“…But that there are Turk-like Armenians”
00:00, December 1, 2011 | Press Release
The news about the murder of two Armenian young men on the border last weekend caused a wave of outrage in Armenia and Artsakh, dramatically bringing forward the issue of responsibility of the Azerbaijani authorities, and personally, of the President of this country for the militarization and destabilization of the region.
However, as it turns out, there are people in our country who perceive the situation completely different, accusing … Armenia of intensifying the arms race. And they take advantage of any suitable opportunity to smear their own country and to voice opinions pleasing not only the potential enemy, but most importantly, those who generously provide grants for any new failures.
According to the media, Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor (an organization with a quite ambiguous reputation, not only in Armenia but elsewhere), who calls himself a human rights activist, while speaking at a NATO seminar in Brussels, accused Armenia of violating the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). We can assure that it was not the first time this gentleman made such despicable statements, but this time, thanks to other Armenians present, the behavior of Sakunts became known. There are already relevant comments and assessments in the media and social networks.
It has been written and stated more than once, that Armenia has ‘a fifth column’ of activists calling themselves human rights activists, but actually ready to malign their own country. The motive of their behavior is also well known: money, money, and nothing more, well, except for the overseas trips that have become something like a drug for them. The names of these people are also well known. Society does not react to all of their statements and actions, and not only out of natural feeling of disgust. The issue is also that any judgment and criticism against this type of actor causes an immediate squeal about the alleged “persecution of human rights activists,” which, of course, only benefits ‘Sakuntses’. First, it enables them to raise the stakes, and secondly, it serves as an excellent PR move. Moreover, the Baku accent of the squeal does not confuse them one bit.
So we have a paradoxical situation: these people can say anything about the country and its citizens, not hesitating to spitefully lie and slander our homeland. But as soon as one attempts to call a spade a spade, it will be unequivocally declared a violation of the right to freedom of expression. That is, they can exercise their rights fully, whereas the natural protective reaction of society is considered a “persecution for dissent.”
In our opinion, there are two important aspects in this long-lasting story. First, as it is obvious from the report from the seminar in Brussels, the activities of ‘Sakuntses’, who are becoming insolent before our eyes, are becoming harmful in terms of national security and international reputation of the country. It’s one thing to justly criticize the government for its domestic and foreign policy, meanwhile respecting and protecting the interests of their own state and its citizens. And it is completely another matter to vilify the country at every turn, not shunning even from the dirtiest lie. And the statement by Sakunts about “violations of the CFE Treaty” is from this category.
How many times and what other lies and statements harmful for the country has he made, while traveling to various seminars and conferences, and representing himself as an “Armenian human rights activist” – the question is rhetorical. But the specific problem is that such people should be denied the right to represent their country and its citizens; let them say anything, anywhere (it is clear that precisely for such statement, are they readily invited and will be invited abroad), but as their own, personal opinion. For one simple reason: the position of society on many key issues is very different from what is replicated by ‘Sakuntses’ (which is easily tracked down through publications in the press and attitudes in social networks), therefore, their statements can be considered a “special opinion” in a country where it is not prohibited to have a specific viewpoint and to freely express it.
The second problem is that ‘Sakuntses’ succeeded in another field as well: that is to discredit the very concept of human rights activists. Due to their long-term efforts and the absolute dependence of the content of “human rights protection” on interests, especially political, of their donors, there are almost no organizations in Armenia today, which are involved in real, practical, orthodox protection of human rights, despite the fact that these rights are being violated on every corner. The small group of leaders of human rights organizations travels to forums, seminars and conferences throughout the year, only occasionally appearing in their own country, where they simply do not have enough time and are already not inclined to engage in protecting the rights of ordinary citizens.
And most importantly, international donors are unlikely to give money for that today. They need something completely different, and ‘Sakuntses’ try everything not to interrupt the flow of grant money. For this, they are ready to take over the functions the ‘azerprop’, voicing the anti-Armenian claims of Azerbaijani propaganda on international arenas. Meanwhile, the questions about why Sakunts is silent about the murders of Armenian soldiers on the front line, are in my opinion unlawful and unworthy of the memory 19-year-old heroes, who gave their lives for the security of the borders of our homeland.
It’s the right time to recall the words of Garegin Nzhdeh: “Our disaster is not that there are Turks in the world, but that there are Turk-like Armenians.” This is the disaster we must fight, in full compliance with human and the nation’s rights and the interests of the state.