Western indifference surprises Armenian protesters
By Laman Sadigova
Protests in Yerevan have quieted through police interference, while protesters have not received any support from Western democracies.
A rally that originally began under social mottoes then took into political colors because people did not see any constructive reaction from the government.
The Commission on the Regulation of Public Services in Armenia in its June 17 meeting approved a decision to increase electricity tariffs by 6.93 Armenian drams (about $0.015). As a result, starting on August 1 consumers would have been required to pay 48.78 drams instead of the current 41.85 per 1 kWh per day.
The demonstrations were gaining momentum day by day as the people's patience came to its end.
The move directly demonstrated the absence of democracy and infringement of basic human rights in the post Soviet country, accompanied by attacks on fair demands for freedom, justice, and democracy.
Such a strange behavior from the West and international organizations, which always position themselves and as true defenders of democracy and human rights, indeed surprised the participants in the rally. Why they were so indifferent towards the fate of all those who were brutally dispersed just because they tried to oppose the undemocratic state?
The government, scared of the large wave of increasing protests, allowed the police to use violence against its own people just to ensure its power.
The country, which is a member of the Council of Europe, receives remarkably little criticism for its aggressive policy not only towards its neighboring countries, but also for the suppression of its own people.
Double standards in the international political system are not something new, but why Western countries and international organizations contradict their principles in terms of Armenia remains a mystery for its impoverished citizens.
There are also many videos that show cases when the police have harmed citizens and journalists and brutally dispersed crowds with the help of water cannons, despite prior notice about the sit-ins to the police.
The European Parliament has had a surprising position by keeping silence and withholding any comment on developments.
Where the European Parliament, which supposedly is always on the side of the disadvantaged and wounded, is remains a question.
Local media reports that the Armenian government constantly violates the people's basic rights outlined in the Constitution.
Now local human rights activists and opposition representatives blame the West because it shows no pressure on the Armenian government to change the situation. The European Parliament, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, and other organizations prefer to close their eyes and keep silent.
It is not possible to see the difficult and tense situation that is Armenia, but the whole world prefers to be a spectator.
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