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Villagers Close Traffic to Teghout Ltd. Offices for Several Hours
Larisa Paremuzyan
19:40, July 5, 2013
Early this morning, residents of the villages of Shnogh and Teghout
blockaded the road leading to the offices of Teghout Ltd.
Residents were protesting the fact that the mining company had
installed barricades on a road leading to a local shrine and to the
forest beyond, us preventing them from picking wild mushrooms and
berries.
Traffic was halted for several hours and buses bringing in workers
from Alaverdi and surrounding villages parked on the shoulders until
the protestors reluctantly opened the roadway.
Teghout Mayor Frounze Norekyan stated that the village council has
discussed the issue and that Rouben Papoyan, a Teghout official
present at the meeting, had promised that villagers would have free
access to the forest and the shrine.
Villagers, however, say that the mining company's security staffers
are still preventing them from moving freely about. They also claim
that they must first receive permission from the company before
cutting any wild grasses later used for livestock feed.
In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Lori Provincial Governor
Artour Nalbandyan and Lori Police Chief Anoubakh Hambaryan arrived on
the scene at noon.
They listened to the complaints of the villagers and later discussed
the matter with Teghout Ltd. Director Valery Mezhloumyan who remained
in his office the entire time.
Afterwards, Nalbandyan told the protestors that while the barricades
to the forest and the shrine wouldn't be removed, villagers would have
free access to both.
The company argues that the barricades were installed to safeguard
company equipment and to prevent the access of unauthorized
individuals.
Even though Police Chief Hambaryan assured villagers that they could
freely go to the shrine whenever they wanted, to pray and light
candles, local residents didn't seem convinced.
`What we want is to be able to go to our mountain and forest whenever
we want,' said local resident Karen.
`Dear Karen, no one is restricting your free movement, but there are
safety rules. You can go to your places. That's not a problem,'
Hambaryan responded.
Teghout officials say they are ready to sit down with local residents
on a weekly basis to resolve these and other issues.
At 1:30pm, the protestors grudgingly opened the road leading to the
Teghout Ltd. offices.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27928/villagers-close-traffic-to-teghout-ltd-offices-for-several-hours.html
Larisa Paremuzyan
19:40, July 5, 2013
Early this morning, residents of the villages of Shnogh and Teghout
blockaded the road leading to the offices of Teghout Ltd.
Residents were protesting the fact that the mining company had
installed barricades on a road leading to a local shrine and to the
forest beyond, us preventing them from picking wild mushrooms and
berries.
Traffic was halted for several hours and buses bringing in workers
from Alaverdi and surrounding villages parked on the shoulders until
the protestors reluctantly opened the roadway.
Teghout Mayor Frounze Norekyan stated that the village council has
discussed the issue and that Rouben Papoyan, a Teghout official
present at the meeting, had promised that villagers would have free
access to the forest and the shrine.
Villagers, however, say that the mining company's security staffers
are still preventing them from moving freely about. They also claim
that they must first receive permission from the company before
cutting any wild grasses later used for livestock feed.
In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Lori Provincial Governor
Artour Nalbandyan and Lori Police Chief Anoubakh Hambaryan arrived on
the scene at noon.
They listened to the complaints of the villagers and later discussed
the matter with Teghout Ltd. Director Valery Mezhloumyan who remained
in his office the entire time.
Afterwards, Nalbandyan told the protestors that while the barricades
to the forest and the shrine wouldn't be removed, villagers would have
free access to both.
The company argues that the barricades were installed to safeguard
company equipment and to prevent the access of unauthorized
individuals.
Even though Police Chief Hambaryan assured villagers that they could
freely go to the shrine whenever they wanted, to pray and light
candles, local residents didn't seem convinced.
`What we want is to be able to go to our mountain and forest whenever
we want,' said local resident Karen.
`Dear Karen, no one is restricting your free movement, but there are
safety rules. You can go to your places. That's not a problem,'
Hambaryan responded.
Teghout officials say they are ready to sit down with local residents
on a weekly basis to resolve these and other issues.
At 1:30pm, the protestors grudgingly opened the road leading to the
Teghout Ltd. offices.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/27928/villagers-close-traffic-to-teghout-ltd-offices-for-several-hours.html