Reprinted from Nor Haratch issue #200 (April 5, 2011)
Translated from the Armenian
With his “Correction,” Bedros Terzian, President of “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund (HAAF) in France, took advantage of his right to response stipulated by the French law on journalism, reacts quite aggressively to Haroutiun Gobelian’s series of four articles published in Nor Haratch, titled “To Donate or Not to Donate?” Ara K. Manoogian’s Scandalous Series of Articles: a White Paper on “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund.

 

To respond in rebuttal is his right. We live in a country where freedom of speech and expression is ratified and regulated. However, we regret that he wastes that decreed right on discrediting journalistic work, journalists and press by ridicule: “Since when do say-so’s culled from newspapers have the power of evidence? Since when?” However, despite this assertion, he turns to the pages of our newspaper for his self-defense. Will he qualify his statements tomorrow as a say-so, just because they are being typeset in a newspaper? So much disdain toward writings published in newspapers is unacceptable.

Misinterpretation of Haroutiun Gobelian’s series of articles is a peculiarity of Terzian’s “Correction.” We will try to keep it short and focus only on the first paragraph of “Correction”. Here is a quote: “With indignation, I read a series of articles published in Nor Haratch, quoting groundless slanders about ‘Hayastan’ All-Armenian Fund by a ‘journalist’ named Ara K. Manoogian.” Wrong Nor Haratch does not quote Ara Manoogian’s groundless slanders; it presents Ara K. Manoogian’s investigative work, titled “To Donate Or Not to Donate?”. We present the work just as we would present any literary, scholarly, artistic, or a social research work. It is our duty; we play our role, as the press, even when referring to works that may not seem pleasant to HAAF. Ara K. Manoogian, the author of “To Donate Or Not to Donate?”, is a member of Policy Forum Armenia, an Armenian think tank, which has assiduously been following the activities of HAAF for 19 years, and has examined numerous evidentiary materials—published, spoken, announced—which, although not exhaustive, include many revealing materials, pose courageous and actual demands and formulate important questions.

We would have considered all this as somewhat acceptable. However, the issue further on assumes a more serious character, as Nor Haratch editorship is all but accused of national betrayal: “His purpose is one. To attack an organization working to assist the people of Armenia and Artsakh… But you, Nor Haratch, editorship of an Armenian newspaper, do you realize to whom and to what you attach your name?” We sternly condemn this intellectually indecent position and we find it inappropriate for the leadership of a pan-Armenian organization. We used to think of the head of the French HAAF as someone more responsible and knowledgeable. It is neither the Armenian press of the Diaspora, nor an Armenian journalist that is attacking an organization helping the nation; it is being done by those who defend the corrupt circles of Armenia.

We have witnessed the serious and meticulous work done by the HAAF in France. However, we cannot say the same thing about the HAAF in Armenia, taking into account the existence of corruption at the highest state level, which has even been admitted by both the President and the Prime Minister, confirmed by international NGOs, and which keeps growing. Moreover, according to the latest data, it has become systemic, i.e. it has gotten to the worst level (see the interview of the head of the Yerevan office of Transparency International Anti-Corruption).

At a deeper level, Mr. Terzian’s position is nothing new: it repeats HAAF Executive Director Ara Vardanyan’s more explicit populist statement, addressed to investigative journalist Ara K. Manoogian, in regards to “To Donate Or Not to Donate?”. “Certainly, there will be benefactors who will stop making donations after reading your articles and as a result a new school, hospital, water main, or such will not be constructed in a village in Armenia or Artsakh and you will be responsible for that – a person who is ignorant towards thousands of benefactors’ loyalty and devotion to their homeland…” (See Ara Vardanyan’s response in Nor Haratch #193, p. 5).

Nor Haratch published the above-mentioned response of Ara Vardanyan, HAAF Executive Director, in advance, so that the French HAAF spares us, French-Armenians, an unacceptable counteraction, such as “Correction.” Moreover, after receiving his text, we asked the director of the HAAF in France to give up his request to publish it in Nor Haratch. Because all of it had already been said. But, in vain.

Let us now consider the financial documents. We ourselves would like to ask a question: since when did clean financial documents and auditing companies verifying those documents become evidence of being corruption-free. “ALL the financial documents of the HAAF are open before ALL” is presented as a guarantee of accounting transparency to prove that HAAF cannot have become a victim of corruption. During the 2008 economic crisis, was it not those same audit experts who had also audited the international banks, which went bankrupt due to mortgage fraud and over-valuation? Even such an internationally renowned person as Madoff, the pride of the financial world, managed to steal $50 billion, in spite of the multitude of auditors. HAAF cannot hide behind auditors’ work. Nor is the “come to the office and check” convincing for anyone. The information published in media is not say-so for Nor Haratch. It is the duty of HAAF, as a public organization, to respond to each and every statement and question published in the media. And it is not the populist statements that will make us give up our convictions and the responsibility of our work as a news agency.

The main goal of Ara Manoogian’s series of investigative research articles on HAAF is the achievement of the Fund’s independence from the governmental circles of the Republic of Armenia. Of the members of HAAF’s Governing Board, 67% are high-ranking government officials, with the President of the Republic of Armenia also being the president of the Governing Board. In the first point of his response,  Mr. Terzian emphasizes: “It is natural and essential, that the person heading an important office such as the HAAF executive office be not only nationalistic and capable, but also be worthy of the confidence of the president of Armenia and the HAAF executive council.  The opposite would be unusual and unacceptable.” An absolutely unacceptable approach. A humanitarian structure cannot tolerate being dependent on Armenia’s governmental circles. The government is a political structure, whereas a humanitarian organization is a social, non-governmental entity. All corruption mechanisms are associated with economic enterprises related to government officials. For this very reason, independence is necessary.

What does Levon Ter-Pedrosyan, the founder of the Fund and its first president, whose trust Bedros Terzian enjoyed, think and what does he say from the stages about Kocharyan, the Fund’s second president, and Serzh Sargsyan, the current one, whose trust Ara Vardanyan and Bedros Terzian enjoy?

The main source of the disease are those occupying the highest positions of the Armenian state, who are responsible for the establishment of the corruption that has been permeating the country for 20 years. The activities of HAAF should be detached from subjection to the governmental regime.

Instead of calling an independent journalist, like Ara K. Manoogian, a “deserter,” we ask you aim your lessons and accusations at those government officials who have pocketed billions of dollars granted to Armenia and Artsakh by corrupt means. It is their fault that fewer roads, water mains, schools and hospitals have been built in Artsakh and Armenia. It is their fault that millions of Armenians follow the path of emigration. And don’t dutifully accuse those writings published in media that have a critical stance or endorse opposing views. Respond with decency.

Since its establishment of the French HAAF, Nor Haratch has always reflected a positive assessment of its activities. The Fund is a necessary institution useful for the nation. It can be improved; its mode of work can be bettered; its structure can be made independent and exemplary, so that it becomes a model for eradication of corruption in Armenia; and serves an example for close cooperation and mutual confidence between Diaspora and Armenia.

 

Editorship of Nor Haratch