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MONTE MELKONIAN IN HIS OWN WORDS
hetq
17:13, November 25, 2004
I think participating on the front line of the struggle is the best way
for anyone (.). The best way to participate is by going right there,
to the front line of the struggle and participating there. (.).
If people stick to their principles and decide that they are first and
foremost an Armenian, and as an Armenian they've got to participate
in the solution to make self-determination for our people a concrete
reality, then I think any honest person would end up doing what
I'm doing. (.). I consider my work to be first and foremost that
of bringing a solution to the Armenian question, the question of
self-determination for the Armenian people throughout their historic
homeland.
August 1991, from a private video interview
The Azerbaijan government has clearly decided to empty the Armenians
out, and therefore there is no choice but to resist. (.). So we don't
have the right to lose in this case. We must win this time. We must
win. (.). A lot of Armenians don't understand that we can win. [But
we can].
January 25, 1992, from a videotaped address to Diasporan friends
If politics was run on a logical and honest basis, there would never
be the need for war; not only here, but everywhere in the world.
Unfortunately this logic and honesty are not there. We should fight,
we should lead this war to its end, because unfortunately that's the
only way to solve the problem.
from a 1992 interview to a French TV station
The loss of Artsakh would be an enormous loss for the Armenian people,
which can lead a few decades later to the total disappearance of the
Armenian people. If the Azeris manage to occupy Artsakh, their next
target will be Zangezour. (.). It is obvious for all of us what the
consequences would be for our homeland if they took Zangezour.
Everyone should feel how important this is and everyone should do
everything so that we can end this war quickly.
October 3, 1992, from an interview to the Stepanakert (Karabakh) TV
The first reason [of the Karabakh struggle] is a reason of principle.
Nagorno Karabagh is an integral part of the Armenian homeland. It's
as much a part of Armenia as any other part, as Yerevan , Dilidjan
or Sevan. And so, we've got to reunite it with our homeland. It was
arbitrarily included in Azerbaijan in 1921 by a very opportunistically
motivated reason on the part of Stalin, and so we are trying to
correct that error. Second of all, the people there are fighting to
protect their homes and families. They know very well that if they
don't fight the Azeris will come and split their throats, burn their
villages and kick them out of here. And thirdly, we know very well
that Azerbaijan has expansionist designs which go way beyond Artsakh
and include the take over of Zangezour, the southern part of present
day Armenia . So we know very well that if we don't resist here, the
war will continue into what is known as Armenia right now. So we got
our backs up against the wall, to put it short; we've got to do this.
April 1993, from an interview to a British TV journalist
I'm an Armenian from the United States , and I'm fighting here for the
same reason as anyone else. I'm an Armenian. This homeland belongs
as much to me as to any other Armenian. And I'll say I think I have
just as much responsibility to defend this piece of my homeland as
any other Armenian. So it's totally natural to be here and to fight
alongside all the other inhabitants of this region.
April 1993, from an interview to a British TV journalist
I would have liked that people respect me not in words, but with
their deeds; that they work, they do normal work in this struggle,
instead of swearing in my name or in the name of others. (.). It's
not important that people applaud. What is important is that they
become conscious, that they bare responsibility.
March 1993, from an interview to the Stepanakert (Karabakh) TV
Believe me, I couldn't care less if people respect me or not. What is
crucial for me is that I respect myself. Without self-respect I would
become a wretched wreck. It is for self-respect that I work and live.
Personally, I don't believe in competition with others, be it physical,
mental, or any other form of competition. What I believe in is
competition with myself. This is the hardest, most frustrating kind
of competition, because it's impossible to outdo yourself. You always
feel you could-and must-do better. I wouldn't say this is an entirely
healthy approach to life, but it's the way I am now. This is also what
has given me the ability to face the tons of incredible hardships I've
gone through. However, this does not mean that I fully respect myself.
No, no, I've made too many mistakes, and left too many problems
unsolved to really respect myself.
