Interview with leader of Javakhk Movement/Georgia

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Subject: Interview with leader of Javakhk Movement/Georgia

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Interview with leader of Javakhk Movement/Georgia


RFE/RL Armenia Report
 
Thursday 4 February 1999
 
PRESS REVIEW
 
"Hayastani Hanrapetutyun" runs an interview with the leader of the
Javakhk movement in Georgia's Armenian-populated region of Javakhetia.
Stepan Hakobian says the organization has 5000 members but is
technically "out of the law" as the Georgian justice ministry refuses
to register it. He says Javakhetia is an object of rivalry among
Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Turkey.  "We don't know which course to
take, who is our enemy and who is our friend." Javakhk is opposed to a
possible withdrawal of Russian troops from the region because that
"would lead to undesirable consequences, artificial migration and
harassment of the local population." It's been two months since
Russian border guards left the Georgian-Turkish frontier and Hakobian
says it is now absolutely unprotected. "The Turks can invade
Javakhetia as they did in 1918-20." During its last conference, the
Javakhk movement discussed the possibility of forming "voluntary
squads to protect [the Javakhetia section of] that dangerous border."
"Armenia too must be preoccupied," Hakobian notes.
(Vache Sarkisian)
 
Copyright 1999 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

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