To Government of Armenia, Armenia TV and Haylour
00:00, March 10, 2008 | Electoral Rights
To whom it may concern,
The members of the Armenian community in Sweden together with the Swedish Media as well as the Armenians around the world, have with great regret followed the development of latest presidential elections in Armenia.
For a long time the election campaigns seemed to be at least the most active during the entire post independence period and were, despite the still existing shortcomings, regarded as a positive step in right direction for democratization of the country. However, that soon showed to be a short lived wishful thinking.
First and foremost, let it be known that we do not either advocate the opposition nor any other particular parties in the elections. Living in Sweden, one of the foremost developed democracies on the globe, one soon learns that all parties, government or opposition, right or left, 1) work towards the same goal of a prosperous Sweden, 2) everyone has the right to speak up their minds, regardless of this taking 1 day or 1 year. As citizens of a country which many other nations look up to and praise as a role model for free and democratic nation, the unfolding events of the past weeks in Armenia are nothing but utterly unacceptable behavior, unbecoming of an Armenia in the 21st century. The declaration of a state of emergency, shooting unarmed demonstrators, and imposing an almost dictatorship like state censorship is condemned by all institutions and organizations abroad and here in Sweden. That Armenia is depicted as yet another post-Soviet oligarchic ruled state is not a flattering image that the Armenian Government should strive for.
As far as it goes for the Armenian Public Service TV and in particular the news coverage of Haylour, both during the election campaign and that of the unrest on March 1st and the following days, one can not help but strongly criticize the heavily one-sided, biased and irritating reporting that the Haylour has allowed itself to deliver. Once more, we do not neither endorse nor defend the actions of the obvious vandals and opportunists who committed the lootings which followed the unrest. However, we feel that it is highly odd that not once, the media allowed the opposition to come forward and condemn (or not) the happening, thus setting the record right whether they defended that actions or dissociate from and condemned it. As a description of the public service TV of Sweden, it is stated that “One of the most important points is ‘to scrutinize authorities, organizations and private firms which exert influence over policy affecting the public, and cover the activities of these and other bodies.’” Sorry to say, but the Armenian TV is parsecs from living up to that standard. Armenia 1 TV and Haylour in particular have done nothing to further agitate and contribute to the current situation in Armenia, but smearing all and everyone that has not endorsed government policy. Thus, the public TV and news agency bear an equal responsibility in destabilizing the country. If anything, now that the H1 broadcasting is targeting people living abroad, mostly in developed democratic countries, any sensible, clear-minded person soon starts to question the one-sided reporting and how it comes and no one from the opposition (or for the sake of the argument “the accused”) is given the opportunity to explain and defend themselves?
And finally, that almost all media, radio, and internet sites, such as Armenialiebrty.org
Posal address tfn +4670773 33 83 www.armeniska.se Box 237 info@armeniska.se 17724 JARFALLA Sweden and Youtube.com are blocked are signs of great concern. We ridiculed and condemned Turkey for doing the same over the Armenian Genocide when the Turkish Government blocked Youtube for “protecting their citizens from untruthful lies.” Is Armenia and the Armenian Government now resorting to the same action? And do does the Armenian Government genuinely believe that the internet sites and the information and the documented images therein will disappear just because the Armenian public in Armenia are prohibited from accessing them? And how long will the prohibition last and then what? The information, the images and the videos will still be there and the general public will learn about all the facts, presented from all perspectives, pro and con.
We welcomed the initiative taken by the Armenian Government to invite all parties to join a coalition which would work for the common goal of taking Armenia forward towards a better future. That the Government resorted to violence and now is implementing actions unbecoming a “republic,” does not fit the image which the Armenian Government, Armenia 1 TV or Haylour is advocating or we as Armenians strive and hope for. We urge that the Government of Armenia considers lifting the state of emergency, to engage in resolving the situation by peaceful diplomatic discussion. What transpired in Yerevan is still by many regarded as unbelievable. The Armenian authorities, regardless of who and what party that holds the post of president or government, must come to realize that they serve one entity and one entity alone: the Armenian people. It is they who have the power to empower or dismiss any president or government, since, after all, these offices are elected by the general public. The soon this fact is realized the sooner we can start combating corruption, poverty and anarchy which prevails in Armenia and work for a democratic, prosperous and stable and strong nation worthy of rich cultural and historic heritage that we have inherited.
Yours truly,
The Board of the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
Posal address tfn +4670773 33 83 www.armeniska.se Box 237 info@armeniska.se 17724 JARFALLA Sweden