TENSIONS SIMMERING IN GEORGIA'S JAVAKHETI REGION
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Eurasia Daily Monitor
By Zaal Anjaparidze
The recent anti-terrorist operations in Georgia [...] have overshadowed coverage of anti-Georgian developments flaring in Georgia's turbulent Javakheti region, a southern area predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians.
[...]
On July 17, Armenian residents of Samsar blocked efforts by students and nuns from Tbilisi to help restore a local church dating to the 12th century. The Armenians accused the visitors of attempting to "Georgianize the Armenian church." [...].
The Georgian and Armenian governments have done their best to hush up the incident. In a July 21 joint statement, the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church expressed regret about the Samsar incident [...]." Vazgen Mirzakhanian, bishop of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, apologized to the Georgian victims.
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian's impromptu visit to Georgia on July 24-25 evidently sought to relieve the explosive situation in the region. [...] the local Armenian community [...] leaders [...] want the Georgian government to stop the alleged discrimination of the Armenians, make the Armenian language the regional language in Javakheti, stop the "Georgianization" of the region's Armenian cultural heritage, begin construction of a highway connecting Javakheti with Armenia (which the Armenian government is ready to finance), register Virk {a local civic organization} as a political party, and include Armenia's history in the curriculum of Armenian schools in Georgia. These Armenian organizations insist on declaring the Armenian language as the second state language in Georgia (home of about 300,000 ethnic Armenians) or at least in Javakheti, and the adoption a special law on ethnic minorities.
[...]
Many analysts in Georgia believe that Tbilisi should handle the region more carefully to avert new incidents. [...].
For example, the Russian military base in the region purchased large quantities of local produce. But local leaders doubt Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's proposal to feed the Georgian army with local foodstuffs after the Russian base closes. The Armenian-populated Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda regions boast an agricultural yield that exceeds the dietary needs of the 20,000-strong Georgian army by 15-20 times.
Another irritation came one day after the Samsar incident, when the Georgian armed forces completed the large-scale "Armor 2005" exercises at the Orfolo range near Javakheti. Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili hinted that the fictional enemy "Blue Country," which according to the scenario had temporarily seized a Georgian region, was not fictional at all. "It exists for Georgia indeed," he said.
[...]
Vahan Chakhalian, leader of the United Javakh- Democratic Alliance, which unites eight youth organizations, said that the Russian military pullout leaves local Armenians defenseless. [...].
Leaders of the local Armenian organizations argue that the local authorities in Javakheti misinform Tbilisi about the real situation in the region and the preferences of the local establishment. [...]. Giorgi Khachidze, the Tbilisi-appointed governor of Javakheti, says that the methodology of teaching the Georgian language needs to be improved. "The Georgian books in the Armenian schools are getting dusty, because they don't need them," he said.
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Eurasia Daily Monitor
By Zaal Anjaparidze
The recent anti-terrorist operations in Georgia [...] have overshadowed coverage of anti-Georgian developments flaring in Georgia's turbulent Javakheti region, a southern area predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians.
[...]
On July 17, Armenian residents of Samsar blocked efforts by students and nuns from Tbilisi to help restore a local church dating to the 12th century. The Armenians accused the visitors of attempting to "Georgianize the Armenian church." [...].
The Georgian and Armenian governments have done their best to hush up the incident. In a July 21 joint statement, the Georgian Orthodox Church and the Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church expressed regret about the Samsar incident [...]." Vazgen Mirzakhanian, bishop of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, apologized to the Georgian victims.
Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian's impromptu visit to Georgia on July 24-25 evidently sought to relieve the explosive situation in the region. [...] the local Armenian community [...] leaders [...] want the Georgian government to stop the alleged discrimination of the Armenians, make the Armenian language the regional language in Javakheti, stop the "Georgianization" of the region's Armenian cultural heritage, begin construction of a highway connecting Javakheti with Armenia (which the Armenian government is ready to finance), register Virk {a local civic organization} as a political party, and include Armenia's history in the curriculum of Armenian schools in Georgia. These Armenian organizations insist on declaring the Armenian language as the second state language in Georgia (home of about 300,000 ethnic Armenians) or at least in Javakheti, and the adoption a special law on ethnic minorities.
[...]
Many analysts in Georgia believe that Tbilisi should handle the region more carefully to avert new incidents. [...].
For example, the Russian military base in the region purchased large quantities of local produce. But local leaders doubt Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's proposal to feed the Georgian army with local foodstuffs after the Russian base closes. The Armenian-populated Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda regions boast an agricultural yield that exceeds the dietary needs of the 20,000-strong Georgian army by 15-20 times.
Another irritation came one day after the Samsar incident, when the Georgian armed forces completed the large-scale "Armor 2005" exercises at the Orfolo range near Javakheti. Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili hinted that the fictional enemy "Blue Country," which according to the scenario had temporarily seized a Georgian region, was not fictional at all. "It exists for Georgia indeed," he said.
[...]
Vahan Chakhalian, leader of the United Javakh- Democratic Alliance, which unites eight youth organizations, said that the Russian military pullout leaves local Armenians defenseless. [...].
Leaders of the local Armenian organizations argue that the local authorities in Javakheti misinform Tbilisi about the real situation in the region and the preferences of the local establishment. [...]. Giorgi Khachidze, the Tbilisi-appointed governor of Javakheti, says that the methodology of teaching the Georgian language needs to be improved. "The Georgian books in the Armenian schools are getting dusty, because they don't need them," he said.
[...]
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 7:20 AM
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