notes from WEST ASIA

Vazgen Manukyan, the first Prime Minister of Armenia, and the Defense Minister credited with turning around the 1988-1994 Artsakh liberation war at its lowest point, when Azeri shelling had reached Kapan, addressed a mass rally in Yerevan’s Liberty Square on September 2, 2023 to mark Artsakh Independence Day as the republic neared nine months of Azeri siege. 

“Thirty years ago, we gathered in this square and said that we will defend the independence of Karabakh. At that time, it seemed like a fantasy, because during the Soviet Union it was unimaginable to hold such a rally and demand the unification of Karabakh with Armenia.”

That plan was realized in accordance with relevant USSR legislation and so Karabakh—Artsakh was liberated. 

“We gathered here again in 1992 when the situation seemed hopeless. We were losing the war, the enemy had ten times more weapons and ammunition than us, but he lost and we won. Now we are facing this danger again, and the danger is grave, but there was a solution then and there is a solution today.”

Manukyan outlined the policy Azerbaijan is implementing today.

“Azerbaijan has set itself to the task of ridding Artsakh of its Armenian population, creating the conditions to compel the Armenians to leave and then deporting those who remain or organizing a massacre. That program is very clear.

“And what plan does Azerbaijan have for Armenia? That afterward he should live peacefully with Armenia? Of course not. Until now, they say that Yerevan is their historical land. In other words, their plan is to first separate Artsakh and Armenia, swallow Artsakh, and then move on to Armenia. They are working towards these goals in parallel. 

“Purely mathematically, the issue will not resolved if we separate the issue of Armenia and Artsakh. They are interconnected; one will die without the other.

As for the people of Artsakh, he noted that they are standing their ground and declaring a struggle. They have not given in to the temptation to allow bread through Azerbaijan. They say, “We will remain hungry, but we will not fall into that trap.”

“It rarely happens that 120 thousand people, including children and elderly, remain besieged in one place and refuse to surrender in order to protect their homeland. You are bearing witness to a history that will be written in golden letters.”

Yet at the same time, the Armenian government says: let’s abandon Karabakh and live in peace.

“It is wrong not only from a moral or political / national point of view, it is wrong from the inception, because Azerbaijan’s plan requires the destruction of both [Artsakh and Armenia].”

Pashinyan claims that international structures will ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh. 

“He is lying; there will be no such thing. The Russian army is stationed there, but they cannot solve the problem, the French want to transport goods by truck, but they cannot. This problem cannot be solved internationally. 

“The interests and goals of our state and nation will not be determined in Moscow, Brussels, Ankara or Washington, but in Yerevan.

“We decided those national issues once with the people, came to an agreement and wrote a Declaration [of Independence] based on it, which became the basis of our State and our Constitution. And Nikol violates that Constitution.” 

Addressing state power structures: 

“Remember that you swore to protect the Constitution, the country, not to protect Nikol. Gather together, talk as a family, continue to fulfill your daily duties, but do not make political decisions that contradict our Constitution, our laws. If you do so, you will be an accomplice.

“A poor man and his clique, who rose suddenly from rags to riches in Armenia, want to decide our fate.”

On taking control of Armenia’s future: 

“We have to decide the issue with the people. If we, like Artsakh, unite around principles with the same insistence and perseverance, the world will take us into account.

“But for this, one rally will not solve the issue; there should be a popular national movement, as we did before. There are capable forces, and I believe that they should unite, sign a pact with each other that we are going to solve this problem. Everyone will have their obligations. 

“They should form a committee of seven to eleven people to lead this movement. After that, the committee has to be in charge of decisions and everyone has to obey those decisions. That committee should show the will of Armenia, and the first victory should the changing of the government, and this will be perceived as a major defeat in Baku and Ankara.

“I call on all able forces to unite, sign a pact with each other and create this committee, but that committee must be voted for from this podium. Its members must be acceptable to the people.”

Addressing the people of Artsakh at the end of his speech:

“Dear citizens of Artsakh: Don’t give up, and we won’t give up here either. Long live Artsakh!” 

Translation of speech originally published in Armenian by Panorama.am https://www.panorama.am/am/news/2023/09/02/Վազգեն-Մանուկյան/2889394