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Avetik Ishkhanyan. `Should Armenia have dignity, the Armenians would
not be so treated in Russia'
August 9 2013
The campaign conducted recently against illegal immigrants in Russia,
resulting in arrest of about 3 thousand migrants, has given rise to
various interpretations. They mostly relate Russian operation against
illegal immigrants with political phenomena. Some politicians believe
that Russia using the immigrants may always send some kind of
`message' to those countries that attempt to divert from Russian
influence. Almost all developed countries periodically try to clean up
from illegal immigrants, but Russia does it in very rough, humiliating
method, at least Russian human rights defenders state it, who have
described the methods of the operation as a human rights violation.
`The issue of those living illegally happen not only in Russia, but
throughout Europe, especially in Western Europe from time to time,
there are so-called `refugee hunters', there are huge campaigns, they
collect them and take to special camps, then after checking sent the
majority to their countries, deport them. The interesting thing is
that such things happen a lot more in developed and financially stable
countries, because they have the means to send them back, and, for
example, in less developed countries, particularly in Spain, illegal
people are not paid much attention, because they are not able to send
them back. A few years ago, when a huge number of gypsies moved from
Romania and Bulgaria to France, Sarkozy sent them all back with rather
rude manners, of course, with a compensation, but human right
defenders raised a lot of noise,'- said the Chairman of Helsinki
Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan in the conversation with
`Aravot'. According to human rights defender, we can assume what is
happening in Russia these days, what political subtext it has, but,
according to him, if we compare the conduct of Russian and European
with the migrants, in Russia, as a rule, it has been more rude and
without taking the international norms into account. To note that
during the illegal immigration operation in Russia, about 3 thousand
representatives of different nationalities have been arrested, the
location of the most of them is even unknown, in fact, there are
Vietnamese and residents of the CIS countries, including Armenians. To
this respect, we did not listen any statement from our authorities at
the state level as to how many illegal Armenian immigrant are
arrested, who they are and where they are located. To our observation,
the human rights defender said that if the `hunting' of illegal people
is launched, RA Embassy to Russia and Consulates should be the first
to be dealing with the case of protecting our compatriots, even
without waiting for the instruction from RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. As for humiliation of our fellow citizens and protection of
the rights, Mr. Ishkanyan thinks that weak countries would not dare to
make any claims in such matters. `Whether it is offensive for the
nations of different countries, of course, it is. Why don't they
complain, it does not concern only Armenia, why do not Vietnam, and
Tadzhikistan complain? They are weak countries, therefore, only the
issue that the citizens of other countries in forgetting and violating
their dignity, live in another country for a piece of bread in the
status of the second person, already shows that these countries are
not quite established, they do not think about their citizens, and do
not have dignity to protect their citizens. Should the authorities of
Armenia have dignity, they would first create such a country that the
refugees would not be at least that much, and the migration would not
continue. In that case, they would have the right to protest, but
there is another issue: should the state have dignity and be strong,
it would not treat its citizens as such. Saying a weak country, the
territory and the number of population of the country is not so
important.' According to the human rights defender, Russia really has
leverages over weak, having no dignity and corrupted countries, and as
an example, the human rights defender brought an event that took place
many years ago. `When an aircraft was hijacked in Tadzhikistan that
was suspected of transporting drugs, and a lawsuit was to file in
Tadzhikistan, Russia demanded its citizen back, and Tadjikistan wanted
to sue. At that time, Russia at once started to send Tajik immigrants
back, a crisis was to start there, so they had to meet the request of
Russia.' According to Mr. Ishkanyan, the Armenian migrants in Russia
are one of the vulnerable sides of our country. `If more Armenian are
living in Russia than in Armenia as of today, Armenian authorities
generally have no way to speak. To say that the authorities are weak,
because of them thousands of people emigrate to Russia, and to rely
that Russia must treat well to our citizens, is a delusion. We must
first demand everything from our government. But in any other country,
people treat well to other nations when they have an established
country back. More we talk about human rights, there are always, as
they say, more equals among equals.' Nelly BABAYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/08/09/155934/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia
not be so treated in Russia'
August 9 2013
The campaign conducted recently against illegal immigrants in Russia,
resulting in arrest of about 3 thousand migrants, has given rise to
various interpretations. They mostly relate Russian operation against
illegal immigrants with political phenomena. Some politicians believe
that Russia using the immigrants may always send some kind of
`message' to those countries that attempt to divert from Russian
influence. Almost all developed countries periodically try to clean up
from illegal immigrants, but Russia does it in very rough, humiliating
method, at least Russian human rights defenders state it, who have
described the methods of the operation as a human rights violation.
