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Thursday 17 April 2008

First authorised rally in Yerevan after the state of emergency – Saturday 19 April

This is the first authorised by the Yerevan municipality rally organised by “Women For Peace” pro-opposition NGO. It will take place on 19 April, 3pm, near the statue of Myasnikyan. I am pleasantly surprised with this development. With all internal and international pressures, is this a first - albeit small but indicative - sign of upcoming changes? I wholeheartedly want to believe so.

ՀԱՐԳԵԼԻ ՀԱՅՐԵՆԱԿԻՑՆԵՐ

«Կանայք հանուն խաղաղության» հասարակական կազմակերպությունը ս.թ. ապրիլի 19-ին, շաբաթ օրը, ժամը 15-ին հրավիրում է հանրահավաք Երեւանի Մանկական զբոսայգում (Մյասնիկյանի արձանի հարեւանությամբ):

Երկար ընդմիջումից եւ հանրահավաքների բազմաթիվ հայտեր մերժելուց հետո սա քաղաքապետարանի կողմից արտոնված առաջին հանրահավաքն է, որտեղ կնքնարկվեն մեր երկրին ու ժողովրդին վերաբերող կարեւոր հարցեր: Կոչ ենք անում ակտիվորեն մասնակցել այդ հանրահավաքին:

ՀԱՄԱԺՈՂՈՎՐԴԱԿԱՆ ՇԱՐԺՄԱՆ ԿԵՆՏՐՈՆ


*I received this statement as a comment (via HaikN) to another not relevant post, and decided to publish it separately due to its importance.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

it is certainly encouraging in the abstract, but if by pro-opposition you mean pro-Levon then there ain't nothing good about it.

What is the jargon these days? By opposition, do we mean Levon and CO or what it actually means?

artmika said...

I am talking about human rights here - right to assembly. To see this right restored even for this particular occasion is very encouraging sign for me.

"Pro-opposition" in this post means opposition movement led by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

mayranoush said...

Grigor,
You write
"By opposition, do we mean Levon and CO or what it actually means?"

Could you tell us whom you consider to be the 'actual' opposition? It clearly isn't the Tashnaks, Arturik, Geghamian, or Vazgen Manukyan.

At this time, there seems to be only one opposition and that is the one led or at least aligned with Levon.

If there is another 'actual' opposition you know of, then pray do tell...

Anonymous said...

Mayranoush

I didn't realize that one could read my question that way. The intended question was exactly the one that artmika answered, i.e., opposition in the post stands for the movement lead by Levon. I don't intend to turn artmika's post into a discussion of what opposition is or is not. So forgive me for not answering to your questions. The first line of my comment is off topic as well, so artmika should just delete it. I missed artmika's point and the answer artmika gave clarified it for me. I too salute the progress, albeit small, in the department of human rights.

Unknown said...

Does anyone know when the permission was given - especially in relation to the meeting in Strasbourg this week and the one in Washington DC today?

Anonymous said...

Artmika you might find this interesting,

http://anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1458

http://anca.org/press_releases/
press_releases.php?prid=1458

Go California.

artmika said...

Tzitzernak, this seems to me like "breaking news", perhaps decided on Thursday. Timing is pretty indicative, I would say.

Grigor, I thought it was something related to the rally, although very important, indeed, in relation to Armenian Genocide commemoration. Yes, I read about it.

Dear readers, if there are non-related but important news, links etc which you would like to share with me, could you please send them via email, so that I would keep comments as much on-topic as possible. Thanks.

artmika said...

ArmInfo: "Press-secretary of the headquarters of the first Armenian president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan Arman Musinyan declined to comment on ArmInfo correspondent's question about possible participation of Ter-Petrosyan in tomorrow's rally at Yerevan children's park (former park after Kirov)."

artmika said...

Panorama.am has more details on Sat rally (in Armenian) - spokeswoman from Yerevan municipality says that the decision to authorise the rally was made on 16th April; rally will take place from 3pm to 5pm; and the formally announced topic of the rally would be Armenia-Russia relations in case of Karabakh conflict settlement. I am sure that participants of the rally would strictly adhere to that topic :)

Վաղը Երևանի մանկական զբոսայգու հատվածում գտնվող ամֆիթատրոնի մոտակայքում` ժամը 15:00-17:00 «Կանայք հանուն խաղաղության» ՀԿ ցույց է անցկացնելու: Այս մասին Panorama.am-ի թղթակցի հետ զրույցում ասաց Երևանի քաղաքապետարանի կազմակերպատեսչական բաժնի պետի տեղակալ Իրինա Գրիգորյանը, ավելացնելով, որր ցույց անցկացնելու թույլատվության մասին որոշումը կայացվել է ապրիլի 16-ին տեղ ունեցած նիստում:

Նրա տեղեկացմամբ, «Կանայք հանուն խաղաղության» ՀԿ դիմել է ցույց անցկացնել` հայ-ռուսական հարաբերությունների վերանայման անհրաժեշտությունը Ղարաբաղի հարցում խաղաղության հաստատման պարագայում թեմայով:

Anonymous said...

mika did you see the pighs "scandal" about the place of the meeting???

he is calling it the place of golubys meeting and its abig scandal for him!!

this adds to the way amrneian people think about gays in amrneia! so doing a ooposition meeting in aplca e where gays meet is abig scandal and discreditation of ooposition according to his mentality!

http://pigh.livejournal.com/93182.html

Anonymous said...

i forgot to say also according to observer its a scandal discussion!

Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Yervand, I don't know anyone takes pigh's posts seriously. They usually are examples of bigotry. Unfortunately, bigotry is not shunned in Armenia yet. Heck, the whole 'kharabaghtsi-hayastantsi' thing is another example of that.

Anonymous said...

Didn't realize the subject of the meeting until now. I suppose this is also why the rally has been authorized. i.e. it is not openly being called to protest the election although it will be interesting to see if this is touched upon.

Incidentally, talking of opposition, I consider that there are two oppositions. There is the (radical) opposition headed by Levon Ter-Petrossian and there is the (parliamentary) opposition of Heritage.

I think the two can be considered separate forces for now although Heritage has done a remarkable job (in my opinion) of attempting to raise issues of civil liberties, human rights protection etc in the post-election period.

artmika said...

Another 'sign'?..