Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

An Open Letter To Peter Semneby

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • An Open Letter To Peter Semneby

    AN OPEN LETTER TO PETER SEMNEBY

    armradio.am
    01.12.2009 11:59

    "Yerkir" Union of NGOs for Repatriation and Settlement addressed
    an open letter to EU Special Representative of the South Caucasus,
    where it denounces the European uNion for shutting eyes to the
    discriminatory policy of the Georgian authorities towards ethnic
    minorities. The letter reads, in part:

    "Dear Mr. Semneby,

    In the interview published in the Russian daily newspaper "Vremya
    Novostey" on November 2, 2009 you, among other issues, touched upon
    the problems of ethnic minorities of Georgia and, in that context, the
    problems of the Javakheti Armenians, making the following observation:
    "The issues of national minorities in Georgia are important. We must
    pay more attention to them, than we - on our part, and the Georgian
    authorities - on theirs used to. This is a difficult issue. ... The
    problems there are largely social; those are problems of economic
    development."

    The very fact of your statement can be considered as positive,
    even if it is only viewed from the standpoint of public recognition
    of the existing problem by such a high-ranking official of the
    European Union. However, to what extent does it reflect the real
    situation, reducing the problems of Javakheti Armenians to only their
    socio-economic component?

    Of course, the socio-economic component is present in the complex of
    the problems of the Javakheti Armenians, but it does not occupy the
    central and decisive position. The Armenian population of Georgia,
    and the part, compactly inhabiting the south-western regions of the
    country in particular, suffers from violation of their political,
    civil, cultural, educational and religious rights, the rights that
    are guaranteed by numerous international obligations undertaken by
    Georgia and aimed at protection of ethnic minorities.

    The main problems facing the Georgian and the Javakheti Armenians
    can be summed up as follows:

    The Armenian population is disproportionately represented in the
    administrative and governing bodies of the regions of their compact
    residence;

    The Georgian authorities impose mandatory legislative and
    administrative measures to compel the minorities in the places of their
    compact residence to use exclusively the Georgian language in all
    spheres of public life, although the vast majority of the Javakheti
    Armenians by objective circumstances do not speak the language of
    the titular nation;

    The Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia has no legal status, and
    the Georgian authorities refuse to return to it the Armenian temples,
    confiscated during the Soviet era.

    The very fact that you avoided mentioning in your interview
    the existence of these issues, which are far from being only
    socio-economic, becomes even more bizarre, considering the fact that
    numerous reputable international organizations have addressed the
    issue of discriminatory policy implemented by the Georgian authorities
    towards the ethnic minorities in Georgia.

    Thus, for example, the UN Human Rights Committee in its recommendations
    adopted on October 16, 2007, proposes that the Georgian authorities
    take steps to ensure freedom and equality of religion. The Committee
    recommends that the Georgian authorities solve the problem of
    restitution of the property, confiscated during the Soviet era to the
    religious minorities. The Committee, expressing concern about the low
    level of political representation of minorities, suggests that the
    Georgian authorities implement measures to eliminate discrimination on
    the basis of language. To this end, the Committee proposes to consider
    the possibility of allowing minorities to use their own language
    at the level of local government and administration and to take all
    appropriate measures to ensure adequate political representation and
    political participation of ethnic minorities.

    Serious shortcomings regarding the compliance of Georgia with
    the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National
    Minorities were reflected in the report submitted in spring 2009
    by the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe. The Advisory
    Committee recommends that the Georgian authorities make sure that the
    policy of promoting the Georgian language is not detrimental to the
    right of using the minority languages, mentioning that this requires
    more resolute measures reflected both in law and in practice. The
    experts of the Council of Europe, noting that national minorities
    are underrepresented in the country's political, cultural, social and
    economic life, recommend that the Georgian authorities take vigorous
    measures to remove legislative and practical obstacles the national
    minorities come across, so that they can participate in the elected
    bodies and in the executive, and work in the public service.

