10) The After-Effects (2003 Report on Azeri Refugees),Historical Memory and Armenian-Azerbaijani RelationsDr. Richard G. Hovannisian

THE AFTER-EFFECTS

NEW YEAR CHILL FOR AZERI REFUGEES IWPR'S CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, No. 161, January 9, 2003 Institute for War & Peace Reporting NEW YEAR CHILL FOR AZERI REFUGEES Hundreds of thousands of refugees hit hard by Azerbaijan's bitterest winter weather for decades. By Leila Amirova in Baku ..................................... "On December 31 our lights went out and we saw in the New Year in total darkness," Samaya Mamedova, who lives with other refugee families in the Yasamal neighbourhood of Baku, told IWPR. Their only entertainment over the festive period was to hear the president's New Year's speech of congratulations on a radio brought in by their neighbours - though it's unlikely that many of them were in the mood to celebrate as temperatures plunged to as a low as minus 15 degrees for the first time since 1948. The freezing weather made life difficult for most Azeris, with most roads closed and frozen power lines caused heating breakdowns, especially in the south of the country. But hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), mostly victims of the conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s, found themselves in a much more desperate situation. According to official statistics, there are at present 779,352 registered refugees in Azerbaijan. Many of them are still living in makeshift accommodation, such as tents, train carriages and student hostels. They were almost entirely unprotected from the snow, which lay almost one metre deep. Clay walls were quickly soaked wet and roofs made of iron sheeting were no defence against the cold. Repeated power cuts meant that electricity could not be used for heating. Most refugees cannot afford to buy firewood and the 30 litres of fuel that the state gives each family every month lasts less than two weeks. Mamedova works in a nearby bakery and earns 200,000 manats (about 40 US dollars) a month. After her husband died at the beginning of the Nagorny Karabakh war ten years ago, she has had to bring up her children alone. "The pension the state pays out for the loss of a breadwinner doesn't even cover the cost of food," she said. "I try and do everything I can to make sure my kids are no different from other kids, but I don't always manage. We were offered tickets to a children's (New Year) celebration for 10,000 manats (2 dollars) each, but I've got three kids and that's too expensive for us." The bad weather - which has begun to improve in the last few days - led to a dramatic rise in illnesses in places where refugees are densely packed together. There were even some cases of frostbite. This IWPR correspondent met Gurban Kerimov at a tuberculosis clinic in Baku. He had brought his 17-year old daughter from the town of Barda. "We live in a clay shack and it's just as cold inside the house as on the street," Kurbanov said. "My daughter was diagnosed as having TB a month ago, but we couldn't find the money to get her treatment. But in December her condition got worse, so we had to bring her here to the clinic. I got the money together collecting money from all over the camp." Kerimov, who mainly supports his family by growing vegetables, said the winter had already hit him hard. "It's difficult to get by when you haven't got anything to sell. You have to go to Baku and find temporary work," he said. According to Farman Abdullayev, head of the Azerbaijani branch of the World Health Organisation, around 15,000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Azerbaijan, around half of whom are refugees. "The main cause is their poor living conditions, stress and continual under-nourishment," he said. A United Nations Development Programme report on Azerbaijan, published last November 28, highlights the critical conditions most refugees live in. Their consumption of dairy products, fruit and vegetables is well below a healthy level, every third child is under-nourished, almost a quarter of children regularly suffer from diarrhea, and just under a third have recorded cases of dystrophy while almost half have anaemia. The UNDP report also points out that there is insufficient medicine and equipment in the camps to treat these problems and the IDPs cannot afford to buy them themselves. Faced with the extra crisis caused by the cold weather, Azerbaijan's State Refugees Committee says it set up a special emergency headquarters to deal with the new problems. "The State Committee is doing everything it can. In the last two weeks, we've replaced burnt out transformers in the Beilagan, Agdam and Geranboi regions of Azerbaijan. There, the situation is generally under control," Gabil Abilov, an official with the committee told IWPR. Abilov conceded, however, that in the Bilyasuvar region in central Azerbaijan, IDPs remained "in the most difficult position", although he pointed out that new homes were being built for them. But most displaced families got no special state help this New Year. A state refugee official admitted, "No plans were made for additional supply of provisions." "At New Year, we weren't drinking champagne or cutting cakes, and our kids have only seen Father Christmas on television," said Kerimov. Even international organisations were modest in their charity. Just over a year ago, several humanitarian organisations and oil companies gave many refugee families food parcels and held special New Year concerts. This year, the only real help was a present from the All-China Women's Federation, which sent 470 warm coats to the refugees of the Narimanov region. Leila Amirova is a freelance journalist based in Baku

