Looks like crazy Saakashvili's next target is the Armenian minority living in southern Georgia. Asshole Saakashvili learned NOTHING after the August events, and he decided to shift his attention on the remaining minority, the Armenians this time. In recent years, the Georgian authorities have closed down some Armenian schools and the region has stayed mostly poor thanks to Tbilisi which is an obvious intentional attempt in order to force the Armenians to migrate to other countries in search of work and to depopulate Georgia's southern region. In recent years, the Georgian authorities have intentionally moved large number of Turks close to where the Armenian populated regions are as well....a bad move if you ask me. These are just the recent arrests of Armenian community organizers, but it isn't just an arrest. It is a sign by Tbilisi that they will not rest until they depopulate that region because there are hundreds of thousands of Armenians who live in southern Georgia, and the best way to do so in Saakashvili's way of thinking is through fear and terror. The problem with Saakshvili's move is that he is feeling confident yet again, this time thinking that just because Armenia's imports/exports pass through Georgia (70%) due to the blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia will not step in to defend its people living close to its border with Georgia.

I am wondering if this is yet another way for Soros and Zbig to create tensions in the region because if things get out of control, Russia will intervene (diplomatically) for sure. I shoud mention that I heard a story of how the Georgian police officers stormed into an Armenian school just recently and took away all the cellphones from the teenagers inside the school. Insane!

The High Price of Georgia's Mistakes

http://www.asbarez.com/#AMC=Open&ASBSC=Open

It was a few months ago when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili took to the airways to plead his case to the Western world about Russia's insurgence into its borders and proclaim his and his administration's dedication to upholding democracy.

Since then, international organizations and the world figured out that Saakashvili was not only deceiving them, but his policies in dealing with Georgia's ethnic minorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia smelled of ethnic cleansing, which prompted Russia to take action last summer.

The purveyor of democracy and the last US administration's choice to lead the troubled Caucasus country is at it again, this time widening its human rights abuses against the Armenian population of Javakhk. Last week, Georgian Interior Ministry forces arrested two Javakhk activists in a very public display of force and subsequently a court in Tbilisi charged them with organizing illegal militant groups and spying.

Grigor Minasyan and Sergei Hakopjanyan must now stay in jail for two months pending a trial. These two are the most recent victims of Georgia's ongoing harassment of the Armenian population of Javakhk and Georgia proper. Local leaders assert that Tbilisi's approach to raid and arrest Armenian leaders would stifle the Armenian population, which has been very vocal about ill-treatment by the central authorities. On the contrary, the recent arrests have made the community band together to resolutely object to their government's treatment of minorities.

Last fall Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was forced to intervene when Georgian authorities were bulldozing the Norashen Armenian church in Tbilisi. Despite promises by Saakashvili and his newly-appointed prime minister, no action was taken against those perpetrating this attack on historic Armenia monuments. This followed a very marred election process whereby the Georgian authorities sought to quash the free will of the Armenian constituents by putting forth their own candidates to represent the Armenian community.

These incidents, coupled by Saakashvili's promise to resettle Meshkheti Turks in Javakhk proper, a situation that could flare tensions already high in that area.

There will come a time--and that time may be soon--when Armenians in Javakhk will run out of patience and seek measures to protect their human rights. Hopefully, calm will prevail and Javakhk leader will be able to come to an understanding with Tbilisi. However, prior actions of the Saakashvili administration have shown that the Georgian authorities are pursuing another agenda that is far from their commitment to democracy and democratic norms.

In the climate of reversing past blunders, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama should revisit the Georgia equation and move beyond the light slaps on the hand the their predecessors delivered to Saakashvili in the wake of growing and continuing human rights abuses.

In the meantime, Georgian authorities should immediately release Minasyan and Hakopjanyan and all others they have arrested on trumped up charges and seek to establish a more proactive approach to dealing with Georgia's minorities. If anything, the brief yet destructive war last summer should serve as a lesson.

SITUATION IN JAVAKHK IS DANGEROUS

http://www.a1plus.am/en/?page=issue&iid=68467

Georgia’s Interior Ministry has arrested Grigor Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanyan. They are actively engaged in the cultural life of Akhaltskha town. Grigor Minasyan heads the “Armenian Youth Centre” and Grigor Minasyan - “Charles Aznavour” Charity Foundation. A criminal action has been filed. The detainees are charged with formation of illegal groupings and espionage.

“Yesterday Georgia’s Intelligence Service raided the premises of the Youth Centre. They took away part of the Centre’s library. The raid was followed by the arrest of Grigor Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanyan,” Armenian MP and Chairman of the “Javakhk" Patriotic Union Shirak Torosyan told A1+.

The indictment is ungrounded. Minasyan and Hakobjanyan have nothing to do with politics. This is a state terror against leading Javakhki figures. They want to disturb cultural and national life of Javakhk and create an atmosphere of fear, horror and distrust.

The representatives of the Intelligence Service have found no weapon in the detainees’ flats. Shirak Torosyan thinks similar attitude towards Javakhki Armenians may lead to dangerous and undesirable consequences.

This can be the last straw for Javakhki Armenians. If Georgian authorities should not forget that one they their misdeeds may boomerang against them. I am convinced that there are no armed groupings in Javakhk. I call on the Georgian authorities to sober up and release Grigor Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanyan who were transported to Tbilisi after the arrest.

Mr. Torosyan says Armenian authorities, for their turn, should take adequate measures. “They must clear up the matter, find the reasons for their arrest as well as the aim of Georgian authorities.

Submitted by Fem on Thu, 2009-01-29 10:42

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