ARF Supreme Council Calls for Settlement ‘Exclusively by Peaceful Means’; Warns that Incident Can Lead to the Disunity of Armenians
YEREVAN (A.W.)—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 22, regarding the ongoing hostage situation at a Yerevan police station. “Qualitative changes are necessary, but extremist thought does not bring those changes closer, it distances those changes,” read a part of the statement, which said that country’s issues will not be solved by force, violence, hostage-taking, and terror.
The ARF Supreme Council of Armenia released a statement on July 22.
“The claims that there are no other ways to change the dire situation of our country are false and fabricated. There is a way out, but it requires work, conscious organization, assembly of free citizens, and consistent struggle against all phenomena that weaken us—the foundations of all of which are being created, albeit with difficulty,” read a part of the statement.
In the statement, the ARF Supreme Council warned that the latest incidents can lead to the disunity of the Armenian people. “Profanity, animosity, hatred, violence, or the neglect of the just expectations and dissatisfaction of the people always sow discord and destroy the collective potential of all Armenians. The unimaginable national accord created after the four-day war, today is seriously threatened,” read a part of the statement, which also called for the settlement of the current situation “exclusively by peaceful means.”
“The ARF seeks the settlement of the current situation exclusively by peaceful means; considers new bloodshed as unacceptable; demands professionalism from law enforcement agencies; demands that the rights and dignity of law-abiding citizens be respected; and strongly condemns non-political methods and extremism. We can and will have a strong, free, and thriving Armenia. Along that road, we must forge a government of new quality. We will take that road together with the wide circles of society who too are guided by these values and consciousness,” concluded the statement. (Read the statement in its entirety below)
A day earlier, on July 21, Armenia’s Economy Minister and member of the ARF Supreme Council Artsvik Minasyan urged the armed group to immediately release the remaining hostages being kept at the occupied police station and for the hostage-takers to surrender to law enforcement officers.
The ARF condemned the attack from the first day of the armed occupation. Speaking to Armenia’s Yerkir news service on July 17 ARF Parliamentary Faction secretary and ARF Supreme Body of Armenia member Aghvan Vardanyan said that violence was not the correct way to solve issues in Armenia. “Issues are not resolved through weapons, violence, hostage-taking, and terrorism. These people have chosen the most incorrect and reprehensible way to make much needed change in this country a reality,” Vardanyan said, adding that these types of approaches only reduce the possibility of real, qualitative change.
One police officer was killed and two others were wounded on July 17, when members of an Armenian radical opposition group seized and occupied a Yerevan police station. There is an ongoing hostage situation at the station, as members of the armed group demand the release of a group of political prisoners and the resignation of President Sarkisian.
“Unfortunately, the news of the attempted Turkish coup has been replaced with the incident in Armenia,” Vardanyan said, adding that it is the responsibility of law enforcement to diffuse the hostage situation. “The rest is the responsibility of the law enforcement, which, in my opinion, have not carried out their job well,” Vardanyan said.
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There is a Way Out
Declaration of the A.R.F. Supreme Council of Armenia
It is the sixth day that the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian people are facing a new temptation. A group of people, who do not accept the methods and means of political struggle, are demanding political changes by taking up arms. There is a deadlock situation; there is a crisis of thought. The future of the country depends on which mentality prevails, on what resolution we reach. In this situation, everyone, be it an individual or public-political group, is obliged to take a clear stance.
Hours after the occupation of the police station, when it still was not clear that a colonel had fallen, the ARF expressed its position: yes, qualitative changes are necessary, but extremist thought does not bring those changes closer, it distances those changes. Issues cannot be resolved by taking up arms, by violence, by hostages, by terrorism. The goal by in itself does not justify the means.
Whoever thinks the opposite or assists those who think the opposite, directly excludes the prospect of a strong, well-organized, free country. By creating the illusion that they are struggling for good governance, for a good Armenia, in fact they are destroying Armenia.
The claims that there are no other ways to change the dire situation of our country are false and fabricated.
There is a way out, but it requires work, conscious organization, assembly of free citizens, and consistent struggle against all phenomena that weaken us—the foundations of all of which are being created, albeit with difficulty
Profanity, animosity, hatred, violence, or the neglect of the just expectations and dissatisfaction of the people always sow discord and destroy the collective potential of all Armenians. The unimaginable national accord created after the “Four-Day War,’ today is seriously threatened.
Truth is always bitter, but not saying it is irresponsible and cowardly.
After October 27 [1998]and March 1 [2008], this is the third blow caused to our statehood. There is the danger that once again we will lose time, which is fraught with the threat of new losses on both internal and external fronts. Not to understand this, not to condemn the incident, means playing into the hands of our enemies.
The ARF seeks the settlement of the current situation exclusively by peaceful means, considers new bloodshed as unacceptable, demands professionalism from law enforcing agencies, demands that the rights and dignity of law-abiding citizens be respected, and strongly condemns non-political methods and extremism.
We can and will have a strong, free and thriving Armenia. Along that road, we must forge a government of new quality. We will take that road together with the wide circles of society who too are guided by these values and consciousness.
ARF Supreme Council of Armenia
July 22, 2016
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: ARF: There is a Way Out