Historical Memory and Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations

Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian The swirl of events and measures and countermeasures beginning in 1988 led in September 1991 to the declaration of the separate Republic of Mountainous Karabagh (Artsakh), inclusive of the Shahumian district. The unilateral declaration, following Azerbaijan’s withdrawal from the USSR, was justified in conformity with the USSR’s constitutional regulations according to which any autonomous formation within a republic’s jurisdiction could determine its own future if the republic opted to secede from the Soviet Union. On its part, the Baku government responded in November 1991 by dissolving the Nagorno-Karabakh Oblast (autonomous region) and declaring that it was no different from any other part of Azerbaijan proper. Following a referendum in December 1991 in which nearly 100 percent of the more than 82 percent of the registered voters cast ballots in favor of independence, the legislature formally proclaimed the independence of the Republic in January 1992. As a reply, the Azerbaijani heavy artillery and missile launchers unleashed a continuous bombardment from the commanding heights of Shushi, and for a time it seemed that the inhabitants of the capital, Stepanakert (Azerbaijani: Khankend), and the surrounding villages were doomed. But the Armenians showed surprising resilience, and in May they fought their way up the mountainside and took possession of Shushi. The crisis in Karabagh contributed to the downfall of Azerbaijan’s last Communist head of state, Ayaz Mutalibov, and the elevation of Popular Front leader Abulfaz Elchibey, who promised upon his election in mid-1992 that Azerbaijan would restore control over Shushi and the rest of Karabagh within two months. The following Azerbaijani offensive was initially encouraging, as the entire Shahumian district and northern Karabagh were occupied in a single sweeping operation. Once again, however, Stepanakert held out, and in 1993 the Armenians regained most of the territory in the north and struck boldly into the strategic Kelbajar district, which was separating Karabagh from the eastern border of Armenia along Lake Sevan. Many observers believe that this could not have been achieved without some outside support.  Oh, so Azerbaijan was the aggressor in this conflict, after all. Thanks for setting the record straight, Professor Hovannisian.

U.K. GOVERNMENT COMMEMORATES KHODJALY MASSACRE

Vatan Society
Press Release May 3, 2003



Britain has become the first European state to officially and publicly acknowledge and commemorate victims of the 1992 massacre at Khodjaly.  Some 800 Azerbaijani civilians were murdered when Armenian forces overran the Azeri- populated town of Khodjaly inNagorno-Karabakh.

In a letter to Vatan Society of 16 April, Britain's Foreign and
Commonwealth Office stated the following: What happened at Khodjaly stands out as an appalling tragedy in a list of many that occurred during the course of the war. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and our assurance that their suffering will not be forgotten.

The Foreign Office stressed that UK is deeply aware of the horrific incidents that took place during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and of the terrible human cost to both sides . The statement came in response to Vatan Society's Khodjaly Appeal issued on February 26, 2003 with the aim of raising the profile and seeking public acknowledgement for the tragic events in Karabagh 11 years ago, as well as to commemorate all civilian
victims of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

The Foreign Office letter stated:

We understand the strength of feeling about the terrible events that occurred and know that the suffering continues for the families of those who died and for the many thousands of people displaced from their homes The UK will continue to work for peace, security and mutual understanding in the region.