`The issue of those living illegally happen not only in Russia, but
throughout Europe, especially in Western Europe from time to time,
there are so-called `refugee hunters', there are huge campaigns, they
collect them and take to special camps, then after checking sent the
majority to their countries, deport them. The interesting thing is
that such things happen a lot more in developed and financially stable
countries, because they have the means to send them back, and, for
example, in less developed countries, particularly in Spain, illegal
people are not paid much attention, because they are not able to send
them back. A few years ago, when a huge number of gypsies moved from
Romania and Bulgaria to France, Sarkozy sent them all back with rather
rude manners, of course, with a compensation, but human right
defenders raised a lot of noise,'- said the Chairman of Helsinki
Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan in the conversation with
`Aravot'. According to human rights defender, we can assume what is
happening in Russia these days, what political subtext it has, but,
according to him, if we compare the conduct of Russian and European
with the migrants, in Russia, as a rule, it has been more rude and
without taking the international norms into account. To note that
during the illegal immigration operation in Russia, about 3 thousand
representatives of different nationalities have been arrested, the
location of the most of them is even unknown, in fact, there are
Vietnamese and residents of the CIS countries, including Armenians. To
this respect, we did not listen any statement from our authorities at
the state level as to how many illegal Armenian immigrant are
arrested, who they are and where they are located. To our observation,
the human rights defender said that if the `hunting' of illegal people
is launched, RA Embassy to Russia and Consulates should be the first
to be dealing with the case of protecting our compatriots, even
without waiting for the instruction from RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. As for humiliation of our fellow citizens and protection of
the rights, Mr. Ishkanyan thinks that weak countries would not dare to
make any claims in such matters. `Whether it is offensive for the
nations of different countries, of course, it is. Why don't they
complain, it does not concern only Armenia, why do not Vietnam, and
Tadzhikistan complain? They are weak countries, therefore, only the
issue that the citizens of other countries in forgetting and violating
their dignity, live in another country for a piece of bread in the
status of the second person, already shows that these countries are
not quite established, they do not think about their citizens, and do
not have dignity to protect their citizens. Should the authorities of
Armenia have dignity, they would first create such a country that the
refugees would not be at least that much, and the migration would not
continue. In that case, they would have the right to protest, but
there is another issue: should the state have dignity and be strong,
it would not treat its citizens as such. Saying a weak country, the
territory and the number of population of the country is not so
important.' According to the human rights defender, Russia really has
leverages over weak, having no dignity and corrupted countries, and as
an example, the human rights defender brought an event that took place
many years ago. `When an aircraft was hijacked in Tadzhikistan that
was suspected of transporting drugs, and a lawsuit was to file in
Tadzhikistan, Russia demanded its citizen back, and Tadjikistan wanted
to sue. At that time, Russia at once started to send Tajik immigrants
back, a crisis was to start there, so they had to meet the request of
Russia.' According to Mr. Ishkanyan, the Armenian migrants in Russia
are one of the vulnerable sides of our country. `If more Armenian are
living in Russia than in Armenia as of today, Armenian authorities
generally have no way to speak. To say that the authorities are weak,
because of them thousands of people emigrate to Russia, and to rely
that Russia must treat well to our citizens, is a delusion. We must
first demand everything from our government. But in any other country,
people treat well to other nations when they have an established
country back. More we talk about human rights, there are always, as
they say, more equals among equals.' Nelly BABAYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/08/09/155934/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia