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SAFE SOLDIERS FOR A SAFE ARMENIA
TransConflict
Sept 10 2014
By Edgar Khachatryan
Peace Dialogue, a member of the Global Coalition for Conflict
Transformation, is implementing a two-year project, 'Safe Soldiers
for a Safe Armenia', which aims to prevent human rights violations
in the armed forces and to increase not only the security of Armenia
but the security of the soldiers protecting it.
For many years, the issue of human rights in armed forces remains
one of the most urgent priorities for human rights groups. Today
the situation in the relatively young Armenian army concerns civil
society representatives and some international organizations. In their
reports, various independent public organizations indicate a high
degree of mortality among soldiers, expressing their concern about
regular violations and inaction by military investigative bodies and
a number of responsible military structures.
Armenia's human rights activists estimate that since the cessation
of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, as many as 1,500 young
men have died while serving in Armenian armed forces. The Armenian
Army was established in the early nineties as a result of the war
with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The war is not technically
finished, despite the ceasefire. Regular ceasefire violations and
constant information warfare indicate that the previously open war
has become a hidden war. In 2013, approximately 30 to 31 people died
during so-called non-combat situations, but only five of these were
the result of ceasefire violations. The rest of the fatalities were
the result of murder, a lack of access to medical service for soldiers
with health issues, accidents and suicides. The fatalities continue
to happen until now and other negative occurrences are increasing in
frequency too.
In response to inquiries from watchdog groups in the country, the
Armenian Ministry of Defence states that these fatalities are just
solitary instances. A major part of society remains loyal to the
Armenian military, as the Army remains the main guarantor of security
for the conflict-affected country.
At the beginning of 2013, Peace Dialogue NGO has launched a new
website entitled 'Safe Soldiers for a Safe Armenia'. It contains a
database on non-combat fatalities, deceased soldiers and human rights
violations recorded in the Armenian Armed Forces since the signing
of the cease-fire after the Nagorno-Karabakh war. As of today, the
on-line database includes more than 550 fatal cases.
The compilation of the database became possible due to information
received from media and watchdog groups working on human rights
protection in the armed forces, from victims' relatives and successors,
as well as from information received from state bodies (the Ministry
of Defence, military investigative service, etc) in response to
numerous inquiries.
The aim of the database is to collect and spread information about
each fatal case and human rights violation in the Armenian Armed
Forces. In other words, according to the implementing staff, after
a while the website will become a full database that will help to:
Increase the sensitivity of the government towards the issue; Breakdown
public indifference towards human rights violations and abuses in the
Army amongst local and international society; Involve international
experts, local civil society representatives, and independent
researchers in studying the issue from different perspectives and in
designing alternative models that will best fit the Armenian context.
Visitors can also make their contribution to the completion of the
database by posting information or uploading photos or media materials
about fatalities or human rights violations in the army that have not
been recorded yet in the website or elsewhere. The staff working on
the website tried to list descriptions of the cases (places, dates
and causes etc.), the investigative processes initiated in regards
to those cases, as well as the following investigative and trial
processes and the violations revealed during those processes.
According to the implementing team, the ultimate effect of the website
will, for example, be the fact that quick updates about illegalities
and human rights violations recorded in any of the units and posted
by the witnesses can serve as an alarm for the authorities to take
necessary actions after they are clarified and approved.
In addition, the staff will continue to update various human
rights-related announcements and news releases. Certain sections of
the website include Armenian legislation regulating the relationship
between the armed forces and citizens; international agreements,
local regulations, documents, reports and publications, as well as
various research and expert opinions related to the topic.
As a result of this project, Peace Dialogue aims to raise awareness
in Armenian society about the troubling human rights situation in the
armed forces in order to create public demand for the solutions of the
problems and to mobilize and include local, national and international
actors who can have positive influence on current situation.
Edgar Khachatryan is the director of Peace Dialogue, a member of
the Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation. He specializes in
international peacebuilding trainings, consultancy and expertise
in gender and peace processes, violence prevention, and post-war
stabilization and recovery.
