Georgia’s leadership launches policy of forcing Armenians to leave Javakhk

July 22, 2010 - 13:34 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Member of Republican Party of Armenia parliamentary group Shirak Torosyan said that the Georgian leadership has launched a new policy of forcing Armenians to leave Javakhk.

A new program has been approved for Armenian schools of Javakhk. According to the program, the number of lessons of the Armenian language and literature has been cut by two times, Torosyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to him, the Georgian authorities aim to eradicate the Armenian language in Javakhk, what is a rough violation of national minorities' rights.

“The anti-Armenian policy of Georgia’s leadership is exceeding all bounds,” said Torosyan.

Besides, he added that the intelligence services of Georgia have prepared a list of teachers of the Armenian language and history, who voice issues of national identity. And these teachers are dismissed without any explanations. “They are even forbidden to hold other posts in Georgia,” noted Torosyan, adding that similar acts are aimed at distorting the national image of Javakheti Armenians.

“Currently, an unprecedented system of repressions is introduced in Javakhk, it had no analogues even during the Soviet era – Stalin’s tenure,” he said.

Answering a question of a Panarmenian.Net reporter on Armenia’s role in improving the situation in Javakhk, Torosyan said that Armenia should raise the problem of Javakheti Armenians during all meetings with the Georgian authorities.

“Hopefully, the Georgian authorities will finally conceive what kind of catastrophic consequences such policy may have for Georgia itself,” concluded Torosyan.

Javakhk

Javakhk is first mentioned under this very name in "Armenian History" by the V c. historian Movses Khorenatsy in regard to the administrative reforms realized by king Vagharshak. Regardless of the different interpretations of the list of the kings of the pre-Christian period, all the researchers agree that the aforementioned events date as far back as the II c. BC. In the IV c. BC Javakhk was the summer residence of the Georgian king Parnavaz, "In autumn and spring he lived in the city of Mtskhet , in summer in Javakhet and in winter in Ganchenk". About 185 BC, Artashes I annexed the province to Metz Hayk Kingdom , while in 37 AD it became part of Georgia .

In the IV c. AD Javakhk is mentioned in the description of St. Nune's journey to Mtskhet,"... and in June I came to Mount Javakhet, and to the Parnava Sea, and when I came there I saw fishermen by the sea and shepherds on the seashore...". When Armenia was first divided between Byzantium and Sassanid Persia, Javakhk was annexed to the Georgian Province headed by the Marzpan (the governor) of the province, along with the other provinces of Gugark Region.

The Armenian-Georgian war for Javakhk started on December 5, 1918 and was stopped after British interference on December 31. An agreement signed in Tiflis in January 1919 stated that the northern part of Borchalinsky district passed on to Georgia, the southern part passed on to Armenia while the middle (Lori and Zangezur) was announced a "neutral zone" and was under control of British governor-general.

In 1921 Turkish troops intruded into Javakhk, meeting no resistance from the Georgian army. As result, half of the region's population died.

After establishment of the soviet rule in Georgia, Javakhk issue was raised again. Overwhelming majority of the province stood for joining Armenia. A final decision was taken at the plenary session of the Caucasus Bureau and was forwarded to consideration of the Georgian Communist Party's Central Committee, which decreed that "taking into account Akhalkalaki's political and economic ties with Tiflis, the proposals of our Armenian comrades is unacceptable."