Hybrid Warfare, a Pseudo-Scandal and the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute

 Stephan Astourian

It has been a month and a half now that an unpleasant controversy has been raging in Armenia around the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI), its director Dr. Harutyun Marutyan, and a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Hranush Kharatyan. Among the accusations, one could enumerate the following: Dr. Marutyan avoids using the word “genocide” on purpose, preferring “Medz Yeghern” (Great Crime); his goal is to dilute, if not annihilate, Armenian legal claims, and to encourage rapprochement with denialist Turkey; he must be an agent of some obscure forces, if not of Turkey itself, and probably of the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which has been accused of “destroying Armenian values and statehood” after coming to power in late spring 2018. Of course, diluting Armenian Genocide claims must have been part of these vicious purported goals, according to the allegations.

Is 2018 the New 1988? Some Thoughts on the Karabakh Movement and the “Velvet Revolution”

The Second Armenian Revolution?

There is a famous saying attributed to Chinese Communist Chzhou Enlai, that it is too early to judge the results of the French Revolution. Unfortunately, in reality this famous quote is a result of a misunderstanding: Enlai was referring to the French protests of 1968, but the conversation was taking place in 1972; indeed, it was too early to tell. In any case, it is obviously too early to judge the “Velvet Revolution.” First of all, it is far from over. Regardless of who becomes interim prime minister and whoever wins the elections, the revolution cannot be considered accomplished until the corrupt system, which I would call  “feudal-oligarchic,” is dismantled. However, already one of the most commonly discussed topics in Armenia is the comparison between the events of the recent weeks and another great movement that took place in Armenia exactly 30 years ago – the Karabakh Movement (I am using the term “Karabakh Movement” rather than “Artsakh Movement,” as this was the commonly used term at the time; the historical term “Artsakh” was rediscovered later, during the course of the movement.)