GLENDALE—More than 20 years after they were first planted in Artsakh, landmines still remain and continue to maim, mutilate and kill the people of the land. In an effort to bring awareness to the problem and solicit help to clear the landmines, the Western Diocese is hosting a special “Landmine Free Artsakh” evening on October 13, at the Zorayan Museum Hall, 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504.
This evening is organized under the auspices of Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, and will feature attorney Mark Geragos and musical entertainer Gor Mkhitarian who bring their talents to benefit the cause.
The featured speaker is Galina Danilova from the HALO Trust, the world’s oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance organization. Danilova heads the finance office of HALO Trust in Artsakh and for the past 11 years has been working in landmine clearing.
“Every year Armenians get hurt,” says Danilova, “some with significant injuries. Although war ended 19 years ago, the land still carries the seeds of war. Farmers cannot grow crops to feed their families. Prairie fertile land is surrounded with ‘danger’ signs.”
During the evening, Danilova will show pictures and explain exactly how people can put an end to the suffering by participating in the landmine clean-up efforts.
“Our mission is to generate awareness about landmine problems in Artsakh and to help fundraise to completely de-mine all villages! These villages are in the Latchin, Hadrut and Martuni regions, where no international grants and funds can be secured. Without private funding, these minefields will never be cleared.”
The public is cordially invited to attend this free informational event on October 13 at 5 p.m. Refreshments and wine will be served. For more information visit LandmineFreeArtsakh.com or call 818-523-2878.
This is a horrible idea. Landmines in Artsakh are one of the biggest deterrents to Azeri aggression. Why not just roll a red carpet for Azeri and Turkish tanks?
THey want clean landmines in populated areas not from the contact zone.
No, no…..they are not talking about removing mines at the border areas. Those mines are very valuable, I agree with you. This program is about clearing mines, submunitions from cluster bombs, and unexploded ordinance from lands inside of the borders, in other words, all over Artsakh proper. The internal territory of Artsakh that still has UXO is not free to be used for farming or construction because it has not been cleared yet.
The only things I’m opposed to is using manual methods to clear mines, and the job being done by a humanitarian organization instead of the Artsakh army. This is a military problem and it should be cleared by the army using the several already existing machine methods of mine clearing such as: flails, rollers, anti mine plows, and even (in the most dangerous areas) mine clearing line charges (MICLIC). Look these up online to see how they work, and how they can clear minefields much faster than humans probing the ground, as shown in the picture at the beginning of this article.
ETE HAYTNABEREL INCH GAZATESAK NUYTE KE VERACNI KHOZERIN ARANTS SPANELU MARDKANTC EV KENDANINERIN AYT NUYTE NAEV KAROKHE KIRARVIEL TURQERIN EV AIL DRANC PATKACOKH TESAKNERI VOCHNCHATSMAN.
If you’re gonna write Armenian please use Armenian alphabet, there are many ways of doing this and if you don’t know how please find out.
SORRY BUT I AM NORMALY DOING THIS FROM CORPORATE COMPUTER AT MY BREAK TIME.
Having hard time with Google translate, aren’t ya;)
With all due respect, these are not landmines strategically placed to protect Artsakh. These are landmines and unexploded ordinances that are scattered throughout the land now a part of independent Norgono Kharabak. These landmines threaten the lives of Armenians in their homes and in the fields they need to cultivate. I strongly urge Mr. Matosian to come to the event and get an idea of what this is really about- saving Armenian lives and allowing Armenians to cultivate their land.
The existing mines are a menace to the local population of Armenian villagers and their kids who are trying to survive working the land. We can’t let mines remain in the ground as a deterrent to Azeri invasion, while destroying our own people, that’s crazy. We can not jeopardize the lives of our own people on the slight chance that Azeris attack. The right way to fight a Azeri attack is to fight back.
The fact that these lands still pose a danger to local Armenian population helps the Azeri cause by not letting the local Armenian villagers work the land to survive and thrive. It helps the Azeri cause by repressing the local Armenians, restricting the local villagers from a free life and work surrounding.
I was wondering why HALO trust insists on distributing Azeri propaganda in its publications outside of the mainly Armenian audiences… For example, they repeat Azeri Turk positions about “Armenian occupied Karabakh”, “war between Armenia and Azerbaijan” and similar BS coming straight from the Sultanate’s Ministry of Truth…
I think I found the answer… Senator McCain’s wife is on the Board of this organization. His ANCA score is C- on Armenian issues. Here is how he earns his grades: “[in his speech] McCain pointed out US must seek allies in the changing world. This partnership should be built upon such reliable partners as Azerbaijan. The senator pointed out construction of the gas pipeline from the Caspian basin via Turkey to Europe meets the US interests.”
We have to be smart in taking advantage of all kinds of organizations to the benefit of our people. We can not be black and white thinking ideologues, either-your-for-us-or-against-us, short-sighted thinkers, but smart thinkers. I don’t want to defend HALO in everything it does but they serve a lot of regions in the world one of which happens to be Artsakh, and as long as they clear mines that are a direct threat to the survival of our fellow Armenians in Karabagh, we have to take advantage of it. Don’t be stupid.
This operation is funded by the US Government from the meager appropriations we have to beg Congress for every year.
Since the US can’t afford its own operations now, wouldn’t it be better to have an Army Corps of Engineers regiment or two from the Commonwealth of Independent States to finish the job in just a few months?
It used to be funded by USAID, not anymore, it hasn’t been funded by USAID for couple of years I believe, maybe longer than 2 years. We Armenians have to help fund it now, nobody else would.
You seem to have some insider knowledge about their operations.
Care to disclose your apparent conflict of interest?
UNTIL WE DO NOT CREATE SPECIAL MINES WHICH CAN SELECTIVELY KILL ” ARMED PIGS” ONLY, ARTSAKH IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A PEACE. I BELIEVE TIME WILL COME AND THEY SHALL BE DEFEATED AS THEY HAVE BEEN TERRORIZING ARMENIAN LIFEES FOR CENTURIES. THESE ‘PIGS’ NOW KILL OUR 18 YERS OLD KIDS ON BORDERS WITH SNIPER RIFLES AND THEIR PIG GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT TO COME TO THE TERMS OF PEACE. I BELIEVE WE, WHO CALL THEMSELVES ARMENIANS, SHOULD STAND EVEN STRONGER TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTE TO PROTECTION OF OUR PEOPLE AND PRESERVATION OF OUR HISTORICAL LAND.