October 12, 1986; from a letter to a friend, written from his prison
cell, in France
Artsakh has not been my first struggle, and I'm sure that it won't
be my last...
hetq
17:13, November 25, 2004
I think participating on the front line of the struggle is the best way
for anyone (.). The best way to participate is by going right there,
to the front line of the struggle and participating there. (.).
If people stick to their principles and decide that they are first and
foremost an Armenian, and as an Armenian they've got to participate
in the solution to make self-determination for our people a concrete
reality, then I think any honest person would end up doing what
I'm doing. (.). I consider my work to be first and foremost that
of bringing a solution to the Armenian question, the question of
self-determination for the Armenian people throughout their historic
homeland.
August 1991, from a private video interview
The Azerbaijan government has clearly decided to empty the Armenians
out, and therefore there is no choice but to resist. (.). So we don't
have the right to lose in this case. We must win this time. We must
win. (.). A lot of Armenians don't understand that we can win. [But
we can].
January 25, 1992, from a videotaped address to Diasporan friends
If politics was run on a logical and honest basis, there would never
be the need for war; not only here, but everywhere in the world.
Unfortunately this logic and honesty are not there. We should fight,
we should lead this war to its end, because unfortunately that's the
only way to solve the problem.
from a 1992 interview to a French TV station
The loss of Artsakh would be an enormous loss for the Armenian people,
which can lead a few decades later to the total disappearance of the
Armenian people. If the Azeris manage to occupy Artsakh, their next
target will be Zangezour. (.). It is obvious for all of us what the
consequences would be for our homeland if they took Zangezour.
Everyone should feel how important this is and everyone should do
everything so that we can end this war quickly.
October 3, 1992, from an interview to the Stepanakert (Karabakh) TV
The first reason [of the Karabakh struggle] is a reason of principle.
Nagorno Karabagh is an integral part of the Armenian homeland. It's
as much a part of Armenia as any other part, as Yerevan , Dilidjan
or Sevan. And so, we've got to reunite it with our homeland. It was
arbitrarily included in Azerbaijan in 1921 by a very opportunistically
motivated reason on the part of Stalin, and so we are trying to
correct that error. Second of all, the people there are fighting to
protect their homes and families. They know very well that if they
don't fight the Azeris will come and split their throats, burn their
villages and kick them out of here. And thirdly, we know very well
that Azerbaijan has expansionist designs which go way beyond Artsakh
and include the take over of Zangezour, the southern part of present
day Armenia . So we know very well that if we don't resist here, the
war will continue into what is known as Armenia right now. So we got
our backs up against the wall, to put it short; we've got to do this.
April 1993, from an interview to a British TV journalist
I'm an Armenian from the United States , and I'm fighting here for the
same reason as anyone else. I'm an Armenian. This homeland belongs
as much to me as to any other Armenian. And I'll say I think I have
just as much responsibility to defend this piece of my homeland as
any other Armenian. So it's totally natural to be here and to fight
alongside all the other inhabitants of this region.
April 1993, from an interview to a British TV journalist
I would have liked that people respect me not in words, but with
their deeds; that they work, they do normal work in this struggle,
instead of swearing in my name or in the name of others. (.). It's
not important that people applaud. What is important is that they
become conscious, that they bare responsibility.
March 1993, from an interview to the Stepanakert (Karabakh) TV
Believe me, I couldn't care less if people respect me or not. What is
crucial for me is that I respect myself. Without self-respect I would
become a wretched wreck. It is for self-respect that I work and live.
Personally, I don't believe in competition with others, be it physical,
mental, or any other form of competition. What I believe in is
competition with myself. This is the hardest, most frustrating kind
of competition, because it's impossible to outdo yourself. You always
feel you could-and must-do better. I wouldn't say this is an entirely
healthy approach to life, but it's the way I am now. This is also what
has given me the ability to face the tons of incredible hardships I've
gone through. However, this does not mean that I fully respect myself.
No, no, I've made too many mistakes, and left too many problems
unsolved to really respect myself.
October 12, 1986; from a letter to a friend, written from his prison
cell, in France
Artsakh has not been my first struggle, and I'm sure that it won't
be my last...