Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenia’s independence today is like a young man tortured, beaten and humiliated in the army or a 20-year-old girl abandoned in pain who cannot go into labor because the doctor is beating wool — this is the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, said one of the founders of the Sardarapat movement, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan, speaking to reporters in the Armenian capital today.
According to him, Armenia just 20 years later knows that the most terrible threat to the state is not threats from Azerbaijan or a Turkish blockade, but, first and foremost, local tyrants, who “are in no way better than foreign tyrants.”
“15–16 years after the war, the Armenian government… has simply one goal: the pillaging of the people. Thus, [celebrating] the 20th anniversary of so-called independent Armenia, is, in fact, an occupied territory. Consequently, its clans declaring themselves the Armenian government are the occupiers,” he said.
According to Khzmalyan, any cooperation, dialogue (referring to the dialogue between the opposition Armenian National Congress and the ruling coalition), deal, debate with or adulation serves only to strengthen their position of power.
There’s only one way out, continued the Sardarapat movement founder, “to overthrow the authority of these occupiers through civil disobedience, public resistance, and moral intolerance.”
Text updated 8:08 pm same day for clarity.