From the Diasporan Press

[Guest]

"AZG" Armenian Daily # 22, 02/07/2001

National interest

 

DANGEROUS... FOR MOTHERLAND

 

 

Writer Rafik Hovhannisian condemns "Nor Kyank's" position

 

I was looking through the last year's issue #49 of Glendale-based "Nor Kyank" (New Life) weekly lately. Irrespective of my political beliefs, my soul is filled with pride every time I see a Diaspora newspaper in Armenian.

 

This time, as well, I started to read it with inspiration, but was disappointed in several minutes. Apparently the newspaper undertook a shameful task of presenting the Armenia's reality in the most gloomy and

disastrous colors. I wondered what would a Diaspora Armenian think of his

motherland reading the newspaper. The newspaper read that everything is bad

in Armenia, authorities are bloodthirsty people, poverty and sins covered

everything and that Armenia doesn't have a future. After reading such horrible things about motherland, would a Diaspora Armenian ever want to go his motherland?

 

I wonder who ordered "Nor Kyank" to write things like that? Or why? Even the Turkish press doesn't write such filthy and dirty lies, and such anti-Armenian attacks. In order to be exact, I am talking about "Nor

Kyank's" article written by a Torgom Postachian, who using a similar article from US "Business Week" weekly written by a Patrick Smit gives pictures of nowadays desperate Armenia: "All the factories are closed, there is a mass unemployment and famine... half of Armenia's population

emigrated from the country...if Karabagh war re-starts, Armenia will not be able to resist the enemy..." etc. etc. And what's most insulting is that "the present authorities of Armenia brought the country to this lamentable situation."

 

The writer of the article blames present government for country's bad situation, at the same time praising the previous government- Levon Ter-Petrosian and others. Does he forget that "the factories are closed" because the previous authorities privatized them for laughably little sums,

that the previous authorities kept the country "in dark" - selling electric energy to neighbor countries, when Armenian children were reading books under candle lights!... And it was thanks to new government that the ex-authorities left their posts without shedding blood-of Armenia people.

 

Doesn't Mr. Torgom Postachian know that if Armenia's army was not well trained and ready to resist enemy's attack, Azerbaijan wouldn't hesitate a minute to attack Armenia. Does he know that Armenians started to leave the country already then, in those "dark and cold" for Armenia years?

 

I wouldn't want to play a role of a lawyer of the Armenian president and his administration, for they also have many sins, mistakes and weak points. But their biggest mistake, most probably, is that they didn't cut in root the "remains" of the ex-authorities, those "poisonous seeds", who still continue going in the direction of their predecessors - thus doing a big

harm to our motherland.

 

Though Armenians think that the present authorities didn't change anything, it is not so. The present authorities, though very slowly, try to re-launch the industrial giants. Now, tough with a little part of its capacity, but the "Nairit" chemical plant, aluminum and electric bulbs factories, and

many others function. Of course it's not much, but did the present authorities have a chance of free activity? The terrorist act of October 27, 1999 shattered the country, distracted investors and deepened mistrust

in Armenia. And what does Mr. Postachian say in this respect? "The terrorist act was carried out by the order of Robert Kocharian, Serge Sargissian and Hrand Margarian",- the author speaks out the verdict. What a "conclusion"!!! By the way he will be disappointed to learn that the open trial of the case will start on February 15, and the justice will be done.

Not like he said "Kocharian doesn't want to hold an open trial". And without any evidence and trial, who gave Mr. Postachian a right to say such a thing? The truth will come out once the trial starts. We'll see then who is to blame. Armenian nation will not allow veiling the truth this time, and whoever is to blame in this case - president or those who try to put the sin on him- will be found and punished.

 

I would like to tell Mr. Postachian that the information he has about Armenia is taken from a wrong source. I myself am not pleased by the present authorities, but am proud that Armenia became a member of European

Council, am proud that the pursuance of the Armenian cause became the cornerstone of our foreign policy, and that there is much success in that direction. And these things were gained at the time of present authorities. But it is not their achievements only, it is the achievement of the whole Armenian nation, and the dislike towards the authorities shouldn't be

presented in such a way that throws a shadow on the whole country and nation.

 

by Rafik Hovhannisian