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STILL FIGHTING: KARABAKH WAR VETERANS UP IN ARMS OVER FREEDOM FIGHTER SOCIAL CONDITIONS
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
http://www.armenianow.com/society/47983/karabakh_war_veterans_yerkrapah_protest
SOCIETY | 24.07.13 | 16:22
Photolure
Grisha Sargsyan
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
For two months now Karabakh war veterans in Armenia have been
actively fighting for the improvement of social conditions with
acts of protests and sit-in strikes, demanding higher pensions and
discounts on medical assistance and tuition fees for their children,
utility bills and public transport.
The veterans discard the new bill to the National Assembly of Armenia
on "the status of Yerkrapah (Homeland Defender) Volunteers ", which
passed two hearings during the spring sitting of the parliament,
as nonsense. Instead they demand passing a law that would allow to
"remove thorns from freedom fighters' fingers".
Glorious Warriors NGO leader Grisha Sargsyan says the bill does not
represent the veterans' interests and will only be effective for
the Yerkrapah Volunteers' Union (YVU) members, "the suit is cut to
fit YVU".
Karabakh war veterans (mainly referred to as freedom fighters in
Armenia) believe that the bill co-authored by well-known Generals
Manvel Grigorian and Seyran Saroyan, and MP Samvel Fermanyan will not
improve their lives and will fail to solve their social issues. It
will only clearly define the status of the yerkrapah, and here, too,
they disagree.
"We have raised the issue of passing a bill on voluntary freedom
fighter, and they wrote 'yerkrapah', even the formulation does not meet
our demands. In bigger picture the bill won't bring any improvement
to the veterans' lives," says army reserve colonel Volodya Avetisyan,
who initiated the protest in May with a sit-in in Liberty Square.
When the bill was being discussed, Samvel Farmanyan stated that the
victorious Karabakh fight for survival and the concepts "freedom
fighter", "volunteer" and "yerkrapah" have long become one whole,
and the concept of "yerkrapah volunteer" describes best those sons
of Armenia who volunteered to defend their homeland.
Sargsyan says in 2006 their organization along with other NGOs
advocating the Karbakh war veterans' rights, submitted a draft law to
the parliament "On Social protection of freedom fighters" to regulate
all the respective issues.
"It got no response. Meanwhile, the bill discussed in two-three days
gets adopted. Bills are not to be passed rapidly within a couple of
days, it is not the proper way to do these things. This bill protects
the interests of only 20 percent of freedom fighters, the other 80
percent will get nothing from it. The purpose was to pass a law on
yerkrapah. I can't help applauding to the general [Manvel Grigoryan],
who made it happen and gave a legally established status to his team,"
he says.
Kornidzor brigade commander Arayik Khudaverdyan says they demand
solutions to the issues of those who volunteered to go fight, did not
get paid for it, sold their own property to buy arms and invested all
that into the Karabakh defense and eventually victory, but today live
in privation.
The meetings with the prime minister which resulted in certain promises
are not productive, they say. Colonel Avetisyan, leading the standoff,
says he told the premier about the extremely poor state and hardship
the veterans have been facing for years.
"Gas and electricity tariffs have gone up, so has the public transport
fare, and life in general has become more expensive, and those getting
47,000 drams ($120) will keep getting as much, and I wonder how they
are going to survive? Looking at our government I realized that they
do not care about anyone. We just went, sat down, saw each other,
they asked for a month and a half to compile lists, to sort true
freedom fighters from fake. We are not satisfied and will continue
our standoff," he says.
Protests will continue. Should the demands not be met, they will
start demanding the resignation of the current government. On July 28,
a large-scale rally is planned in Yerevan with around 10,000 freedom
fighters to join from the provinces.
From: Baghdasarian
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
http://www.armenianow.com/society/47983/karabakh_war_veterans_yerkrapah_protest
SOCIETY | 24.07.13 | 16:22
Photolure
Grisha Sargsyan
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
For two months now Karabakh war veterans in Armenia have been
actively fighting for the improvement of social conditions with
acts of protests and sit-in strikes, demanding higher pensions and
discounts on medical assistance and tuition fees for their children,
utility bills and public transport.
The veterans discard the new bill to the National Assembly of Armenia
on "the status of Yerkrapah (Homeland Defender) Volunteers ", which
passed two hearings during the spring sitting of the parliament,
as nonsense. Instead they demand passing a law that would allow to
"remove thorns from freedom fighters' fingers".
Glorious Warriors NGO leader Grisha Sargsyan says the bill does not
represent the veterans' interests and will only be effective for
the Yerkrapah Volunteers' Union (YVU) members, "the suit is cut to
fit YVU".
Karabakh war veterans (mainly referred to as freedom fighters in
Armenia) believe that the bill co-authored by well-known Generals
Manvel Grigorian and Seyran Saroyan, and MP Samvel Fermanyan will not
improve their lives and will fail to solve their social issues. It
will only clearly define the status of the yerkrapah, and here, too,
they disagree.
"We have raised the issue of passing a bill on voluntary freedom
fighter, and they wrote 'yerkrapah', even the formulation does not meet
our demands. In bigger picture the bill won't bring any improvement
to the veterans' lives," says army reserve colonel Volodya Avetisyan,
who initiated the protest in May with a sit-in in Liberty Square.
When the bill was being discussed, Samvel Farmanyan stated that the
victorious Karabakh fight for survival and the concepts "freedom
fighter", "volunteer" and "yerkrapah" have long become one whole,
and the concept of "yerkrapah volunteer" describes best those sons
of Armenia who volunteered to defend their homeland.
Sargsyan says in 2006 their organization along with other NGOs
advocating the Karbakh war veterans' rights, submitted a draft law to
the parliament "On Social protection of freedom fighters" to regulate
all the respective issues.
"It got no response. Meanwhile, the bill discussed in two-three days
gets adopted. Bills are not to be passed rapidly within a couple of
days, it is not the proper way to do these things. This bill protects
the interests of only 20 percent of freedom fighters, the other 80
percent will get nothing from it. The purpose was to pass a law on
yerkrapah. I can't help applauding to the general [Manvel Grigoryan],
who made it happen and gave a legally established status to his team,"
he says.
Kornidzor brigade commander Arayik Khudaverdyan says they demand
solutions to the issues of those who volunteered to go fight, did not
get paid for it, sold their own property to buy arms and invested all
that into the Karabakh defense and eventually victory, but today live
in privation.
The meetings with the prime minister which resulted in certain promises
are not productive, they say. Colonel Avetisyan, leading the standoff,
says he told the premier about the extremely poor state and hardship
the veterans have been facing for years.
"Gas and electricity tariffs have gone up, so has the public transport
fare, and life in general has become more expensive, and those getting
47,000 drams ($120) will keep getting as much, and I wonder how they
are going to survive? Looking at our government I realized that they
do not care about anyone. We just went, sat down, saw each other,
they asked for a month and a half to compile lists, to sort true
freedom fighters from fake. We are not satisfied and will continue
our standoff," he says.
Protests will continue. Should the demands not be met, they will
start demanding the resignation of the current government. On July 28,
a large-scale rally is planned in Yerevan with around 10,000 freedom
fighters to join from the provinces.
From: Baghdasarian