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NEW WAR OF ARMENIA
A few years after the bloody war in Artsakh Armenians are facing a
new war which may be even more severe and may have worse consequences.
This war is for Armenia's natural resources. Hundreds of mines
have been licensed in our country, and the Internet is flooded
with videos voicing complaints of rural people. Cyanide processing,
open-pit mining, destruction of the ecosystem, pitmen exploitation,
irreversible damage to health, displacement of border villages,
deep water intoxication, tailing leakage...
Mines are opened throughout the whole country that will eventually
result in displacement of local population. Rural people become miners,
picturesque places are turning into toxic tailings.
This economic war goes unheeded because the most loyal ally of
mine owners is the state and government officials. Marring the
landscape with wastes, mining business pays little taxes and does
not do anything to improve the social situation and quality of life
in those regions. This struggle for Armenia's resources modifies the
structure of the economy the most direct consequence of which is the
growing rate of emigration.
Mine owners are the only beneficiary of Armenia's integration and
development programs that receive low interest loans from international
financial organizations and forces the government to simplify their
business and conditions. The loser is the Armenian people. The ongoing
redistribution of national wealth worth tens of billions of dollars
does not go with social justice in any way.
First the government kneels down the villagers, then, together with
the companies, forces them to accept exploitation of mines. On the
other hand, the lack of legal awareness and frequent health problems
completely strip local people of any hope. Only small contributions
are made to meet community needs.
Active players have nothing to do with the concept of national
capital because their business style does not imply any development,
and money is kept in the offshore. This is a "locust capitalism"
model when one finishes one source and moves on to another. Mines
generate large amounts of laundered dollars into the country, causing
the Dutch syndrome when one's own currency becomes more expensive,
preventing the development of other industries and increasing labor
and business costs. A vulnerable country like Armenia slowly but
steadily falls under the curse of resources.
This is also a war because without the rule of law the mine business
uses the most brutal instruments, ranging from mass media and bribing
communities to violation of human dignity. Everything is permissible
because development of the mining sector is a priority in Armenia's
national strategy. For its part, the Communist-Republican nomenclature
treats "predatory capitalism" as a taboo, explaining this by degrading
comments about poverty and unemployment.
In this war of mineral resources the only advocates of the Armenian
people are the small civic groups of environmental activists who
are not grown into the nomenclature and corrupt elites. Those people
represent the only organized and public force and oppose the mining
giants that spend millions on PR and lobby. On one side is the mining
lobby intertwined with the state policy, on the other side is the
civic activists without a defined political agenda. The political
system can be changed only through a political alternative.
Having ridded of the Soviet dictatorship, Armenia may lose its chance
to use its democratic and civic potential and risks and drown in a
tailing swamp generated by severe exploitation of mineral resources.
Thus, Armenia has almost unconditional support of the old political
elite. Industrial countries need raw materials and minerals. Not
every country can protect its own interests against exploitation of
natural resources. Will Armenia be that country? Replacement of one
capital with another more organized foreign capital will not change
anything in Armenia's declared war.
While hiding under the veil of liberalism, young career hunters are
signing loan agreements with the state authorities, and conservative
businessmen-officials do not see anything apart from a mine-based
economy, one with good sense can understand that mines cannot ensure
long-term development for Armenia. Armenia's future leads it in other
direction rather, notably organic products, a lot of sustainable SMEs,
industries based on intellectual capacity, as well as strong regions
and rural communities. But the villages simply disappear because
of the mineral-mania. The mine fever destroys the country's most
valuable resource - the people. However, the Republic of Armenia has
not crossed the Rubicon yet, after which the economic developments can
proceed in a dramatic way. And perhaps now it is time to think about
change as long as the country has not lost its most crucial war -
the war waged for our natural resources.
That is why it is time for revolt for social justice. The capital will
not give up for any reason. Only a new social movement that will put
in place the rule of law and political strategy of economic justice
will be able to win the victory. The war for mines already reaches
Artsakh and exploitation of Kashen and other mines threatens to ruin
everything, the country, health and safety of people.
