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Armenian deserters claim ethnic discrimination at Georgian military unit
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
4 May 05
[Presenter] The servicemen who have deserted from the 31st battalion
in Akhaltsikhe are refusing to return to their unit. The local
authorities today held talks with the servicemen and their parents.
The 14 servicemen are not going to change their decision.
Their main allegation is that they suffered ethnic discrimination.
However, other ethnic Armenians are continuing to serve at the
Akhaltsikhe battalion.
Nino Japiashvili reports from Akhalkalaki [mainly Armenian populated
town in southern Georgia].
[Correspondent] [Passage omitted] The 14 servicemen have until the
end of the day today to return to the unit. Otherwise, the Military
Prosecutor's Office will declare them military deserters. Although
they are all well aware of this, none of them is going to change his
decision. [Passage omitted]
[(?Ruben Abjayan), captioned as head of Akhalkalaki District
administration military department, interviewed in Russian] I do
not know if they have opened a case or not, but when I talked to the
commander this morning, he gave me a watertight assurance that they
would not institute proceedings and there would be no disciplinary
action taken against the soldiers who went absent without leave. They
would just be talked to by the general inspectorate and that is it.
[Correspondent] Ruben Abjayan has been negotiating with the soldiers
and their parents for two days but has failed to persuade them to
change their minds. The parents speak of two reasons why the servicemen
deserted from the unit.
They say that the servicemen, who joined the unit of their own free
will two months ago, suffered ethnic discrimination there and also
that they were deceived.
[(?Ardavast Marukyan), captioned as parent, interviewed in Russian]
Only Armenians would be woken up at one o'clock at night. I am not
saying that they were not well fed and clothed. But they are adults
and have to decide for themselves. Why is it that, despite being
promised that they would serve in Akhalkalaki, they were instead sent
to Akhaltsikhe? Why don't they form a border unit, so that they can
serve here?
[Correspondent] Despite this mutiny, other ethnic Armenian soldiers
remain at the 31st brigade [referred to earlier as 31st battalion
by the presenter]. Everyone who left the unit are from Akhalkalaki
District. Today there is quiet talk in town that the servicemen have
been used by various political forces, which are pursuing their own
goals. However, at this stage it is hard to say if the soldiers are
merely victims of this provocation or its instigators.
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
4 May 05
[Presenter] The servicemen who have deserted from the 31st battalion
in Akhaltsikhe are refusing to return to their unit. The local
authorities today held talks with the servicemen and their parents.
The 14 servicemen are not going to change their decision.
Their main allegation is that they suffered ethnic discrimination.
However, other ethnic Armenians are continuing to serve at the
Akhaltsikhe battalion.
Nino Japiashvili reports from Akhalkalaki [mainly Armenian populated
town in southern Georgia].
[Correspondent] [Passage omitted] The 14 servicemen have until the
end of the day today to return to the unit. Otherwise, the Military
Prosecutor's Office will declare them military deserters. Although
they are all well aware of this, none of them is going to change his
decision. [Passage omitted]
[(?Ruben Abjayan), captioned as head of Akhalkalaki District
administration military department, interviewed in Russian] I do
not know if they have opened a case or not, but when I talked to the
commander this morning, he gave me a watertight assurance that they
would not institute proceedings and there would be no disciplinary
action taken against the soldiers who went absent without leave. They
would just be talked to by the general inspectorate and that is it.
[Correspondent] Ruben Abjayan has been negotiating with the soldiers
and their parents for two days but has failed to persuade them to
change their minds. The parents speak of two reasons why the servicemen
deserted from the unit.
They say that the servicemen, who joined the unit of their own free
will two months ago, suffered ethnic discrimination there and also
that they were deceived.
[(?Ardavast Marukyan), captioned as parent, interviewed in Russian]
Only Armenians would be woken up at one o'clock at night. I am not
saying that they were not well fed and clothed. But they are adults
and have to decide for themselves. Why is it that, despite being
promised that they would serve in Akhalkalaki, they were instead sent
to Akhaltsikhe? Why don't they form a border unit, so that they can
serve here?
[Correspondent] Despite this mutiny, other ethnic Armenian soldiers
remain at the 31st brigade [referred to earlier as 31st battalion
by the presenter]. Everyone who left the unit are from Akhalkalaki
District. Today there is quiet talk in town that the servicemen have
been used by various political forces, which are pursuing their own
goals. However, at this stage it is hard to say if the soldiers are
merely victims of this provocation or its instigators.