UAECNE statement on the crisis in Artsakh
The Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East issued the following statement on September 20, 2023. This comes in the midst of developments there, and during a World Council of Churches’ solidarity visit.
AFTER NINE MONTHS OF AZERBAIJAN’S
- blockade of food and medicine from reaching Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)
- psychological warfare against innocent citizens
- repeated military attacks
- killing people going about their daily work
- political game-playing on the world stage
- hostage taking and torturing
- disinformation and “fake news”
- outrageous historical distortions
- attacks on civilian targets in Armenia as well as Artsakh
- occupying sovereign Armenian land
- disregarding the basic human rights of an innocent population
- disseminating lies about Armenians, Artsakh and Armenia to its own population
- demonizing the Armenians of Artsakh and Armenia to the world and spreading hatred…
And in the past two days, Azerbaijan, an authoritarian regime, has resorted to a terroristic military attack and invasion under the guise of “stopping terrorism” to impose its will on Artsakh, and “ethnically cleanse” the land of its rightful Armenian population, which has inhabited Artsakh for more than three thousand years.
World powers issued statements during the nine months of the siege of Artsakh, but took no action, while Azerbaijan capitalized on the unequivocal support of its allies whose genocidal record is well known. International appeals for peace rang hollow, and calls for negotiation were void of any sense of justice, and even meaningless, when one side was allowed to act with barbarity and impunity, and the victim was asked to essentially surrender to its attacker. And the tragic consequence now: Artsakh was left unprotected and forced to go against its will, against its hope for dignity, and against its right for self-determination.
In the face of these dreadful realities, as human beings we fall speechless.
When will self-interests, double standards and global hypocrisy be put aside and just action taken? Only God knows. In Him alone we trust as all human powers fail us.
“The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” (Psalm 103.6)