The Democracy No One Wants to Happen

Dear Friends,

You might have read a little something in the papers about martial law being declared in Armenia this Sunday, March 1, 2008.

It was much worse than that: this latest outbreak is a serious repression of human rights with a regime that is becoming increasingly dictatorial.

I know, because for a night, I watched angry crowds toss molotov cocktails, cars explode juts a street down from, AKA 47 rifle fire whiz past my front door and tank-fired tracers shot in the air over my head.

Earlier that day, I watched as crowds of police with batons rushed at crowds in the streets, beating people randomly and violently. I walked past a pool of blood shed by soldiers attacking people leaving the scene of a protest. In Armenia, they don't use tear gas, which hurts but wears off quickly -- this was brutal, metal-meets-head submission.

For those of you whom I've lost touch with, in the last few months I've moved to Armenia, where I've been working with journalists to cover the presidential elections here.

The truth is that no one really wanted a revolution in Armenia -- except for the 20-30,000 Armenians who protested the results of a grossly unfair presidential election on Feb. 19.

Despite blatant cheating committed most egregiously by the ruling party now in power, the international observing organization, though, OSCE, rubber-stamped the election, calling it "fair and meeting international standards." The US government, which has actively supported this regime, has not raised a finger to suggest the results were unfair.

Only a few people were wholeheartedly in support of the opposition candidate, the country's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who was himself associated with bad leadership. Most were concerned about the hi-jacking of elections by ruling powers to stay in power, the absolute blatant disregard for the process. So they marched, they sang, they camped out in sub-zero temperatures in front of the State Opera House.

When the ruling party tried to hold a dueling rally earlier this week, they failed. People attending the rally of the ruling party's presidential candidate, Serge Sarksian, were state employees mostly forced there by threat of being fired from their jobs to attend. The rally fizzled, people turning away for a promised pop concert, as eager Ter-Petrosyan supporters filled the streets and blocked the traffic, shouting the slogans. Some even joined the opposition hordes.

On 5 a.m. Saturday morning, police planted quite obviously new weapons, from grenades to guns, next to sleeping protesters, then forced a confrontation.

By the time I arrived at 8 a.m, thousands of troops had cordoned off the area. I saw blood, I saw a TV cameraman taken into a van and driven away, and I was harassed by cops when I tried to look at the former protest zone. Later, riot police with billy clubs were sent to subdue the growing crowds, beating people mercilessly. I vividly recall watching a young man thrown to the street in front of a mini-bus, as these special forces surrounded him, kicking and beating him with sticks. I was across the street, mere yards away, as were hundreds of people -- but none of us could do anything, unless we wanted to get beaten ourselves. Its a very helpless feeling.

This was nasty to watch, but necessary -- It's important to witness because the government in power here is vastly spinning the events of the weekend, likening the attacks to a few problem, drug-addicted malcontents.

By the afternoon, people had gathered at another park, and busses were used to block off city streets. They got madder and madder, and as the night came on, the thousands became ten thousands, and people got more and more angry. We watched as drunk young men stalked down the street with bricks, sticks or pipes in their hands.

Explosions began going off at 10:30 -- and gunfire was fired into the air and into the crowd. I tell you, I've been in riots and protests before, but I've never been so afraid for my own life and the life of everyone on the street. Whomever you ran into, he meant business.

Tanks rolled into the streets at 2 am, and martial law was declared. That includes a complete press blackout -- no media can write anything but official government statements for the next 20 days. They can't cover the court trials challenging the elections, or any other news, except what the government wants to hear. The government wins, and it's not fair.

if you are interested in more ...

Below is one of the best local news sources on the events of the weekend, www.armenianow.com

For details on why people are so pissed off, read the election content project I headed at www.amnewsservice.org

And here is a great new york times story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/world/europe/02armenia.html?fta=y

And attached are some pictures.

Much love to all of you, hope this is of interest to you.

Warmly,
Leah