The statement also reiterated Britain s support of the OSCE Minsk Group's efforts to settle the Karabagh dispute. UK called on the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia to look to the future and build a better relationship between their countries, to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.

Vatan Society welcomes the Foreign Office statement as an important step towards a responsible and unbiased international public debate on the Karabagh conflict, necessary if a peaceful and just settlement to the dispute is to be found.

Newspaper accounts regarding the Khodjaly massacres: "Crual L'Eveneman" magazine (Paris), March 25, 1992: "The Armenians attacked Khojali district. The whole world became the witness of the disfigured dead bodies. Azeris speak about thousand killed people". "Sunday Times" newspaper (London), March 1, 1992:"Armenian soldiers annihilated the hundred families". "Financial times" newspaper (London), March 9, 1992:"Armenains shot down the column of refugees, fled to Aghdam. The Azerbaijani side counted up about 1200 dead bodies: The cameraman from Lebanon confirmed that the rich dashnak community of his country sent the weapon and people to Karabakh". "Times" newspaper (London), March 4, 1992: : "Many people were mutilated, and it was remained only the head of one little girl" "Izvestiya" newspaper (Moscow), March 4, 1992: "Camcoder showed the kids with the cut off ears. One old woman were cut off the half of her face. The men were scalped." "Financial Times", March 14, 1992: "General Polyakov said 103 Armenian servicemen from regiment No 366 stayed in Nagorni Karabakh". "Le Mond" newspaper (Paris), March 14, 1992: "The foreign journalists in Aghdam saw the women and three scalped children with the pulled off nails among the killed people. This is not "Azerbaijani propaganda", but reality" "Izvestiya" newspaper, March 13, 1992: "Major Leonid Kravets:"I saw about hundred dead bodies on the hill. One little boy was without head. Everywhere were the dead bodies of women, children, elders killed with the particular brutality". "Valer actuel" magazine (Paris), March 14, 1992: "On this 'autonomous region' Armenian armed forces together with the people who are natives of Near East have the most modern military equipment, including the helicopters. ASALA has military bases and ammunition depots in Syria and Lebanon. Armenians annihilated Azerbaijanis of Karabakh, implemented bloody massacre in more than 100 Moslem villages". Journalist of British TV company "Funt man news" R. Patrick who visited the place of tragedy: "Crime in Khojali can not be justified in public opinion". "Around 200 bodies were brought into Agdam in the space of four days. Scores of the corpses bore traces of profanation. Doctors on a hospital train in Agdam noted no less than four corpses that had been scalped and one that had been beheaded. ... and one case of live scalping". ("A tragedy whose perpetrators cannot be vindicated. A report by Memorial, the Moscow-based human rights group, on the massive violations of human rights committed in the taking of Khojaly on the night of 25/26 February 1992 by armed units", newspaper Svoboda, 12 June 1992.)" "I had heard a lot about wars, about the cruelty of the Fascists, but the Armenians were worse, killing five- and six-year-old children, killing innocent civilians", said a French journalist, Jean-Yves Junet, who visited the scene of this mass murder of women, old people, children and defenders of Khojaly. (Khojaly - The Last Day, op. cit.) "Some children were found with severed ears; the skin had been cut from the left side of an elderly woman's face; and men had been scalped." (In the words of the journalist Chingiz Mustafaev, Khojaly - The Last Day, Baku, Azerbaijan publishing house, 1992) "A group of 19 members of the Nukhiyev family from the village of Gorazly in the Fizuli district of Azerbaijan was said to have been taken hostage by ethnic Armenian forces at around 5pm on 2 July 1993. They had gathered for a wedding. Seven members have been released in exchanges since then and one, Vagif Kutais ogly Nukhiyev, is said to have died five to six months ago. The remaining 11 family members - four women, two men and five children, all named above - are reported by their relatives to remain held as hostages on the premises of the hospital in Khankendi (known to the Armenians as Stepanakert). The five children still detained, all girls, are Sevda (born 1980), Leyla (born 1983), Matanat (born 1983), Arzu (born 1986) and Narmina (born 1989)." From the Amnesty International archives

Hmmmm... five of the sisters, some now adult women, have been "detained." Could there be Armenian "harems"?

