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  • What's More Important, Armenia'S President, Copper Plant Manager Or

    WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, ARMENIA'S PRESIDENT, COPPER PLANT MANAGER OR YOUR CHILD'S FUTURE? ENVIRONMENTALIST ASKS (PHOTOS)

    epress.am
    16.2011 20:06

    Over a dozen activists stood outside in the cold today in solidarity
    with the residents of the southern Armenian city of Qajaran, where
    a recent government decision has meant that over 180 hectares of
    land in Syunik marz ("province") is now "priority public interest"
    land and thereby no longer belongs to the city but to the state,
    who plans to sell it to a mining company.

    As reported by the Epress.am corespondent on the scene, the
    environmental activists were standing in front of the Government of
    Armenia building holding signs and speaking to the press.

    "Since by recognizing them as priority interest, these lands will
    be handed over to the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine [Plant]
    which is going to begin mining in that area. To exploit those lands
    as a mine will make the existence of this village impossible. The
    mine and the village are not compatible there - it will lead to
    the displacement of this border village of 130 homes and about 300
    residents," said activist Apres Zohrabyan.

    Zohrabyan said this decision was made 6 months ago and recently the
    appropriate bodies wanted to put it into effect. But the villagers
    pushed back the equipment brought there and obstructed the work.

    [Akcia42.jpg?05aa0a]

    The environmentalist also said that the villagers have not received
    compensation since officially it's not the village that's being
    uprooted. But this displacement will be unavoidable because, according
    to Zohrabyan, no reasonable person could live next to a mine.

    "And the money which they've given to take those lands are ridiculous -
    12,000 drams [approx. $31 USD] per hectare," he said.

    Also participating in the protest was well-known local environmental
    activist Mariam Sukhudyan, who said they're supporting Qajaran (also
    spelled Kajaran) residents, who are protecting the border. According
    to her, it's also a question of national security.

    "We see today that mining doesn't stem from the public's interest,
    but from the interest of some private individuals. We've made contact
    with the head of the village; he said they're threatening him, his
    life is in danger, though they're ready to fight till the end. Then
    we found out that they took him to the police station, kept him for a
    few hours, then that man began to backpedal, saying nothing happened
    to him. We understood that the pressures are continuing. And that
    today government members went to Qajaran testifies to the fact that
    the pressures continue," she said.

    A group of environmentalists, she continued, is planning to go to
    Qajaran in the coming days.

    "If those people are truly, fairly going to go to the end, we are
    with them. In any case one has to understand and place importance on
    [the fact] that he is the owner of this country, whether standing
    before him is [Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine General Manager]
    Maxim [Hakobyan], [Armenian President] Serzh [Sargsyan], I don't know,
    a Chinese, a Russian... it doesn't matter, on the other side of the
    scale is his child's future - which is more important?

    That is, in any case he has to stand up and fight, just as the
    residents of Qajaran are doing now," she said.

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