The issues of the rights of the villagers, their peaceful and
normal daily lives must be of primary importance in the process of resolving
border disputes.
In the 1920s, for example, in the border areas of Soviet
Armenia, one of the constant concerns of Armenian villagers was the attacks and
looting by bandits from Azerbaijani territories (later Red Kurdistan), theft of
animals, sale of lands to Armenian villagers by Azerbaijani landowners and
thereafter illegally bringing claims of ownership to reclaim such lands.
For example, in 1922, in the report addressed to the Central
Executive Committee of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the
Zangezur Provincial Executive Committee, it states that "there can be no
normal life” or “friendly relations“ without resolving the issue of the
land-administrative borders of Zangezur province with Ghubatlu. Several reports
from the Zangezur Provincial Executive Committee to the Haykent Executive
Committee in the second half of 1925 attest to this, referring to the border
dispute between Kapan and Ghubatlu citing the same concerns. Such issues were
also raised on October 18, 1926 within the report addressed to the land
administration of the People's Committee of Agriculture of the Armenian SSR.
Historical documents show that the local administrations of
Azerbaijan, including the Ministry of Education and Science of Azerbaijan, have
always wrongfully accused the Armenian villagers living in the border areas of
Zangezur of border violations and illegal activities in their own territory.
Unfounded border disputes brought upon Azerbaijani allegations and against the
villagers have, by all accounts, have repeatedly contributed to such
provocations.
In fact, these were the ways and means of occupying the
territories of Soviet Armenia.
These days, we must learn
from these important historical facts, and we are duty bound to guarantee the
rights of the inhabitants of the border villages of Armenia.
Հայերեն
