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Hawaii Legislators Reject Azerbaijani Resolutions

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  • Hawaii Legislators Reject Azerbaijani Resolutions

    HAWAII LEGISLATORS REJECT AZERBAIJANI RESOLUTIONS

    12:35 13.02.2014

    The Hawaii legislature publicly debated and then rejected a pair of
    Azerbaijan-initiated anti-Armenian measures, dealing a high-profile
    setback to Baku's well-funded effort to enlist U.S. state legislatures
    in its increasingly aggressive campaign against Armenia and Nagorno
    Karabakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America -
    Western Region (ANCA-WR).

    "We want to thank Aloha State legislators, long known for their
    commitment to tolerance and human rights, for their wisdom in blocking
    Baku's efforts to manipulate Hawaii and take advantage of the good
    name of her citizens," said Executive Director of ANCA-WR Elen
    Asatryan. "Today's vote sends a powerful signal that Azerbaijan's
    corrupt and undemocratic President Ilham Aliyev - despite all the
    millions he's spending on 'caviar diplomacy'- doesn't get a vote here
    in America and certainly doesn't deserve the right to buy influence
    in the U.S. government," added Asatryan.

    The Hawaii House of Representatives Committee on Veterans, Military,
    & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts rejected the two
    anti-Armenian resolutions during their committee hearing earlier
    today at the State Capitol, despite the ardent efforts of Committee
    Chairman Mark Takei, who was an author of the bills. Both profoundly
    biased and factually flawed measures were reportedly introduced
    at the bequest of the Azerbaijani government, a major breach of
    diplomatic protocol, confirmed publicly by State Rep. Rida Cabanilla,
    who was quoted in "Civil Beat," a Hawaii publication, as saying that:
    "The resolutions came from Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan's ambassador
    to the United States."

    "Civil Beat" further reported that Hawaiians looking for the reasoning
    behind the introduction of such unlikely resolutions in the State of
    Hawaii may look trips taken to Baku last May by Reps. Cabanilla and
    Chairman Takai, who joined more than 300 others from the U.S. at the
    U.S.-Azerbaijan Convention, courtesy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
    which spent nearly $8,000 for the two legislators' visit.

    When he was questioned about the trip last summer, Chairman Takai said,
    "There's nothing in the Legislature now that would directly benefit
    Azerbaijan, so it passes the ethics concern." This contention was
    clearly unfounded, as the measures under consideration today clearly
    would have, if passed, directly benefited Azerbaijan.

    Despite the resources expended on the measure by the Azerbaijani
    government, the most persuasive voices of the day belonged to three
    members of the local Armenian American community, including: Arpine
    Philian Mar, an 82 year-old retiree, Arthur Martirosian, and Ani
    Martirosian, an active community leader who was instrumental in
    organizing her fellow citizens to speak out on these measures.

    Martirosian's video testimony is available here:
    http://youtu.be/tXQv5YZORwE

    Following the hearing, during which she had delivered a compelling,
    comprehensive, and persuasive argument before the Committee, Ani
    Martirosian said, "I'd like this to be an example for all Armenians -
    and other underrepresented groups - around the world that our voices do
    matter. We must stay vigilant to recognize the attempts made to falsify
    our history, and we need to then take peaceful and meaningful action to
    counter with the truth. Today was a win for not only us Armenians, but
    others who are in the minority. For the people, by the people - this
    is the way our legislative process should work. Let the truth prevail."

    They were joined by a self-identified neutral, Dr. Alexander Telnov,
    who spoke in a very balanced and forceful way in opposition of the
    resolutions. "The spirit of 'aloha' that we carry throughout the
    world is completely foreign to Azerbaijan," argued Telnov, who went
    on to detail the high levels of corruption within the Aliyev regime.

    Noting that the Azerbaijani government spends millions for political
    lobbying in the United States, while Armenia spends none, he went on
    to query, "Why do you need to spend so much money to prove your point?

    That's because your point is not credible. That's because the
    opinions Azerbaijan is trying to instill in the United States and
    other countries are distortions and untruths."

    At the beginning of the hearing, Chairman Takai appeared confident
    about the passage of both resolutions. However, after the Committee
    members took a break to privately discuss the pending legislation,
    Takai conceded that H.R. 13 would be deferred (not passed). The
    committee Chairman had unsuccessfully suggested to his fellow
    committee members that in light of the fact that Hawaii had adopted an
    Armenia-Hawaii friendship resolution in 2012 and an Armenian Genocide
    commemoration resolution in 2009, the pro-Azeri resolutions should
    also be adopted in order to be impartial. Moments later, the Chairman
    announced that they had also decided to defer H.R. 9.

    In the days leading up to the Committee hearing, hundreds
    had submitted letters and testimony opposing both legislations,
    including the ANCA Western Region, whose testimony is available here:
    http://ancawr.org/2014/02/11/anca-wr-submits-testimonies-opposing-h-r-no-9-and-h-r-13/

    ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued an open letter to all
    U.S. state legislatures earlier this week urging them to take as
    stand against foreign interference in American civic life by corrupt
    Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev.

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/02/13/hawaii-legislators-reject-azerbaijani-resolutions/

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