YOU WANT,BUT DO NOT DIVIDE THE ARMENIANS,ON THE BASE OF FROM WHERE THEY COME,IS THIS THINKING MAKES A PART OF A NOBLE CHRSITIAN NATION AS YOU SAY.

    I DESIRE TO HEAR FROM YOU AN ANSWER AS THIS ONE ,SORRY TO ALL DIASPORAN ARMENIANS,FOR WHAT I SAID.
    POINT !!!

     

     

     
     

  24. Dro,
     
    I disagree that the problem we have today is “not because of Serj or Kocharyan, it is a disease in the Armenian society”. A disease, by definition, must be cured. Specialists who’re assigned to the task are called doctors. Likewise, in a nation that has societal illnesses specialists who need to attend to treatment are rulers (ideally for Armenia, ELECTED rulers). If the rulers themselves are spoiled and inherently corrupt, what can you expect from large masses of the population? It’s incorrect to say “Armenians cannot live without bribing; it is not the president’s fault.” It IS the president’s fault, because he himself takes bribes thus setting a standard for the rest of the society. Any bribing system is like a pyramid: people in the base bribe because they know that the tip takes bribes. It’s also incorrect to say “change as many Serj’s as you want, until the people start respecting rules, it will not change.” How do people start respecting rules, if none of those who bribes and take bribes has been punished based on existing rules and regulations? How do you stimulate people to “respect rules” if you have atmosphere of total impunity that reigns in the society? LTP, who’s discussed here, has brought destitution on the heads of ordinary people. Has he ever been punished for that? Rob and Serj created notorious clan systems, artificially raise prices, introduce unjustified currency fluctuations, monopolize the market, etc. Has any one of them ever been punished? Ordinary people who bribe need to get their matters with the government done in order to survive. Rulers take bribes not to survive, but to line their pockets. In neighboring Georgia the president who’s widely believed to be “odious,” fired thousands of policemen for bribing, and people visiting the country now say that even if you offer a bribe to a cop, he’ll refuse to take it. Why? Because he knows that those who did before him HAVE BEEN PUNISHED. It’s easy to dump everything on the people and to forget that changing people’s attitudes is, among other factors, the prerogative of the government.

  25. All of us here are debating something of All Armenia  concern.From failed LTP rule to present Ishkhanagan(read Oligark) rule.Paul aasks what  to do? good question…
    Answer  is can we truly think that we can do something from this afar? not much is answer.
    However,one thing  is more accessible to us.Get re-organized(I shall detail that, as promised above in my prev.post later) which is a  MUST.Otherwise ,aagain, not much.
    As to present situation in RA,mainly Yerevan,what  with LTP  again trying a comeback and stirr  up revolution like showdowns and some careless Ishkhanagan(oligark) minded ,oh yes  there are quite a few not just LTP,less  expossed  but they are  therfe, awaiting to grab  positions in Govt. These are the most troublesome,worrisome people there.Ready to be exploited by LTP type individuals and having as i described  the AMBOKHNER,THE MULTITUDES.Thencde we need  the crysstalization mode that will best  suit our present situation there and HERE. No more BBB´s  here,either as main operators.BBB  is the initials for BISHOPS,BENEFACTORS AND BOSSES,first coined  by ARA Baliozian(writer thinker).My thesis does  not GO AGAINST CURRENT, i.e. against  latter  or similar Ishkhans ,Oligarks, in Hayasdan,but ALONGSIDE  THEM,in  parallel with them.
    I shall   explain my more  in depth study  of  my thesis.,if I may later today.
    best to all and
    Hama haigagani SIRO

  26. Keerkor, it appears that derBedrossian is a leaders who ‘buys’ his votes… pays the voters to vote for him.   He, and all who followed him are of the communist mentality… filling their own and their cohorts pockets… and to hell with the citizenry of Haiastan.  NONE OF THE LEADERS

  27. Grish:


    First off regarding LTP: I am adamantly, unequivocally opposed to Mr. Ter Petrossian getting back into politics. He should have rested on his laurels,and remained a private citizen. The last thing Armenia needs today is any – repeat, any – kind of a revolution: what Armenia needs is a peaceful, steady evolution.
    I also blame LTP for the events of March 2008: not that he personally caused the violence, but when there is chaos and disorder – in any society – elements that feed on disorder and have their own agendas against Nation’s interest gain  freedom of action.
     
     
    Having said that: I did  read what LTP is reported to have said: Ter-Petrosian warned the ruling party that he had no doubt the events in Egypt and Tunisia will repeat in Armenia.” What is it exactly in that statement that you find to have caused you to state in your post that…. “Levon should go back to his real hometown, Syria,”
    In both cases large numbers  of people protested peacefully, with minimal violence, and forced out an unelected dictator that was installed/maintained by the West.The Army in both countries stayed neutral, and positioned itself to minimize violence by opposing groups.
     
     
    When making political speeches, all politicians use hyperbole: name me one who hasn’t said something inflammatory in their career. I didn’t and don’t form opinions of LTP based on what he did or didn’t say during some political  speech. I formed my opinion of what he has done in 1988, 1989, and as President of Republic of Armenia during her darkest days in modern times. And, no, I don’t consider any of the 3 RoA Presidents, current and former, unelected dictators in the same league as Mubarak and Ben Ali.
     
