1993_11 Hye Sharzhoom Newspaper November 1993

              November 1993
Hye Sharzhoom
News—3
Dateline: News from Armenia
Aram Sarkissian
Staff Writer
Nov. 12, 1993
Armenia delays ban on
foreign currency use
Isahak Isahakian, head of
Armenia's Central Bank, said Armenia has postponed the date for
the banning of foreign currency
curculation, including the Russian
ruble, until Dec. 31. The decision
was based on the fact that approximately 70 large enterprises failed
to adjust to the change before the
previous date of Nov. 8. Armenia
uses pre-1993 rubles as its currency and commercial banks offer
approximately 4,700 old rubles per
dollar and 3.4 old rubles per new
Russian ruble.
Nov. 13, 1993
A new resolution of the
U.N. Security Council
The UN Security Council accepted the UN resolution No. 884
demanding the withdrawl of Armenian forces from the occupied
Azeri territories. The resolution
condemns violation of the cease
fire agreement by the two sides,
which resulted in resuming military actions. The resolution demands that all military actions be
stopped and the unilateral
withdrawl of all forces out of the
region. Resolution 884 also appeals to both sides to restore the
cease fire and to continue to search
for a way of resolving by means of
negotiation.
Nov. 13, 1993
Sharp   increase
inflation in Armenia
of
The U.S. dollar rate was around
5,000 rubles Saturday morning,
Nov. 13, and increased by another
1,000 rubles by Sunday reaching
5,900-6,000 rubles per U.S. dollar.
Petrol prices rose from 48,000 to
50,000 a couple of days ago to
100,000 and even up to 200,000
rubles for a 20- liter canister. The
tough situation is most probably
related to the fact that Uzbekistan
and Kazakistan accepted their national currency yesterday, and this
caused an increase flow of "old"
rubles, which became useless in
these countries, to Armenia.
Nov. 13, 1993
Armenian cultural life
The Armenian National Opera
and Ballet house marked its 60th
anniversary on Nov. 11 with a performance featuring scenes from the
company's best productions, including ballets to the music of Aram
Khachaturian, Alexander
Spendiarov and Armen Tigranian.
Nov. 13, 1993
Russia sends presidential envoy toconf lictzone
Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Demurin announced
that a presidential envoy is leaving
for Baku, Yerevan and Stepanakert
to discuss the settlement of the
Nagorno-Kharabagh conflict.
Demurin, commenting on recent
talks with Ter-Petrossian, Aliyev
and Kocharian, said, "We proposed
Moody, from Page 1
passing the resolutions; wrote letters to fellow congressmen, trying
to urge them to change their positions; and used the news media and
mailings to influence the outcome
of the issue in his favor.
Now, Jim Moody is back as one
of three contenders for the powerful position of U.S. Executive Director of the World Bank. As a
force against establishing the truth
of the Armenian genocide, Armenians in the U.S. are urgently encouraged to fight his appointment.
The Armenian National Com
mittee of America offers information and background on the issue,
and can be contacted at (617) 923-
1918.
They encourage people to call
or write President Clinton immediately, urging him to reject Moody
as his appointment to the World
Bank.
The White House phone number is (202) 456-1111, press "O"
for the operator. Or write to: President Clinton, White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Ave., Washington,
D.C. 20500.
Armenian Studies Program
Schedule of Courses
Spring '94
Arm IB - Elementary Armenian
Arm S 10 - Intro to Armenian Studies
Arm S 45 - William Saroyan
Arm S 108B - Armenian History
-  Arm S 120T - Armenian Genocide
Arm S 120T - Armenian Church
Arm S 121 - Armenian Painting
Arm S 148 - Masterpieces in Arm Lit.
to the leaders of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-
Kharabagh that they step up efforts
in their search for mutually acceptable compromise solutions."
Demurin noted that Russia favors
an immediate end to the Kharabagh
conflict and the withdrawl of the
Nagorno-Kharabagh self-
defense forces to positions
previously held before the
cease-fire was broken on
Oct. 21.
and gasoline supplies, the result of
a pipeline blockade by Azerbaijan.
The suffering has been severe.
Armenia's industries are working
at only 20 percent of capacity, unemployment is rampant and inflation is out of control. Medicine is
in short supply and gasoline costs
95
Nov. 15, 1993
Georgia rail routes
to Armenia still cut
'This is not just our territory — it is our history.
— Vartan Hakopian,
Dashnak leader
Radio Yereven reported on Nov.
8, the Georgia-Armenia railway
was still not working and Armenia
was in a total blockade. Georgian
authorities refused to send or receive trains to and from Armenia.
