ARF: There Is a Way Out

ARF Supreme Council Calls for Settlement ‘Exclusively by Peaceful Means’; Warns Incident Can Lead to Disunity of Armenians

YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 22 regarding the ongoing hostage situation at a Yerevan police station. “Qualitative changes are necessary, but extremist thought does not bring those changes closer, it distances those changes,” read a part of the statement, which said the country’s issues will not be solved by force, violence, hostage-taking, and terror.

The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 22.
The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 22.

“The claims that there are no other ways to change the dire situation of our country are false and fabricated. There is a way out, but it requires work, conscious organization, assembly of free citizens, and consistent struggle against all phenomena that weaken us—the foundations of all of which are being created, albeit with difficulty,” read a part of the statement.

In the statement, the ARF Supreme Council warned that the latest incidents can lead to the disunity of the Armenian people. “Profanity, animosity, hatred, violence, or the neglect of the just expectations and dissatisfaction of the people always sow discord and destroy the collective potential of all Armenians. The unimaginable national accord created after the four-day war, today is seriously threatened,” read the statement.

“The ARF seeks the settlement of the current situation exclusively by peaceful means; considers new bloodshed as unacceptable; demands professionalism from law enforcement agencies; demands that the rights and dignity of law-abiding citizens be respected; and strongly condemns non-political methods and extremism.  We can and will have a strong, free, and thriving Armenia. Along that road, we must forge a government of new quality. We will take that road together with the wide circles of society who too are guided by these values and consciousness,” concluded the statement. (Read the statement in its entirety below.)

A day earlier, on July 21, Armenia’s Economy Minister and member of the ARF Supreme Council Artsvik Minasyan urged the armed group to immediately release the remaining hostages being kept at the occupied police station and for the hostage-takers to surrender to law enforcement officers.

The ARF condemned the attack from the first day of the armed occupation. Speaking to Armenia’s Yerkir news service on July 17, ARF Parliamentary Faction secretary and ARF Supreme Body of Armenia member Aghvan Vardanyan said that violence was not the correct way to resolve issues in Armenia. “Issues are not resolved through weapons, violence, hostage-taking, and terrorism. These people have chosen the most incorrect and reprehensible way to make much needed change in this country a reality,” Vardanyan said, adding that these types of approaches only reduce the possibility of real, qualitative change.

One police officer was killed and two others were wounded on July 17, when members of an Armenian radical opposition group seized and occupied a Yerevan police station. There is an ongoing hostage situation at the station, as members of the armed group demand the release of a group of political prisoners and the resignation of President Serge Sarkisian.

“Unfortunately, the news of the attempted Turkish coup has been replaced with the incident in Armenia,” Vardanyan said, adding that it is the responsibility of law enforcement to diffuse the hostage situation. “The rest is the responsibility of the law enforcement, which, in my opinion, have not carried out their job well,” Vardanyan said.

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There Is a Way Out

Declaration of the A.R.F. Supreme Council of Armenia

It is the sixth day that the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian people are facing a new temptation. A group of people, who do not accept the methods and means of political struggle, are demanding political changes by taking up arms. There is a deadlock situation; there is a crisis of thought. The future of the country depends on which mentality prevails, on what resolution we reach. In this situation, everyone, be it an individual or public-political group, is obliged to take a clear stance.

Hours after the occupation of the police station, when it still was not clear that a colonel had fallen, the ARF expressed its position: yes, qualitative changes are necessary, but extremist thought does not bring those changes closer, it distances those changes. Issues cannot be resolved by taking up arms, by violence, by hostages, by terrorism. The goal by in itself does not justify the means.

Whoever thinks the opposite or assists those who think the opposite, directly excludes the prospect of a strong, well-organized, free country. By creating the illusion that they are struggling for good governance, for a good Armenia, in fact they are destroying Armenia.

The claims that there are no other ways to change the dire situation of our country are false and fabricated.

