AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARMENIAN AMERICANS

We read with interest the joint statement of the Armenian Assembly of America, The Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern/Western) and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern/Western) regarding the recent events in Armenia.
We join them in expressing our heartfelt sympathies to all families of the victims, condemn all violent acts and expect that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
We reaffirm our commitment to strive “toward our shared aim of strengthening an open and democratic Armenian homeland, based upon the rule of law, social and economic justice, freedom of expression and the media, and equal opportunity for all”.
However, we do not understand how these noble principles could be justly served with simultaneously ”cooperating with the newly-elected President and the government”, when we have all witnessed how, for the past 10 years, the latter have trampled those same principles.
How can we expect “rule of law” from these authorities, when they have repeatedly violated the constitution by rigging the presidential and parliamentary elections, falsified the constitutional referendum and have made a mockery of the Oct. 27 legal proceedings, just to name a few.
What kind of “social and economic justice” can we expect from these authorities when they have created a class of oligarchs by usurping the rights of their citizens, and monopolized the economy.
What kind of “freedom of expression and the media” can we expect from these authorities, when they have banned independent TV stations from the airwaves, established a public TV reminiscent of totalitarian regimes.
What kind of “equal opportunity for all” can we expect from these authorities, when they have unjustly exploited the resources of the country, leading to a deep mistrust between them and ordinary citizens.
A country, where the authorities capriciously violate the law, trample justice, and usurp the rights and freedom of its people cannot be an inspiration to its citizens or to the Diaspora. Rather than using empty rhetoric, we should steadfastly uphold he aforementioned principles for the sake of an independent, democratic and prosperous Armenia.
Armenian Council of America, March 26, 2008

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Headlines for March 27, 2008

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARMENIAN AMERICANS
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