Refugee Issue

[Narine Khachatryan]

Dear Nobert,


Thank you very much for your interest. The problems of ethnic Armenian
refugees and ethnic Azeri refugees are very sensitive: numbers, sources,
context, etc.


Before discussing this issue, I would kindly ask you to familiarize
yourself with the trustworthy UN information, which I think is universally
considered to be more accurate and unbiased:

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e48d1e6&submit=GO

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e48d126&submit=GO



I had never doubt that the refugee issue is under close attention of very
skillful experts with international background. Refugee issue is one of the
central issues UN is very profoundly engaged in.


You say that “the conflict probably needs a long-term externally mediated
peace-building effort”. However, what exactly do you mean: the return of
Armenian refugees to Shahumian, Dashkesan, Khanlar, Ganja, Khazakh and
Nakhichevan?


Or, maybe, the establishment of a security zone along the frontage of the
Kura River, so that the 150.000 citizens of Nagorno Karabakh could continue
to build its democratic state in a more secure environment?


Instead of organizing such flashy events as Eurovision (cost $500 million,
see link (1) below) or pursuing caviar diplomacy (see link (2) below),
Azerbaijan’s government could finally pay some attention to the refugee
issue.


Interestingly, you bring an example of a refugee living in Sumgait. Concerning
Sumgait, or its neighboring Baku, only the living areas of more than
250 000 Armenian civilians exiled with massive pogroms and massacres from
Baku and Sumgait plus money (such as wasted on Eurovision) are more than
enough for the problem of refugees had been solved long ago. Not to speak
about living areas left by Armenians in Shahumian, Dashkesan, Khanlar,
Ganja, Khazakh, etc.


If I were in Baku within the last four days and was so much concerned with
refugee issue, I would, instead of enjoying lavish gala dinners, stay on
starvation and ask the organizers to send the food to Azeri refugees.


Armenia managed to solve the issue of its refugees being under miserable
economic conditions and destructed by the disastrous earthquake of 1988. And,
mark, without the help of oil dollars. It’s just the value system has been
different in Armenia.


Taking this opportunity, I herewith attach a brief background paper on the
Refugee Issue (attached), which, I hope, will give you a full and unbiased
picture on the subject.


Truly,

Narine


(1)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/azerbaijan/9658427/Why-is-a-crucial-conference-on-internet-freedom-taking-place-in-a-dictatorship.html


(2)
http://williamleeadams.com/2012/05/04/selling-azerbaijan-at-eurovision-2012/
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