The above newspaper accounts were compiled by an Azerbaijani organization called "Society for Democratic Reforms." A letter by Razi Nurullayev and Ogtay Gulaliyev included the information in a letter addressed to the Turkish Parliament, in the hopes of that governmental body recognizing the Khodjaly massacres as a genocide, pleading "This may be a great step in the way of recognition of the historic facts and making public the Armenian atrocity and brutality." A little over a year after the writing of this letter, at least Great Britain paid attention to this outrageous crime against humanity. (Do you think the French Parliament and U.S. Congress will be in a hurry to create a resolution, recognizing the Khodjaly massacres? Du-uuu-uhhhh.... the last paragraph is a telling one. This incident is cut and dried, whereas the "Armenian Genocide" is hotly debated. This incident is from modern times, whereas the "Armenian Genocide" is nearly a century old. Wha$$ goin' on?)

Here's the rest of what the letter had to say:

As known, the brutal holocaust was perpetrated by Armenian troops and Russia's 366 infantry regiment based in Khankandi, capital city of Upper Karabakh. Over 30 tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers were involved in the unequal battle with defenseless and unarmed population. They had been subjected to unseen torture in the world history.

In the said regiment 103 Armenian national armed from foot to head have participated in the massacre and later on in the investigation they have acknowledged it. We quote official statement: "Moral degradation of the officers of regiment No 366 reached such a level that infantry guards regiment failed to implement itself withdrawal of troops allegedly because of interference of local residents. Forces of landing division located in Ganja city was involved in implementation of this operation. However, before commandos arrived, 103 people of personnel of the regiment, who were mainly Armenians clearly admitting their (guilt) in the outrage refused to obey the order and remained in Karabakh. According to criminal agreement of the high command of the regiment and because of inactivity of other higher commanders who were responsible for troops withdrawal, part of arms of regiment including armored equipment was transferred to Armenians, factually, to commit the further crimes, to continue separatist actions against Azerbaijan. This is clear fact of participation of the regiment No 366 in implementation of Khojali tragedy!"

2500 inhabitants of Khojaly left behind out of a population of 7 thousand people suffered from this unseen terror act. The gruesome statistics indicates that 613 people had been killed, of which 106 were women and 83 children; 1275 taken hostage, 150 went missing; 487 people became disabled and invalid, 76 of whom are teenage boys and girls; 8 families had been completely destroyed; 25 children had lost both of their parents, 130 children had lost one of their parents; and 56 people had been killed with extreme cruelty and torture. Sharing the fate of its population, the town of Khojaly had been completely destroyed as well....

The damage done to both state and private property estimated 5 billion rubles (according to the prices for 01.04.92)

This tragedy has been widely covered called genocide in the world press. Actions of Armenians and their accomplices participated in Khojali tragedy are rough violation of human rights, cynical neglect of international legal acts - Geneva convention, Universal declaration of human rights, International pact on civil and political rights, International pact on economic, social and cultural rights, Declaration on child rights, Declaration on protection of women and children in emergency and during armed conflicts and other facts of international law.

Dear Assembly Members!