There is a way out, but it requires work, conscious organization, assembly of free citizens, and consistent struggle against all phenomena that weaken us—the foundations of all of which are being created, albeit with difficulty

Profanity, animosity, hatred, violence, or the neglect of the just expectations and dissatisfaction of the people always sow discord and destroy the collective potential of all Armenians. The unimaginable national accord created after the “Four-Day War,’ today is seriously threatened.

Truth is always bitter, but not saying it is irresponsible and cowardly.

After October 27 [1998] and March 1 [2008], this is the third blow caused to our statehood. There is the danger that once again we will lose time, which is fraught with the threat of new losses on both internal and external fronts. Not to understand this, not to condemn the incident, means playing into the hands of our enemies.

The ARF seeks the settlement of the current situation exclusively by peaceful means, considers new bloodshed as unacceptable, demands professionalism from law enforcing agencies, demands that the rights and dignity of law-abiding citizens be respected, and strongly condemns non-political methods and extremism.

We can and will have a strong, free and thriving Armenia. Along that road, we must forge a government of new quality. We will take that road together with the wide circles of society who too are guided by these values and consciousness.

 

ARF Supreme Council of Armenia

July 22, 2016

3 Comments

  1. At least ARF finally made an official comment! Unfortunately, ARF is in the government coalition so its recommendation may fall on deaf ears… Most regular people left in Armenia (2m?) have grown tired of waiting… that, coupled with territorial losses in April, rumors of giving up land for “future elections”, and no place at the economic table, there is a need for a truly independent third party to help resolve this crisis. Ruben Vardanyan is one name that comes to mind, but there are others too… Or maybe a committee of them (in the spirit of the Karabakh Committee)… A compromise might be to at least release Sefilyan (Since he technically did not take part in the attack); give the current attackers a small sentence (to save face for govt.), and then start a true dialogue with the opposition, truly open up the economy and make oligarchs pay their share of taxes, restrain monopolies in phases (Economy is one of your seats!!!), and you have a chance of maybe getting some trust back… my 2 cents…

  2. Dear Mr. Vardanyan how do you make an agreement with a government that lies and breaks the law all the time yet expects others to abide by it? They have for 25yeas. How to do align yourself with such criminals who have looted the country for 25 years. In your letter you are repeating the threat of loss. The corrupt administration has told to people and Armenians around the world for 25 years, coming from you is no different and will not help the situation. The situation we are in is the result of such vein promises. They have resorted to such means to put an end to this criminal government you are choosing to sleep, align, and negotiate with such criminals that will lie and deceive you along with people who stand with you for another 10 years. Armenian communities and wealth have been destroyed in Syria and in Lebanon we have a piece of land that these people will build in no time if the freedom fighters put an end to Serj Sarkisyan’s criminal government. If they simply seize some of the assets of Gagik Khachatryan we will have weapons to seize all of Azerbayjan instead of giving them Armenia piece by piece. You do not want to be the one to bear the guilt of keeping them in government. Let them go the ARS and Dashnaks will have more say in Armenian politics than they have ever had before. Aligning yourselves with such criminals is a shame, betrayal that no Armenian wants to see. Open your ears and do not follow in Serj Sargsyan’s foot steps. People want him and his corrupt government gone first then you can speak about change.

  3. ARF Supreme Council of Armenia, we agree with you that violence breeds violence. We prefer to see the current conflict resolved peacefully. We do not want to see any more blood shade. We also agree with you that we need to be patient in creating the desired change through democratic means. Dear council members of ARF, as you have suggested, we use different means to violence, it would help, if you clearly separate yourself from Serj Sargssyan’s regime and create a strong opposition party. If you want to make change, you cannot be part of the present government. You cannot be part of a government that is infested with corruption, practices dictatorship and beats and arrests peaceful citizens. If you cannot separate yourself from the corrupt and inept government of Sargssyan, the people will consider you an accomplice to the crimes of Sargssyan and responsible in the destruction of our nation. Don’t forget, healthy countries have strong opposition. Our success depends in the strength of our opposition parties. We hope ARF will be one.

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