THE GENOCIDE CONTINUES

Extract from the interview with film Director Armen Khachatryan

– Kurds live in Western Armenia on the lands of the Armenians.

– Kurds settled in the Armenian lands in 1940-50s. They haven’t built anything, they live in the houses of the Armenians built 100 years ago. Moreover, they know that sooner or later Armenians would return, so they are not comfortable on our lands. They think Armenian tourists are coming after their grandfathers’ gold. They destroy our churches, forts hoping to find gold.

Now the Turks have started the same economic pursuits against Kurds as they did against Armenians. The taxes on cattle are so high that Kurds can’t do cattle-raising. Turks wait for a suitable moment to resolve the Kurdish problem.

– In the end of the film it is mentioned that in indigenous Armenian lands live 2mln Armenians. Is this figure real?

-Don’t be surprised. Western Armenia is a big territory. When people come to know that these tourists are Armenians they change immediately, become hospitable, low down prices, and their eyes… fill with tears. And when they drink vodka, no secret remains, they hold you and confess. Remember, one of the heroes of the film says: “We were small and didn’t understand why our grandma once a year gave us coloured eggs, and grandpa prayed on water and then splashed it on us. Where the life was more or less prosperous people maintained their national habits and rituals, but majority conceal their identity. Old people before death confess that they are Armenians. They don’t teach children Armenian language fearing that they would blab out in the yard. In this country it is prohibited to be an Armenian, no one can trust anybody. You are surprised for the figure 2mln, but that’s true. Is it possible to pull out from the roots the nation which from time immemorial lives in his homeland?

Aram Nersisyan