Vahe H. Apelian
Recently I lent my support to Zareh Sinanyan's statement in favor of non-Armenians from friendly countries immigrating to Armenia. Zareh Sinanyan is in charge of Armenia Diaspora affairs.
I got a few rebuttals for having made such a supporting statement. I was reminded of the Armenian saying of beating the gardener instead of taking issue with the gardener's gardening.
Someone from Canada wrote: “Please do not give me this story that Armenia is being emptied of its own citizens and therefore it got to resort to suh mesure as to imporing a mixture of friendly nationals”.
Another from South America asked if I was joking.
A person from Syria ridiculed me.
A Syrian Armenian who lives in Armenia: “Վա՜հէ...ամմա «ույտուրեցիր» հա:” That is to say I am making this amusing make-up using a Turkish word for making it up.
And a few more but all from Diaspora Armenians enjoying the benefit of their exemplary citizinship living in their host countries. The rebuttals were against me for having made my supporting statement and not substantiating a rebuttal against the supporting statement I made.
Coming to figures.:
The Republics of Armenia and Artsakh have an area that is 3.94 times that of Lebanon.
Individually:
Republic of Artsakh has an area of 4424 sq. miles, slightly bigger than Lebanon that has an area of 4036 sq. miles and 6.84 million inhabitants while Artsakh has 145,053 inhabitants, that is to say Lebanon has 47 times the population of Artsakh!
Armenia is 11,484 sq. miles, which makes Armenia 2.9 times larger than Lebanon. The population of Armenia 2.97 million. That is to say the 2.9 times smaller Lebanon has 2.3 times the population of Armenia.
The noted Palestinian liberation leader Arafat once famously said the solution of the Palestinian issue is in the wombs of the Palestinian women. The Palestinian leadership was alarmed to realize that the average Palestinian woman now bears on the average 4 children, while the Armenians are nonchalant that the average Armenian woman bears 1.75 children, where selective abortion in favor of males is not uncommon. For a country like Armenia with a decent healthcare, the replacement birthrate is slightly over 2 children. At this rate, Armenia cannot replenish itself, while hemorrhaging.
The past 30 years have not stopped the hemorrhaging of Armenia. I doubt that the coming years will.
Armenian citizenship is an Armenian’s birthright. Armenians do not have immigration issue to Armenia, save financial assistance. But, the overwhelming majority of Diaspora Armenians do not use their birthright privilege and settle in Armenia.
This demography and trend are concerning. Especially that Armenia has a much broader border to safeguard. Lebnon has only a few tens of kilometers boarder in the south against Israel.
Serzh Sargsyan administration claimed that the population of Armenia will grow to be 4 million by 2040. Astute politician he is, he made no reference as how and from where will he be able to increase the population to 4 million. Zareh Sinanyan, in charge of Armenia’s Diaspora Affairs, appears not be as an astute politician. Instead of carefully tiptoeing around the subject during the discussion it is reported he had with the editor of Aztag daily, said what he said. Two administrations who do not see each other eye to eye, agree on the issue of demography in Armenia and express a need to increase it.
The reaction to Sinanyan was baffling, especially that it is predominantly from Diaspora Armenians, themselves immigrants. Their reaction was astounding, as if Armenia is in an eminent danger facing a torrential flow by non-Armenians to the war-torn country at war with two of its neighbors, and where military service is a must, and those who served remain under call for long. Armenia is economically stagnated and on the verge of breaking apart from its seams because of political animosity. It is a country where most diaspora Armenians avoid settling but strangely also appear also to be dead set against diehard non-Armenians settle there.
Surely immigration is not the only answer but is an avenue. I see due reason for Sinanyan to have said what he said and I support it
The other issue is this culture of rejecting a proposal without substantiating a rebuttal or an alternative. If there is a proposal for an alternate solution, for now those who have it appear to be guarding it tenaciously.
Note: The figures are from Wikipedia.
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