On Nov. 9, only one train, with 19
wagons of coal, entered Armenia.
Later the same day the Yerevan
railroad station was waiting for a
28-wagon train with grain to arrive
from Tblisi, but it was stopped in
Kobuleti, Georgia on the Black Sea
coast.
Nov. 15, 1993
Armenia, enduring another winter, is winning
the Kharabagh conflict
On Nov. 14, Howard Witt in the
Chicago Tribune reported on the
situation in Armenia as the
Nagorno-Kharabagh conflict takes
its toll on the republic. There is no
heat and only sporadic electricity.
Armenia is bracing itself to endure
its third winter without regular oil
$4 per gallon because the only remaining transport route into the
country, through Georgia, is constantly disrupted.
But even as it freezes, Armenia
is actively supporting a war against
Azerbaijan over Nagorno-
Kharabagh. Since last spring, the
Kharabagh forces have scored an
unbroken string of major military
victories over the much larger, but
much less capable, Azeri army.
Most Armenians appear ready
to continue suffering profound deprivations if that is what it will take
to win the war. For their part,
political leaders in Kharabagh vigorously deny that they have any
intention of keeping the captured
Azeri lands.
The territories were taken and
will eventually be returned to
Azerbaijan in exchange for some
form of Azeri recognition of
Nagorno-Kharabagh's autonomy.
"Taking territory by military means
is not good, of course," said Armenian Foriegn Minister Vahan
Papazian. "These offensives must
be stopped and these territories must
be given back, but the leaders of
Nagorno-Kharabagh believe that
the only way to make Azerbaijan
come to the negotiating table by
force. It is the logic of war, and we
must replace it with peace." But
the nationalist Dashnak opposition
party in Armenia, which
finds much support in the
million-strong Armenian-
American community,
does not regret that large
chunks of Armenia's historic area are being regained. "If Armenians
want to return to the
•;. houses and the lands that
were taken from them,
how is that seizure of territory?"
asked Vartan Hakopian, a Dashnak
leader. "This is not just our territory — it is our history."
Nov. 15, 1993
Fighting in
Nagorno-Kharabagh
Nagorno-Kharabagh self-defense forces reported that
Azerbaijani forces shelled
Kharabagh self-defense positions
inFizuliandMardakert. Kharabagh
self-defense forces repoted that, due
to Azeri shelling in the southeastern region ofthe conflict zone, two
casualties were reported. Azeri
forces stopped shelling after
Kharabagh self-defense forces retaliated.
Editor's note:
The above information was compiled from the AGBU-AIS Daily
News Summary and the Aragil
Electronic News Bulletin.
Armenia: where it's been
and where it's going
By Scott Abajian Asmar
Staff Writer
Armenia has had a long and
trying history behind her historical
front. What was once a ruling
prosperous nation whose kings,
such as Levon, Drtad and Dickran
the Great, led the country to enormous recognitions, is now a small
independent country.
Armenia's history, though still
very rich and full, has had a black
cloud over it since the Arab invasions of 500 B.C. Since then, the
land of Armenia has been slowly
attacked and taken away from its
people, and today Armenia is about
the size of Maryland.
In 1896 Armenia was attacked
by Sudam Abdul Hamid in Adana.
This was not the first invasion from
foreigners into Armenia, nor would
it be the last. Armenia lost hundreds of thousands in the 1896
massacre, and went on to lose 1.5
million in 1915, in what was the
bloodiest, cruelest massacre the
world has ever seen.
Following the 1915 genocide
which lasted till 1923, Armenia
was in complete devistation due to
the independence they declared in
1918, that only lasted for two years
In 1920 Armenia was taken over
by the Soviet and in 1922 became a
Republic ofthe Soviet Union. From
1922 to 1988 Armenia was under
the Soviet rule and experienced a
communist government.
Armenia's black cloud continued to linger with the 1988 earthquake on Dec. 7, which killed hundreds of thousands of Armenians.
Today in Armenia life is extremely difficult. There is a lack of
food and heat.
The battles continue from all
corners of Armenia as it is still
striving to gain its lands back.
With its decleration of independence in 1991, Armenia has been
struggling with its boundary countries. This is not a downhill struggle.
It is a struggle up to the top as
Armenians keep climbing and pushing their way to gain back what is
rightfully theirs. Armenians have
always been survivors and will continue to survive and work their way
to the top regardless ofthe barriers
which may lie ahead.
Look out world... Armenia is
free!
OJ KEBAB
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