Vahan Meliksetyan 15:32 23/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/society/view/29701
A few years after the bloody war in Artsakh Armenians are facing a
new war which may be even more severe and may have worse consequences.
This war is for Armenia's natural resources. Hundreds of mines
have been licensed in our country, and the Internet is flooded
with videos voicing complaints of rural people. Cyanide processing,
open-pit mining, destruction of the ecosystem, pitmen exploitation,
irreversible damage to health, displacement of border villages,
deep water intoxication, tailing leakage...
Mines are opened throughout the whole country that will eventually
result in displacement of local population. Rural people become miners,
picturesque places are turning into toxic tailings.
This economic war goes unheeded because the most loyal ally of
mine owners is the state and government officials. Marring the
landscape with wastes, mining business pays little taxes and does
not do anything to improve the social situation and quality of life
in those regions. This struggle for Armenia's resources modifies the
structure of the economy the most direct consequence of which is the
growing rate of emigration.
Mine owners are the only beneficiary of Armenia's integration and
development programs that receive low interest loans from international
financial organizations and forces the government to simplify their
business and conditions. The loser is the Armenian people. The ongoing
redistribution of national wealth worth tens of billions of dollars
does not go with social justice in any way.
First the government kneels down the villagers, then, together with
the companies, forces them to accept exploitation of mines. On the
other hand, the lack of legal awareness and frequent health problems
completely strip local people of any hope. Only small contributions
are made to meet community needs.
Active players have nothing to do with the concept of national
capital because their business style does not imply any development,
and money is kept in the offshore. This is a "locust capitalism"
model when one finishes one source and moves on to another. Mines
generate large amounts of laundered dollars into the country, causing
the Dutch syndrome when one's own currency becomes more expensive,
preventing the development of other industries and increasing labor
and business costs. A vulnerable country like Armenia slowly but
steadily falls under the curse of resources.
This is also a war because without the rule of law the mine business
uses the most brutal instruments, ranging from mass media and bribing
communities to violation of human dignity. Everything is permissible
because development of the mining sector is a priority in Armenia's
national strategy. For its part, the Communist-Republican nomenclature
treats "predatory capitalism" as a taboo, explaining this by degrading
comments about poverty and unemployment.
In this war of mineral resources the only advocates of the Armenian
people are the small civic groups of environmental activists who
are not grown into the nomenclature and corrupt elites. Those people
represent the only organized and public force and oppose the mining
giants that spend millions on PR and lobby. On one side is the mining
lobby intertwined with the state policy, on the other side is the
civic activists without a defined political agenda. The political
system can be changed only through a political alternative.
Having ridded of the Soviet dictatorship, Armenia may lose its chance
to use its democratic and civic potential and risks and drown in a
tailing swamp generated by severe exploitation of mineral resources.
Thus, Armenia has almost unconditional support of the old political
elite. Industrial countries need raw materials and minerals. Not
every country can protect its own interests against exploitation of
natural resources. Will Armenia be that country? Replacement of one
capital with another more organized foreign capital will not change
anything in Armenia's declared war.
While hiding under the veil of liberalism, young career hunters are
signing loan agreements with the state authorities, and conservative
businessmen-officials do not see anything apart from a mine-based
economy, one with good sense can understand that mines cannot ensure
long-term development for Armenia. Armenia's future leads it in other
direction rather, notably organic products, a lot of sustainable SMEs,
industries based on intellectual capacity, as well as strong regions
and rural communities. But the villages simply disappear because
of the mineral-mania. The mine fever destroys the country's most
valuable resource - the people. However, the Republic of Armenia has
not crossed the Rubicon yet, after which the economic developments can
proceed in a dramatic way. And perhaps now it is time to think about
change as long as the country has not lost its most crucial war -
the war waged for our natural resources.
That is why it is time for revolt for social justice. The capital will
not give up for any reason. Only a new social movement that will put
in place the rule of law and political strategy of economic justice
will be able to win the victory. The war for mines already reaches
Artsakh and exploitation of Kashen and other mines threatens to ruin
everything, the country, health and safety of people.
Vahan Meliksetyan 15:32 23/04/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/society/view/29701