Proactions for protecting Artsakh’s Right to Exist
Posted on November. 24. 2023
“Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.”
Woodrow Wilson
by Z. S. Andrew DemirdjiaN
Against the backdrop of increasing contention that the exodus of the ethnic Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was voluntary and, therefore, there was no forced displacement of Armenians. Hence, there has been no ethnic cleansing taken place by Azerbaijan is unabashedly claimed by Azeri organized propaganda.
Azerbaijani officials have already been swift in rejecting claims of ethnic cleansing or that the mass displacement was not in any way forced. They are also quick remind the international community that the rights and safety of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh would have been guaranteed if they had remained in their homes. Thus, their departures were completely voluntary.
According to Dr. Saeed Bagheri’s (a lecturer with a PhD in Public International Law from Ankara University) article titled Forced Movement of Civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh?, published in Opinio Juris on October 20, 2023, the mass displacement of Armenians fails to meet the requirements to be considered a case of “forced movement” (i.e,, ethnic cleansing) under the relevant international law.
If Sir Francis Bacon (the father of scientific method of inquiry) were here today, he would have given an F to Dr. Bagheri for using intuition, instead of inductive reasoning, in arriving at his outrageous conclusion. He is another pretender to benefit from the Caviar Diplomacy of Azerbaijan.
To add insult to injury, a group of UN officials have biasedly concluded that the exodus of Armenians from Artsakh had been done out of their own volition and that there has been no forced expulsion of Armenians from their homes. Allegedly, they all willingly and swiftly left their homes.
Would any normal person suddenly leave behind his or her home, animals, belongings without any good reason? Yes, a single or several individuals would have, but how about 120,000 persons left their homes in the aftermath of Azerbaijani surprise attack on unarmed civilians? Logic dictates that they were afraid for their lives to go through ethnic cleansing and genocide by Azerbaijani forces. What a shallow argument based on subjective reasoning is being fed to the public on behalf of Azerbaijan.
UN officials must have ignored their own definition of a refugee. According to UNCHR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) “A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence”. Wasn[t there “war and violence” when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh?
Furthermore, USCHR states that a refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. As a result, “Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries”.
Undoubtedly, Azerbaijani Machiavellianism is geared to deny any wrongdoing to the 120, 000 ethnic Armenians of Artsakh despite President Ilham Aliyev’s strategy of starvation siege of the people for nearly ten months. Moreover, how people overlook the September 13 and 14, 2023 surprise artillery and missile attack on Artsakh.
The blockade and the deadly attack on Artsakh by raining on the people of Artsakh bombs are not reasons enough for Armenians to flee their homes under the indiscriminate shelling of their capital city? Besides, Aliyev has been recognized as a notorious war criminal for encouraging his troops to commit atrocities in and out of the battlefield.
As a result, there is urgent need to set the record straight before the lie becomes a truth out of repetition by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine and its sycophant collaborators including some of the members of the United Nations.
In view of Dr. Saeed Bagheri’s article denying that there was an ethnic cleansing of the population of Artsakh and the UN assessment of no force was employed to make the Armenians flee their homes, there is dire need to inoculate the public against false claims to exonerate Azerbaijan’s crimes against humanity.
To do that, in this article we need to prepare the Armenian refugees about a few facts to remember when they are being interviewed by various international refugee protection organizations and the international media.
Ideas have changed the world; ideas old or new can also help the beleaguered refugees of Artsakh by observing the following strategies:
Know thy Homeland
Those refugee organizations or agency personnel including journalists may not know well about Artsakh. Armenian refugees should be ready to respond to their inquires about their homeland.
According to the preponderance of scholars, the ancient Armenians were around for over 3,000 years. The Egyptians also had a 3,000 year-old civilization, but then they mysteriously disappeared. Tenaciously, Armenians are still around. The Armenian civilization is one of the longest surviving civilizations ever. During the latter part of this time, Armenia was ruled by well over half a dozen of kings.
Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was one of the 15 provinces of the Kingdom of Greater Armenia, where indigenous Armenians lived there continuously for thousands of years. The people of Artsakh are the natives, but Azeris are the new comers; they are the descendents of Turko-Mongol conquerors. Artsakh is an Armenian territory captured by Central Asian Turks.
First Artsakh War (1988-1994)
The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karaabakh) is an integral part of Armenia. During the Soviet era, Artsakh was arbitrarily carved out of Armenia in 1921 by Joseph Stalin and placed temporarily under the jurisdiction of Soviet Azerbaijani administration. However, the enclave kept its autonomous status, as part of the Soviet divide-and-conquer strategy in the South Caucasus. At this time, Azerbaijan was newly minted as a state or country for the first time ever in 1918.
