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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.
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.