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ARMENIANS REMEMBER SUMGAIT MASSACRE VICTIMS
The Voice of Russia
Feb 27 2013
Andrei Smirnov Feb 27, 2013 18:38 Moscow Time
On February 27, Armenians throughout the world are remembering the
victims of the Sumgait massacre. Twenty-five years ago, the seaside
town of Sumgait in Azerbaijan, then part of the Soviet Union, became
the scene of bloody anti-Armenian riots in which at least 32 ethnic
Armenians were killed, according to the official estimates, although
some sources say that the real figure is much higher.
A week before the riots, on February 20, 1988, the parliament of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region with the predominately Armenian
population petitioned to Moscow to be allowed to reunite with Armenia.
That was the beginning of the ongoing territorial dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to a full-scale war between Armenia and
Azerbaijan in 1991-1994.
When the Sumgait pogroms broke out, the authorities first branded
them as hooliganism and did not intervene. Troops were brought in only
the following day but observed neutrality until they themselves were
attacked by rioters. Tougher measures followed. The riots were quelled
and a curfew imposed. Within days, however, anti-Armenian violence
swept Baku, Kirovabad, Hanlar and other Azerbaijani cities. The
conflict snowballed and in 1990 the Karabakh war began. Tens of
thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands became refugees. In
May 1994, an indefinite ceasefire was signed, putting an end to the
bloodshed. A quarter of a century since, that ceasefire still holds.
The Sumgait events were the first symptoms of the looming collapse of
the USSR, says Alexander Krylov, a Caucasus expert at the Institute
of World Economy and International Relations.
"The central government was in a deep crisis and losing control at
all levels - republican, regional and nationwide. And bursting from
beneath were destructive processes as nationalistic-minded forces
sought to achieve their goals. In Azerbaijan, it led to violence in
Sumgait and other cities."
Can the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ever be resolved? Political scientist
Stanislav Tarasov thinks that it can, though not in the near future.
"There were other forces playing in the region and destabilizing the
situation. And now a solution looks more promising than ever. The
first scenario is that both sides will demonstrate good will and opt
for peaceful coexistence. But the current policies of Armenia and
Azerbaijan make that scenario unlikely. It is also possible that,
given the geopolitical fragmentation of the region, the independence
of Nagorno-Karabakh may, after all, eventually be recognized."
The Sumgait tragedy was mentioned at a UN Security Council meeting
this week. Top UN officials highlighted the need for joint efforts
to protect civilian in armed conflicts. The Armenian side reaffirmed
its commitment to settling the Karabakh conflict peacefully and in
keeping with international law.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_02_27/Armenians-remember-Sumgait-massacre-victims/
The Voice of Russia
Feb 27 2013
Andrei Smirnov Feb 27, 2013 18:38 Moscow Time
On February 27, Armenians throughout the world are remembering the
victims of the Sumgait massacre. Twenty-five years ago, the seaside
town of Sumgait in Azerbaijan, then part of the Soviet Union, became
the scene of bloody anti-Armenian riots in which at least 32 ethnic
Armenians were killed, according to the official estimates, although
some sources say that the real figure is much higher.
A week before the riots, on February 20, 1988, the parliament of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region with the predominately Armenian
population petitioned to Moscow to be allowed to reunite with Armenia.
That was the beginning of the ongoing territorial dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to a full-scale war between Armenia and
Azerbaijan in 1991-1994.
When the Sumgait pogroms broke out, the authorities first branded
them as hooliganism and did not intervene. Troops were brought in only
the following day but observed neutrality until they themselves were
attacked by rioters. Tougher measures followed. The riots were quelled
and a curfew imposed. Within days, however, anti-Armenian violence
swept Baku, Kirovabad, Hanlar and other Azerbaijani cities. The
conflict snowballed and in 1990 the Karabakh war began. Tens of
thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands became refugees. In
May 1994, an indefinite ceasefire was signed, putting an end to the
bloodshed. A quarter of a century since, that ceasefire still holds.
The Sumgait events were the first symptoms of the looming collapse of
the USSR, says Alexander Krylov, a Caucasus expert at the Institute
of World Economy and International Relations.
"The central government was in a deep crisis and losing control at
all levels - republican, regional and nationwide. And bursting from
beneath were destructive processes as nationalistic-minded forces
sought to achieve their goals. In Azerbaijan, it led to violence in
Sumgait and other cities."
Can the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ever be resolved? Political scientist
Stanislav Tarasov thinks that it can, though not in the near future.
"There were other forces playing in the region and destabilizing the
situation. And now a solution looks more promising than ever. The
first scenario is that both sides will demonstrate good will and opt
for peaceful coexistence. But the current policies of Armenia and
Azerbaijan make that scenario unlikely. It is also possible that,
given the geopolitical fragmentation of the region, the independence
of Nagorno-Karabakh may, after all, eventually be recognized."
The Sumgait tragedy was mentioned at a UN Security Council meeting
this week. Top UN officials highlighted the need for joint efforts
to protect civilian in armed conflicts. The Armenian side reaffirmed
its commitment to settling the Karabakh conflict peacefully and in
keeping with international law.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_02_27/Armenians-remember-Sumgait-massacre-victims/