    In addition to the above, authoritative international organizations
    in 2005-2009, the Public Defender of Georgia, a number of Western
    countries and international organizations in their respective reports
    and statements touched upon the various manifestations of the policy
    of violation of the rights of the Armenian minority of Georgia,
    expressing their concern about these facts.

    The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in his speech on September
    1, 2009 also addressed the issues of concern of the Georgian and
    Javakheti Armenians stating in particular that the logic of the
    policy towards Javakhk should rest on the premise of "integration
    without assimilation", and that the recognition of the Armenian as a
    regional language, the registration of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
    the steps undertaken to protect the Armenian monuments in Georgia
    will only strengthen the Armenian-Georgian friendship and enhance
    the atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding.

    However, the Georgian authorities ignore the recommendations of the
    international community and continue implementing a discriminatory
    policy towards the Javakheti Armenians. Moreover, in recent years this
    policy has achieved the level of repressions against the Javakheti
    political activists through law enforcement agencies and judicial
    authorities. During the period of 2007-2009 as a result of direct
    and indirect pressure from the power structures of Georgia dozens
    of political activists emigrated from Javakheti, many were tried for
    fabricated criminal charges, some of them "bought" their freedom at
    the cost of admission of guilt in their alleged "crimes", others were
    tried in absentia and sentenced to various prison terms.

    On July 21, 2008 the Georgian Special Forces stormed the house and the
    office of the prominent Javakheti political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan,
    "found" weapons there and on this basis immediately arrested him
    as well as his father and his under-age brother. Later on Vahagn
    Chakhalyan was charged with "organizing and active participation in
    activities that disrupt public order" and "hooliganism"- charges
    solely based on his political activities in 2005-2006, when the
    Armenian population through demonstrations and protests put forth
    their legitimate claims to honor their linguistic and educational,
    socio-cultural and religious rights.

    On April 7, 2009, as a result of proceedings accompanied by flagrant
    violations, the Javakheti political activist was sentenced to 10
    years' imprisonment in the Court of First Instance. On October 30,
    2009 the Court of Appeals upheld the verdict intact.

    This retaliatory act by the Georgian authorities against Vahagn
    Chakhalyan has caused wide public resonance in Armenia and in the
    Diaspora. A number of Armenian non-governmental organizations,
    international human rights institutions, European parliamentarians
    have adopted statements and taken other steps aimed at protection
    of the rights of the Javakheti Armenian activist. On April 14, 2009
    the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France held a
    protest demonstration before the Georgian Embassy in Paris against
    this unjust sentence; two days after this action Vahagn Chakhalyan
    was severely beaten in prison.

    Meanwhile, Georgia is a member of the "The European Neighborhood
    Policy" and "Eastern Partnership" EU programs and through them the
    country receives substantial financial assistance. At the same time
    Georgia openly violates the basic human rights and the rights of ethnic
    minorities. Under the circumstances, by ignoring the existing problems
    the EU actually authorizes the Georgian authorities to continue their
    discriminatory policy towards their ethnic minorities, authorizes new
    manifestations of police repressions in the Armenian-populated areas,
    and authorizes new irresponsible acts that deepen day by day the
    mood of fear, frustration and alienation in the Armenian-populated
    regions of Georgia. Thus, the European Union involuntarily assumes
    the role of an accomplice of the Georgian authorities, sharing the
    responsibility for a possible aggravation of the situation.

    Dear Mr. Semneby,

    Based on abovementioned facts, we call upon You to take more
    decisive and effective stance in this issue in order to "explain"
    to the Georgian authorities that the communication with the Armenian
    citizens of their country from the position of rude force, police
    repression and deprivation of rights leads to a deadlock, and only
    through recognition, effective protection and enjoyment of fundamental
    rights and freedoms of individuals and minorities, as well as the
    actual planting of democratic procedures is it possible to create
    stable guarantees for the development of the country.

    We firmly believe, that only by exercising principled position with
    respect to these issues is it possible to help the Georgian authorities
    in creating a functioning democratic system, which will be the real
    guarantee of stability for the country and the entire South Caucasus
    region as a whole."
Working...
X