It is very pity that the Khojaly Genocide has not given true legal and political estimations by world countries and international organizations. On the contrary some Parliaments of separate countries give a new birth to 80 years old so-called Armenian genocide of 1915 by Ottoman Empire ignoring the very new Genocide of late XX century committed against Azerbaijani people by Armenians. This should be considered as falsifications and distortion of the historic facts. Society for Democratic Reforms considers that The Republic of Turkey being fully aware of the said genocide should express official and political position in the Parliament to open a way to other countries to know the bare truth and tell it.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi had this to say, on a visit to Azerbaijan, regarding the Khodjaly Massacres (here spelled as "Xocali"): [Reporter] You also said that the Xocali tragedy would be put up for debate in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Can we expect the decision on Turkey's recognition of the Xocali tragedy to be taken in the near future? [Omer Izgi] The situation faced by Azerbaijani Turks in Xocali is a real genocide according to international law. Because 613 people were killed there only because they were Azeris, not because they were at war. They killed them in order to exterminate them there. International law does not say that if a whole nation or half of it is destroyed, this is genocide. It says that the intention is what counts. That's to say if there is a decision to kill some people of a certain nationality, this is genocide. What happened in Xocali is real genocide, according to the law. From this point of view, research is being conducted into the genocide carried out by the Armenians in Turkey. That is what I said today. My dear Azeri brothers said since you admit that the tragedy that happened in Xocali at the end of the 20th century was genocide, we would be happy and appreciate it if you adopted a decision criticizing this genocide more quickly. BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Feb 9, 2002

Holdwater: I don't know about that. I look at the definition as how it's perceived by most, in terms of what the Nazis did to the Jews. The broadly based 1948 U.N. Convention does allow for an extermination attempt "in whole or in part," but I mostly reject arguments where "numbers don't matter," and where even oneperson's death can be called a "genocide." What I look for is "intent."

Did the orders to wipe out the Azeri civilians come from the top? That is a critical distinction. For example, during the World War I era,Armenian revolutionaries were wiping out Turks wherever they could, and were generally acting in a genocidal fashion... as there was no official state behind them (before 1918, when Armenia was established), their actions could be construed as genocide. (The leaders must have been aware of their men's slaughtering methods, since the slaughtering pattern kept continuing for years... much more likely, the leaders must have set down these exterminating methods as policy.)

Realistically, we all know if the latter day Armenian soldiers were let loose upon further undefended Azeri towns, they would have behaved no less abominably, so it could be argued Khodjaly was part of a pattern of genocide, as well. However, now the Armenians were directed by their own state. Then the question becomes, did these mad dogs act on their own accord, or upon the instructions of their government? That's important, because genocide cannot be applied upon "loose cannon" troops committing massacres on their own ... otherwise, the USA could be accused of committing a "genocide," based on the incident of berserk American soldiers at My Lai ... which would be ridiculous. (The film documentary FAHRENHEIT 9/11 claims the USA polished off 4 million southeast Asians during that period. If that's a true statistic, then one might wonder otherwise.)

One has to be very careful with the application of the word genocide, especially since it has now become one of the most misused words around. Bernard Lewis reminds us of how easily "genocide" is thrown around these days, and tells us why the Ottoman Turks were not guilty of this high crime. There is much more to add to what he briefly sums up, but another important point to keep in mind is that the massacres committed upon the Armenians mostly occurred at the hands of their revengeful Moslem neighbors, reacting to what the Armenians had done to their families. Some of the irregulargendarmes and corrupt local officials also committed crimes, but here's the difference: some of these Turks soldiers were punished DURING THE WAR, twenty by EXECUTION. Moreover, the more professionally-behaving soldiers assigned to protect the ArmeniansDEFENDED the Armenians, and quite a few LOST THEIR LIVES by doing so. These actions totally turn the possibility that there was a government sponsored extermination policy on its ear... added to the fact that no hard and reliable evidence has ever been found, tying the Ottoman government to ordering genocide.

By contrast, you can bet any bottom dollar no Armenian soldiers during and right after World War I died, defending the lives of defenseless Turkish villagers... and it sure doesn't sound like any modern Armenian soldier lifted a bloody finger to help the defenseless Azeri villagers of Khodjali. Certainly not at the price of their lives.

Let's face it: this has been the Orthodox recipe for conquest since the Russians tweaked the method into perfection, with their conquests of Ottoman lands. Go off to purposely slaughter, scaring away the rest of the citizenry from their homes. The Armenians have become experts at this methodology since WWI, and the fruits of their labors from recent times are well in evidence; nearly a million Azeris are still refugees from their own homeland, much to the apathy of the hypocritical West.