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OLDEST VETERAN ON SUICIDE BATTALION: NO SPAN OF LAND MUST BE GIVEN AWAY
Siranuysh Papyan, Interviewer
Interview - Friday, 09 May 2014, 14:20
Interview with Spartak Matevosyan, the oldest veteran of Eagle
Suicide Battalion
Mr. Matevosyan, May is the month of victories. Do you have a feeling
of victory? Is what we have worth so many lives and effort?
Everything should be done for the homeland. The liberation of Shushi
is the pride of the Armenian people at the end of the 20thcentury.
After losing territories for many years liberation of such a fortress
is honor for our people and our army. The liberation of Shushi has
several important aspects to our modern history. First, the fortress
was liberated, second, the Karabakh defense army was created during
the action, all the military structures were formed, including the
artillery, the medical military unit, mine clearance unit etc.
What do the veterans think about today's situation when again
recommendations on Karabakh settlement are proposed? Do veterans have
concerns about these?
Of course, there are concerns, the United States is fooling around
to accelerate the settlement of the Karabakh issue. There is always
such fooling around, but I think we must not give away a patch of
land because we have taken the land at the cost of lives. We must
not surrender any territory, it is impossible. Whoever does is will
be a betrayal if anyone dares to give away to Turks a span of land.
Mr. Matevosyan, do you share the recent complaints of veterans?
Some people complain, they want to have more, for some people a lot
is not enough. Some people live through fraud. I know people who
enrolled in the Armenian Liberation Army, did not participate in a
single battle, lied to the government and received houses. Now the
complaints of those people are not worth anything. However, some
veterans who fought honestly have the right to make claims. Volodya
Avetisyan, for instance, was our instructor. He taught everyone who
did not know anything about war, tactics. He participated in the
defense of Gandzasar, then the liberation of Kelbadjar, served in the
army. One cannot frustrate such a veteran, though he is not the kind
of person that will break down.
Is the idea of independence appreciated in our reality?
If we were not independent, nobody would allow us to liberate
Karabakh. Only independence enabled liberating our territories.
Do you see general weakness in government, hopelessness in people?
If a country is stuck in corruption, it cannot be strong. The
government, especially the president, should try to eliminate all
the forms of corruption, strengthen democracy to have a strong state.
Trust in government should be restored in people.
People lose every day. The rate of emigration causes concerns.
There is emigration from everywhere, including Azerbaijan. We had a
guest from Lithuania who said 400,000 of this country's population of
3 million have emigrated. However, for Armenia emigration is a high
threat because Armenia is in a state of no war no peace. Emigration
must be prevented through correct policy, creation of jobs and also
campaign.
What is your opinion on the mandatory funded pension?
They passed a law that will force young people working in the IT
sphere to leave Armenia. It won't do.
What pushed you to become a suicide fighter and do you think today's
young people and society in general have the same spirit?
Of course, they do. After the war I have been teaching at school. I
attend a lot of events and organize a lot of events, there is such
spirit. However, this spirit should be strengthened, not crushed. It
should be everyone's goal, first of all the goal of the government,
the state, families, mothers.
- See more at:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/32404#sthash.joqEKqxe.dpuf
Siranuysh Papyan, Interviewer
Interview - Friday, 09 May 2014, 14:20
Interview with Spartak Matevosyan, the oldest veteran of Eagle
Suicide Battalion
Mr. Matevosyan, May is the month of victories. Do you have a feeling
of victory? Is what we have worth so many lives and effort?
Everything should be done for the homeland. The liberation of Shushi
is the pride of the Armenian people at the end of the 20thcentury.
After losing territories for many years liberation of such a fortress
is honor for our people and our army. The liberation of Shushi has
several important aspects to our modern history. First, the fortress
was liberated, second, the Karabakh defense army was created during
the action, all the military structures were formed, including the
artillery, the medical military unit, mine clearance unit etc.
What do the veterans think about today's situation when again
recommendations on Karabakh settlement are proposed? Do veterans have
concerns about these?
Of course, there are concerns, the United States is fooling around
to accelerate the settlement of the Karabakh issue. There is always
such fooling around, but I think we must not give away a patch of
land because we have taken the land at the cost of lives. We must
not surrender any territory, it is impossible. Whoever does is will
be a betrayal if anyone dares to give away to Turks a span of land.
Mr. Matevosyan, do you share the recent complaints of veterans?
Some people complain, they want to have more, for some people a lot
is not enough. Some people live through fraud. I know people who
enrolled in the Armenian Liberation Army, did not participate in a
single battle, lied to the government and received houses. Now the
complaints of those people are not worth anything. However, some
veterans who fought honestly have the right to make claims. Volodya
Avetisyan, for instance, was our instructor. He taught everyone who
did not know anything about war, tactics. He participated in the
defense of Gandzasar, then the liberation of Kelbadjar, served in the
army. One cannot frustrate such a veteran, though he is not the kind
of person that will break down.
Is the idea of independence appreciated in our reality?
If we were not independent, nobody would allow us to liberate
Karabakh. Only independence enabled liberating our territories.
Do you see general weakness in government, hopelessness in people?
If a country is stuck in corruption, it cannot be strong. The
government, especially the president, should try to eliminate all
the forms of corruption, strengthen democracy to have a strong state.
Trust in government should be restored in people.
People lose every day. The rate of emigration causes concerns.
There is emigration from everywhere, including Azerbaijan. We had a
guest from Lithuania who said 400,000 of this country's population of
3 million have emigrated. However, for Armenia emigration is a high
threat because Armenia is in a state of no war no peace. Emigration
must be prevented through correct policy, creation of jobs and also
campaign.
What is your opinion on the mandatory funded pension?
They passed a law that will force young people working in the IT
sphere to leave Armenia. It won't do.
What pushed you to become a suicide fighter and do you think today's
young people and society in general have the same spirit?
Of course, they do. After the war I have been teaching at school. I
attend a lot of events and organize a lot of events, there is such
spirit. However, this spirit should be strengthened, not crushed. It
should be everyone's goal, first of all the goal of the government,
the state, families, mothers.
- See more at:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/interview/view/32404#sthash.joqEKqxe.dpuf