When the Soviet rule dissolved, Azerbaijan claimed Artsakh to be part of its territory, but the Armenians of Artsakh held a referendum in 1988 and decided to be free and independent of Azerbaijan’s rule on the democratic principle of self-determination.
As a result, war erupted between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. In 1994 a ceasefire was mediated by Russia for the cessation of armed hostilities between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. The conflict had to be resolved peacefully through negotiations. However, this fragile ceasefire was breeched by President Ilham Aliyev for a number of times by aggressions toward Armenia and Artsakh.
Between 1988 and 1994, the Artsakh Defense Forces had regained their province including seven regions around it to be used as buffer zone. Artsakh remained a model democratic republic for nearly 30 years until 2023.
The Second Artsakh War (2020)
Deaf to the war drams of Aliyev, Armenian generals were ill-prepared to counter Azerbaijan’s offensive. As a result, they lost the second war to Azerbaijan miserably in 2020. Artsakh lost the seven regions around it including one third of its territory and became a rump state. The casualties were nearly equal on both sides.
Russia brokered a ceasefire between Artsakh and Azerbaijan for duration of five years from the date of November 9, 2020. However, as usual, Aliyev failed to respect his commitment by several incursions into Armenia proper as well as Artsakh –with impunity –while the Western powers turned a blind eye to Aliyev’s breaking of international laws.
The Deadly Blockade (2023)
On December 12, 2023, on a trumped up lame excuse of protecting the environment, a group of so-called environmentalists from Azerbaijan blockaded the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, which is Artsakh’s only link to Armenia and beyond. The population of 120,000 people was stranded and deprived of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential items for survival for months and months despite the UN and other agencies have ordered Azerbaijan to reopen the corridor for the transport of essentials to the besieged people of Artsakh. The strategy of weaponising the siege starvation traumatized the people, especially the elderly and the children.
The Blitzkrieg (2023)
On September 13 and 14, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a surprise artillery and missile attacks on the residents of Stepanakert for two grueling days have agonized the natives of Artsakh by suffering greatly in body and mind. Supposedly, the aim of the attack was to dislodge terrorists hidden in the capital city of Stepanakert by purposely ignoring the presence of civilians to terrify them to flee their homes.
Azerbaijan forces by raining bombs intentionally on the people of Artsakh, killed over 200 persons and wounded fatally 400 unarmed men, women, and children in the residential areas of Stepanakert. The whole brutal event terrorized the people. While the bombs were falling on their heads, Aliyev the Magnanimous offered the terrorized people of Artsakh the option to stay. Overwhelmed by the surprise attack, outgunned, and outnumbered, the Rupublic of Artsakh surrendered and later all of its government officials were captured for alleged crimes.
The Tragedy of Artsakh (2023)
What happened to Artsakh Defense Forces during the 44-Day War with the combined Azerbaijani, Turkey’s, and Israeli forces was unexpected, sad, and shocking. However, what happened to Artsakh on September 13 and 14, 2023 under Azerbaijani surprise attack on Stepanakert was devastating to all Armenians around the world –for it entailed the uprooting of the 120,000 natives of Artsakh from their ancestral homeland. They had to leave home and homeland on a short notice after being exhausted, weakened, and fearful of Azerbaijani cruel treatments by the blockade of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor for ten months, not to motion the falling bombs on their heads.
Of all the bad news, the surrender of Artsakh was the worst. To most, if Armenians forget Artsakh, if they consider it a done deal, a gone case just like the loss of Nakhitechvan, it would devastate the Armenians for years to come. Therefore, it is incumbent also on the Artsakh refugees to keep the flame burning under each and every Armenian around the world fir returning to the homeland. Otherwise, it would haunt the Armenian nation as deeply as the loss does of the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide.
Please read more in the following article on how it would affect the Armenians if they were to write off Artsakh as lost in their hearts and minds: “Abandoning Artsakh Would Haunt Armenians Forever”, published in Keghart.org on October 7, 2023 and in the USA Armenian Life Magazine on October 15, 2023.
A Government in Exile
To get things done in any enterprise, Armenians would need an organized group motivated to achieve the group’s mission, goals and objectives. Particularly, the leadership should not be occupied by local politics of the host country; instead, all energies should be directed at making life easier for the refugees and at returning Artsakh to its rightful natives.