The website is prepared within the project Safe Soldiers for a Safe
Armenia of Peace Dialogue NGO, supported by Dutch organization Pax.
http://www.transconflict.com/2014/09/safe-soldiers-safe-armenia-109/
From: Baghdasarian
TransConflict
Sept 10 2014
By Edgar Khachatryan
Peace Dialogue, a member of the Global Coalition for Conflict
Transformation, is implementing a two-year project, 'Safe Soldiers
for a Safe Armenia', which aims to prevent human rights violations
in the armed forces and to increase not only the security of Armenia
but the security of the soldiers protecting it.
For many years, the issue of human rights in armed forces remains
one of the most urgent priorities for human rights groups. Today
the situation in the relatively young Armenian army concerns civil
society representatives and some international organizations. In their
reports, various independent public organizations indicate a high
degree of mortality among soldiers, expressing their concern about
regular violations and inaction by military investigative bodies and
a number of responsible military structures.
Armenia's human rights activists estimate that since the cessation
of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, as many as 1,500 young
men have died while serving in Armenian armed forces. The Armenian
Army was established in the early nineties as a result of the war
with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The war is not technically
finished, despite the ceasefire. Regular ceasefire violations and
constant information warfare indicate that the previously open war
has become a hidden war. In 2013, approximately 30 to 31 people died
during so-called non-combat situations, but only five of these were
the result of ceasefire violations. The rest of the fatalities were
the result of murder, a lack of access to medical service for soldiers
with health issues, accidents and suicides. The fatalities continue
to happen until now and other negative occurrences are increasing in
frequency too.
In response to inquiries from watchdog groups in the country, the
Armenian Ministry of Defence states that these fatalities are just
solitary instances. A major part of society remains loyal to the
Armenian military, as the Army remains the main guarantor of security
for the conflict-affected country.
At the beginning of 2013, Peace Dialogue NGO has launched a new
website entitled 'Safe Soldiers for a Safe Armenia'. It contains a
database on non-combat fatalities, deceased soldiers and human rights
violations recorded in the Armenian Armed Forces since the signing
of the cease-fire after the Nagorno-Karabakh war. As of today, the
on-line database includes more than 550 fatal cases.
The compilation of the database became possible due to information
received from media and watchdog groups working on human rights
protection in the armed forces, from victims' relatives and successors,
as well as from information received from state bodies (the Ministry
of Defence, military investigative service, etc) in response to
numerous inquiries.
The aim of the database is to collect and spread information about
each fatal case and human rights violation in the Armenian Armed
Forces. In other words, according to the implementing staff, after
a while the website will become a full database that will help to:
Increase the sensitivity of the government towards the issue; Breakdown
public indifference towards human rights violations and abuses in the
Army amongst local and international society; Involve international
experts, local civil society representatives, and independent
researchers in studying the issue from different perspectives and in
designing alternative models that will best fit the Armenian context.
Visitors can also make their contribution to the completion of the
database by posting information or uploading photos or media materials
about fatalities or human rights violations in the army that have not
been recorded yet in the website or elsewhere. The staff working on
the website tried to list descriptions of the cases (places, dates
and causes etc.), the investigative processes initiated in regards
to those cases, as well as the following investigative and trial
processes and the violations revealed during those processes.
According to the implementing team, the ultimate effect of the website
will, for example, be the fact that quick updates about illegalities
and human rights violations recorded in any of the units and posted
by the witnesses can serve as an alarm for the authorities to take
necessary actions after they are clarified and approved.
In addition, the staff will continue to update various human
rights-related announcements and news releases. Certain sections of
the website include Armenian legislation regulating the relationship
between the armed forces and citizens; international agreements,
local regulations, documents, reports and publications, as well as
various research and expert opinions related to the topic.
As a result of this project, Peace Dialogue aims to raise awareness
in Armenian society about the troubling human rights situation in the
armed forces in order to create public demand for the solutions of the
problems and to mobilize and include local, national and international
actors who can have positive influence on current situation.
Edgar Khachatryan is the director of Peace Dialogue, a member of
the Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation. He specializes in
international peacebuilding trainings, consultancy and expertise
in gender and peace processes, violence prevention, and post-war
stabilization and recovery.
The website is prepared within the project Safe Soldiers for a Safe
Armenia of Peace Dialogue NGO, supported by Dutch organization Pax.
http://www.transconflict.com/2014/09/safe-soldiers-safe-armenia-109/
From: Baghdasarian