PACE decides no sanctions for Armenia. Sad, but true.

The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has decided not to impose sanctions on Armenia for what it has called "political prisoners" still sitting in jail. Armenia just barely weaseled out of it, by promising to change a law, which should in theory lead to the freeing of the prisoners. This reminds me of Article 301 in Turkey, and their attempts to weasel out of European sanctions and continue progress towards the EU.

Going easy on these governments is not the solution. These baby steps on such matters as human rights are unforgivable. People are dying due to laws like this, including people like Hrant Dink, who died 2 years ago due to the logical conclusion of carrying out the spirit of article 301 in Turkey.

I would love to see Armenia integrate more into Europe - while protecting it's own identity, language, culture and more. But I don't want to see Europe accept Armenia until it is treating its own citizens properly. The Armenian people deserve better, and I think if their government can no longer pretend what it is doing is acceptable and normal, it will be forced to change more quickly. The people tried to stand up for themselves a few times now, each time to be crushed by tanks (1996), apathy (1999) and riot police (2004? and 2008). Unfortunately each time they've lacked a good, honest reformer to stand behind, but at least they should be able to count on Europe to stand behind them.

Turkey Warns U.S.

To any Turks out there who like to claim that Armenia doesn't want to discuss the genocide issue with Turkey, here is the reason, the very reason many Armenians have been warning for years. Turkey will try to use the talks as a pretext for derailing any genocide recognition in the world, claiming recognition would somehow affect the ability for Turkey to hold a rational conversation. Meanwhile, Turkey will drag it's feet until the last survivor of the genocide is finally dead, and will never hear an apology out of them.

Sickening, disgusting, uncivilized behavior.

A quote from AFP:

Turkey's foreign minister has warned Barack Obama's incoming administration that
any U.S. recognition of Armenian massacres by Ottoman Turks as genocide could
derail reconciliation efforts between the two neighbors. "It would not be very
rational for a third country to take a position on this issue... A wrong step by
the United States will harm the process," the Anatolia news agency quoted Ali
Babacan as saying late Friday. Turkey has "never been closer" to normalizing
ties with Armenia, its eastern neighbor, and a breakthrough could be secured in
2009, the minister said.

Never been closer? How "close" can you be to normalizing relations that you've sabotaged for the past 100 years? Either you normalize them or you don't. Armenians have not once done a single thing to harm you, or prevent relations. They've always said they were ready.

Music, always

It doesn't solve everything, but it's still nice to know : Arto Tunçboyaciyan and Yasan Kurt (musician from Turkey who discovered very late his armenian origins), worked together for a new album born in Armenia "agains hatred & animosity".

Here's the video-clip of their work together with the song Bazen insan : http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=0un6ibChWyc

And an article in english where you'll learn more about this initiative, from the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet : http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/lifestyle/10734147.asp?scr=3D1

Bazen insan, insan gibi dir.... insan gibi yasamasi bilen
Sometimes man is like (hu)man, knowing how to live like a (hu)man

Happy New Year??? Where? Not Gaza!

2009 has started off with some of the most dismal economic news around the world, from Armenia to America, and every time zone in between. Of course, in Gaza, things are even worse. After being caged like animals for so many decades, is it shocking that the people in Gaza have elected a government that doesn't recognize Israel? And even granting that Hamas is a terrorist group, isn't Israel even worse, since they're terrorizing and killing many more than Hamas, not to mention colonizing and occupying the west bank still?

It's truly a sad state of affairs, when the victims of a genocide themselves don't learn the simplest lessons in humanity as a result. It's true, decades ago, it was the Arabs who were being unreasonable in not wanting to share anything with the Jews who had returned to their original homeland, but those days are a very distant memory, and Israel today is the oppressor and needs to step back and look at themselves... see if they recognize or like who they are. It shouldn't be surprising to them that nobody in the world likes their behavior, except for some Zionists, and some fundamentalist Christian fanatics who want to see the Bible prophesy of a reborn Israel come true.

Snow & Season's Greetings

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen !

No special news, except that we began a new year + it's Christmas Eve for apostolic Armenians + this pic is not an old B&W photo, it was taken today : it snowed all day long today here and... well that's it

Shnorhavor Nor Dari yev Sourp Dzenunt !