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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/
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/