     
     
    re:  “… Levon went to Armenia because he had Bolshevik ideas and philosophy,..”
    LTP was born in 1945.
    In 1946 when his parents immigrated to Armenia, a 1 year old baby already “…had Bolshevik ideas and philosophy,..”  Riiiiiight.
    And you expect me or anyone else to take anything you post seriously ?
     
     
     
    And you conveniently ignored what I said about Հայրենադարց in my original post: I challenge you to prove me wrong with facts, not some innuendo about Bolshevik philosophy.
    And you conveniently ignored what I said about Monte and thousands of Diaspora Armenians who returned to their homeland to fight and die with their brothers.
     
     
     
    re: I have right to be offended by Levon’s word…”
    You certainly have that God given right as anyone else. However, where do you get the moral right to tell another Armenian to, in essence, “…go back to where you came form …?”  Armenians that ended up in Syria and Lebanon did not go there because they wanted to: they did because they had to – I am sure you know why.

    You don’t like LTP’s politics – fine, attack his politics, not where he or his parents came from.
     
     
     
    We constantly complain about Turks, yet there one thing we can learn from them: INCLUSION.
    Real, original Turks – the ones that came from Altai Mountains range are a genetic minority in Turkey.
    Yet they call everyone a ‘Turk’. Even people that cannot possibly have  any genetic connection to Turkic tribes, (proudly) call themselves ‘Turk’.
    We Armenians, on the other hand, can’t wait to separate ourselves into micro-groups, and treat each other as if the ‘Others’  are aliens from another planet.
     
    No Armenian has the right to tell another to go back anywhere: every Armenian’s original homeland is Armenia (including Artsakh, Javakhk, Western Armenia, Cilicia, etc) Instead of trying to justify your unfortunate  statement about LTP to me, garo, or hayrenaser you should man-up, admit you made an ill-advised statement – and take it back.
     

  28. Grisha jan, I hope you follow the advice of many here who encourage you to be more cautious about divisive rhetoric (“LTP should go back to Syria”).  Argue against his ideas, policies, actions, etc., as much as you like, but don’t treat him as unwanted because his family repatriated from Syria.

  29. Avery,
    I think you are out of subject and trying to play a “cool” political guy in this forum….no my friend read my above comments again and again …I have never offended any Armenian in this forum, but Levon.. you made up all your words base on your mentality and intellectual level..why is so hard for you and Garo to digest??Levon offended my intelligence so I have all the rights to tell him “go to Syria and have a riots there” this has nothing to do with you or Garo or any Armenian, unless you guys secretly are Levon’s worshipers or like Levon, have some PHD degrees!!! or I am dealing with more “Arabian type” revolutionaries in Armenia…may God help our beloved nation and Armenia…

  30. “JAN” GRISH (AND ALL THE THINKERS AS HIM).

    GOD HELP OUR BELOVED ARMENIA, AMEN.
    THANKS

     

    AS  I , UNLIKE YOU, DO NOT HAVE A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF ARMENIA’S PROBLEMS, BESIDE THAT,UNFORTUNATELY,DON’T HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS,TO OFFER.

    LISTEN THIS AND BE ASSURED THAT YOU WILL NOT HEAR FROM ME ANYMORE !
    I INFORM YOU,THAT WHEN I COME TO ARMENIA,YOU CAN SEND ME BACK TO MY “REAL” HOME OR HOMES, AS YOU LIKE, SATTISFIED ????

    THIS REALY FINISHES ALL THIS MATTER.

    IT NEEDED VERY “LITTLE” TO BE UNDERSTOOD, NO PHD DEGREES !!!

  31.   I don’t think anyone has the rights to send somebodyelse out of the Armenia in reality, unless that person is there illegally, mean time it does cause a pain even just saying it to each other, to leave and get out of there,and go to wherever you came from, cause Armenia  belongs to all of us Armenians, and we all need each other to protect it, I don’t like LTP cause what he did, and do not  trust him any more, so I don’t want him coming back again.
    Garo I humbly ask you , if you don’t mined ,I like to hear from you again, also from rest of you.
     Grish Begian in my opinion I think you need to understand where I am coming from,I don’t think it will harm you to take it back (your comment) I believe you understand it, cause it wasn’t appropriate the way it was, I maybe wrong to let you know it, but I couldn’t keep my silence, sorry .     

  32. DEAREST ARMEN

    I RICIEVED AN EMAIL, AND READ YOUR KIND WORDS THANKS FOR YOUR SENSIBILITY.

    I WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM

    I AM ARMENIAN AND PROUD TO BE,  ALSO MY CHILDREN ARE PROUD ARMENIANS, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT BORN  IN ARMENIA .

    I BELIEVE FIRMLY THAT MY REAL HOME IS ARMENIA AND NO ONE CAN  CHANGE THIS FACT.

    I FELLOW  THE ARMENIAN NEWS AND OPINIONS ,TO BE INFORMED AND LEARN.
    ELATED, WHEN ARMENIA IS CHESS CHAMPION, SAD WHEN THERE IS CORREPTION,
    AS EVERY ONE OF US.

    I DEFEND MY PEOPLE, EVERWHERE. THIS IMPLIES ALSO,  INVITING, SOME OF OUR COMPATRIOTS, WHO, CALL US  ” ODARAHBADAK”  OR SAY  “GO BACK”!

    TO UNDERSTAND A  SIMPLE PRINCPLE,

    ALL THE ARMENIANS OF THE WORLD ARE THE SAME PEOPLE.

    GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU AGAIN.

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