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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 24 2013
Why are soldiers being killed in the Armenian army?
24 May 2013 - 8:38am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
On May 15th in a military base in the Tavush region of Armenia,
Private Luks Stepanyan was killed by a fellow soldier. The
law-enforcement agencies initiated a preliminary investigation. This
information was presented by the Defense Ministry. However, this time
not only society, but also all power structures began to discuss the
murder of a soldier.
Parents of the deceived Private received attention from the
authorities only after they had claimed that would bring the body of
their son to the House of Government and organize a protest of mothers
who had lost their sons in peaceful time.
The Sevan highway leading to Yerevan was blocked by the traffic
police, and a fight began. As the result a police car was damaged,
hundreds of people who accompanied the relatives were involved in a
fight against policemen and the Defense Ministry employees. Only the
head of the Armenian police Vladimir Gasparyan and the Defense
Minister Seiran Oganyan who came to the scene could calm down the
relatives of the Private.
David Khachatryan, who is accused of the murder, was arrested only on
May 18th, after the unprecedented protest in Armenia took place.
Before this the murderer was free, and they say he told everybody that
`nobody would do anything to him.'
Thus, we can say that justice in the Armenian Military Forces, as well
as in the republic in general, has a selective character and often is
achieved only by pressure. The situation in the army reflects the
general situation in the country. Deaths of young people in army are
possible due to sense of impunity. It appears due to the fact that
this or that young man is a relative of this or that official,
minister, or general. In the country where citizens have no basic
right for voting which is substituted by huge financial,
administrative resources, falsifications, violence, pressing, bribery,
other violations - a murder of a young man doesn't seem extraordinary.
Due to all these phenomena poverty and emigration are growing in the
country year by year.
According to Armenian NGO in 2011 39 deaths were registered in the
Armenian Military Forces; only 10 people were killed by enemies. In
2012 there were 48 deaths in the army, only 12 people were killed by
enemies.
To understand the connection between the army and the outrage in the
Armenian society, we should analyze the unofficial structure of the
Armenian Military Forces. The generalship includes majorly wealthy
businessmen, rentiers, and owners of vast farms. These misters turned
the army into a legal way of servicing their clan interests. Generals
pay for it to the leadership by involvement of the army in social life
spheres, for example, elections or suppression of protests after
elections.
Of course, the Military Forces have generals who think the army is a
stronghold of the country, but there are few of them. Answering the
social criticism, the authorities dismissed the most outrageous
generals for various reasons. However, the situation hasn't changed.
The army headed by such generals is a structure where Soviet morals
dominate, which are improved by ambitions of former field commanders.
The medium and minor level of command is outside the system of army
management, despite the fact that middle rank officers have the
heaviest responsibility in the army.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/society/40649.html
May 24 2013
Why are soldiers being killed in the Armenian army?
24 May 2013 - 8:38am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
On May 15th in a military base in the Tavush region of Armenia,
Private Luks Stepanyan was killed by a fellow soldier. The
law-enforcement agencies initiated a preliminary investigation. This
information was presented by the Defense Ministry. However, this time
not only society, but also all power structures began to discuss the
murder of a soldier.
Parents of the deceived Private received attention from the
authorities only after they had claimed that would bring the body of
their son to the House of Government and organize a protest of mothers
who had lost their sons in peaceful time.
The Sevan highway leading to Yerevan was blocked by the traffic
police, and a fight began. As the result a police car was damaged,
hundreds of people who accompanied the relatives were involved in a
fight against policemen and the Defense Ministry employees. Only the
head of the Armenian police Vladimir Gasparyan and the Defense
Minister Seiran Oganyan who came to the scene could calm down the
relatives of the Private.
David Khachatryan, who is accused of the murder, was arrested only on
May 18th, after the unprecedented protest in Armenia took place.
Before this the murderer was free, and they say he told everybody that
`nobody would do anything to him.'
Thus, we can say that justice in the Armenian Military Forces, as well
as in the republic in general, has a selective character and often is
achieved only by pressure. The situation in the army reflects the
general situation in the country. Deaths of young people in army are
possible due to sense of impunity. It appears due to the fact that
this or that young man is a relative of this or that official,
minister, or general. In the country where citizens have no basic
right for voting which is substituted by huge financial,
administrative resources, falsifications, violence, pressing, bribery,
other violations - a murder of a young man doesn't seem extraordinary.
Due to all these phenomena poverty and emigration are growing in the
country year by year.
According to Armenian NGO in 2011 39 deaths were registered in the
Armenian Military Forces; only 10 people were killed by enemies. In
2012 there were 48 deaths in the army, only 12 people were killed by
enemies.
To understand the connection between the army and the outrage in the
Armenian society, we should analyze the unofficial structure of the
Armenian Military Forces. The generalship includes majorly wealthy
businessmen, rentiers, and owners of vast farms. These misters turned
the army into a legal way of servicing their clan interests. Generals
pay for it to the leadership by involvement of the army in social life
spheres, for example, elections or suppression of protests after
elections.
Of course, the Military Forces have generals who think the army is a
stronghold of the country, but there are few of them. Answering the
social criticism, the authorities dismissed the most outrageous
generals for various reasons. However, the situation hasn't changed.
The army headed by such generals is a structure where Soviet morals
dominate, which are improved by ambitions of former field commanders.
The medium and minor level of command is outside the system of army
management, despite the fact that middle rank officers have the
heaviest responsibility in the army.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/society/40649.html