Let's not let Armenia's tragic history repeat itself

Authored by eliasrutten.substack.com and submitted by wetdreamzaboutmemes
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In recent years, we have been inundated with news that we don't want to hear: the pandemic, inflation, the energy crisis, and, to top it off, the war in Ukraine. People have limited mental space to worry, so it's easiest to focus on what personally affects them. However, our world is larger than our own backyard, and it seems that the Western community is fixated on what's at home and forgetting what's happening outside their door.

During the "Japanese Tables Evening," an event where students and diplomats converse, I noticed how the Western-centric news cycle leaves a gap in our global knowledge. In a conversation with diplomats, a humanitarian crisis emerged that I had never heard of. I'm referring to Nagorno-Karabakh, where the humanitarian situation is so dire that approximately 120,000 people lack access to food, medicine, and hot water.

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a disputed region with an Armenian ethnic majority. The area was assigned to Azerbaijan during Soviet times, when little attention was paid to the ethnic makeup of rural regions. Two bloody wars were fought over such areas, the latest being the Azeri invasion in 2020. After a ceasefire was reached, Nagorno-Karabakh became an enclave only accessible via a narrow mountain pass.

Since mid-December, the road that runs through this mountain pass has been blocked by Azeri "environmental activists" who claim to be protesting mining in the area. Despite Nagorno-Karabakh authorities stopping mining operations, the blockade continues. According to Amnesty International, the group does not allow essential goods such as food and medicine through. Additionally, gas pipelines and communication infrastructure leading to the region have been sabotaged. Ironically, this has led to deforestation and ecological damage in the area, as residents must chop wood to heat their homes, according to Armenian media.

The blockade at the Lachin corridor

Typically, the mountain pass is guarded by Russian security forces, but since the war in Ukraine, relations between Armenia and Russia have deteriorated. Armenian President Pashinyan said in January that Armenia would not host a Russian-led military exercise and referred to the security forces as a threat rather than security. In response, Russia is using the security forces in Nagorno-Karabakh as leverage to pressure the Armenian president to obey Russia. In fact, the blockade is made possible by a Russian power play.

Several protesters have been identified as military personnel in civilian clothing, and protesters are very active on social media, where they often share their love for the Aliyev family. Furthermore, it appears that the vast majority of (environmental) organizations present at the protest have ties to the government in Baku.

There is strong evidence that the blockade is being orchestrated by the Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev, who sees it as his personal responsibility to drive Armenians out of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 2020, he said: "We will expel the fascists from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) like dogs." And "We will kick you (Armenians) out, there will be no trace of them left in these territories."

Several demonstrators have been identified as military personnel in civilian clothing, and the demonstrators are very active on social media, often sharing their love for the Aliyev family. Furthermore, it appears that most of the environmental organizations present at the protest have ties to the government in Baku.

It has now been 60 days since the start of the blockade, and tensions are running high on the ground. According to the Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh, ten people have already died due to the untimely supply of medicine, and over 5000 people have lost their jobs.

Currently, a lawsuit is being heard at the International Court of Justice in The Hague between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in which the Armenians claim that the Azerbaijani blockade is a prelude to genocide. The verdict is expected on February 22nd. If the Armenians win, this will put more pressure on Aliyev to lift the blockade.

The question is why the West seems to be doing nothing against Aliyev, the ultimate responsible for this misery. Measures have already been issued to punish dictators like Lukashenko and Putin for their crimes, so why have no sanctions been imposed on Aliyev and his oligarchic family? The Armenian ambassador to the Netherlands, Tigran Balayan, has called for sanctions against those responsible for the blockades. Unfortunately, his call seems to sadly have fallen on deaf ears.

If you’re familiar with Armenian history, you will remember the genocide that claimed around 1 million lives. Action against this potential ethnic cleansing is necessary. Unless we want to accept serious human suffering and look back in a few years wondering why we did nothing. The level of international turbulence we are experiencing cannot be an excuse for inaction. Let us not allow tragic Armenian history to repeat itself.

burningphoenix77888 on February 23rd, 2023 at 00:01 UTC »

Karabakh is Azerbaijan. Simple as that. Azerbaijan should not be sanctioned for wanting to retake the territory that was stolen and occupied. By that logic we should sanction Ukraine and Zelensky for wanting to take back Donbas. Azerbaijan is under no obligation to keep the corridor open until Armenia keeps its end of the peace deal and removes its soldiers from Karabakh and gives Azerbaijan the corridor to its exclave.

Of course though. OP is probably one of the people who cheered on Khojaly.

wetdreamzaboutmemes on February 22nd, 2023 at 21:30 UTC »

In this article, I will describe why personal sanctions against Ilham Aliyev are necessary. Here is a short introduction of what the article is about:

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, is a disputed region with an Armenian ethnic majority. The area was assigned to Azerbaijan during Soviet times, when little attention was paid to the ethnic makeup of rural regions. Two bloody wars were fought over such areas, the latest being the Azeri invasion in 2020. After a ceasefire was reached, Nagorno-Karabakh became an enclave only accessible via a narrow mountain pass.

Since mid-December, the road that runs through this mountain pass has been blocked by Azeri "environmental activists" who claim to be protesting mining in the area. Despite Nagorno-Karabakh authorities stopping mining operations, the blockade continues. According to Amnesty International, the group does not allow essential goods such as food and medicine through. Additionally, gas pipelines and communication infrastructure leading to the region have been sabotaged. Ironically, this has led to deforestation and ecological damage in the area, as residents must chop wood to heat their homes, according to Armenian media.