Since almost all of Artsakh’s government officials were arrested for allegedly various crimes in September of 2023, a vacuum of leadership has been created. Those who were captured by Azeri forces at the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor include the three presidents of Artsakh; the former ministers of State, Defense, and Foreign Relations; the Chairman of the Parliament; and the Deputy Army Commander.
To organize for the proactive campaign of protecting the Artsakh’s right to exist, Artsakh Armenians would need effective transformational leaders all showing evidence of high levels of inspiration, integrity, selflessness, experience, and proaction. Otherwise, the refugees would miss out opportunities to enhance their chance to return to Artsakh. If all would do their part proactively, with the spirit of unity, and concerted effort, chances are they would get ahead in protecting the rights of the dislocated people of Artsakh.
For a somewhat detailed approach to organizing a government in exile, please read the article titled “Empowering Artsakh’tsis With a Government in Exile”, published in the USA Armenian Life Magazine, November 3, 2023 and in Keghart.org, November 5, 2023. Also a lot of valuable information contains on the subject of organizing a group abroad in the following book titled The Dynamics of Organizing a Diaspora (1915).
Need for Damage Control
Most of the Armenian refugees coming from the rural areas would not know what to do to not lose their opportunities away from home, especially in dealing with international refugee organizations. It is important for the leadership in exile to devise some ways for the refugees to register with refugee agencies, to keep records of their homes, businesses, farms, and belongings in Artsakh since they had to evacuate at warp speed to avoid internationally forecasted inhumane treatment byAzerbaijan.
Several international organizations have issued Red Flag Warnings for the likelihood of Azerbaijan committing ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh. The warnings were not farfetched for Azerbaijan has had the brutal killings of Armenians when the latter declared independence back in 1988.
For reminders, details of what to do are included in the following article: “For Aartsakh’s Survival: Some Damage Control Strategies”, published in Keghart.org on September 28, 2023 and it also appeared in the USA Armenian Life Magazine on October 10, 2023.
Ethnic Cleansing/Genocide
The fall of Artsakh will be debated whether it is an Ethnic Cleaning act or Genocide for many years to come. As mentioned previously, the Azerbaijani propaganda machine is already in gear to discredit any claim that the exodus of Armenians from Artsakh was its fault and that they are not responsible for ethnic cleansing or for genocide.
The refugees should equip themselves with the knowledge of what it takes to constitute an act as ethnic cleansing or what the requirements are for genocide. It is crucial that each and every one of the refugees knows the difference and the combination thereof. If one is not well versed in those two major crimes against humanity, then it would be very difficult to convince others of the atrocities of Azerbaijan’s criminal acts which made them flee their homes.
Therefore, the refugees should have an appreciation of what the following self-explanatory Flowchart 1 aims to convince the public that Azerbaijan’s criminal acts against the Armenians of Artsakh amounts to Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide:
Additionally, please read the following article for the details of the Flowchart 1 in the following article: “The Capturing of Artsakh: Implications of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide”, published in Keghart.org on November 5, 2023 and in the USA Armenian Life Magazine on November 16, 2023.
I shall also see if the powers to be in or at Keghart.org and USA Armenian Life Magazine to have this article translated into Armenian since a very erudite and experienced Armenian in politics thought the above-mentioned article should be read by who is who in international politics. I shall try to mail copies of it in Armenian to the government officials in Armenia as well as to some international organizations in English.
Please use “Search” by typing in the author’s name (Z. S. Andrew Demirdjian) for locating the above-mentioned articles in Keghat.org and enter “The latest news in USA Armenian Life Magazine” and then search the printed page numbers for your search of articles.
In sum, the only way for Artsakh to exist is for its natives to quest for the return of their republic from the occupation of Azerbaijan. No one else would do this for them, not the Western powers, not the Federation of Russia, not even the Republic of Armenia. The indigenous people of Artsakh should get organized to champion for their cause of return to their ancestral homeland. Naturally, any external assistance would be gravy, but do not count on that, please.
There is a lot of work to be done to keep the wish to return to homeland alive in the minds and hearts of those who had fled their homeland out of fear of war, violence, and persecution. And please remember proaction means action that initiates change as opposed to reaction to events. In other words, it is the art of taking control of your destiny.
Night dreamers when they wake up are carried away with the chores of the day, daydreamers, on the other hand, are the achievers who pursue the challenges day and night of getting their country free and independent again. For them the slogan of each and every citizen of the Republic of Artsakh should be “May the Lord take me back to the Highlands of my Homeland, dead or alive!” Hopefully, alive! That’s if they were to persevere.