AUGUST 22, 2020 MirirTHrE ARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 6, Issue 4648 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF COVID Wreaks Havoc on Businesses in Armenia Litter atop Mount Ararat By Armen Festekjian Special to the Mirror-Spectator ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — Turkish climbers have littered Mount Ararat at an altitude of 4200 meters to an extent that photos taken in the area YEREVAN — With now more than appear to show a large pile of trash resembling a 39,000 coronavirus cases and more than landfill. 700 deaths according to the Ministry of The Turkish Sabah newspaper said in an article Public Health of the Republic of Armenia, that the video from the mountain was posted on the country continues to fight to reduce social media. their numbers and restore safety and The author of the article mentions how people health through restrictions and other pro - who litter beaches or picnic parks are called “igno - tective measures. rant,” whereas this pile of trash is caused by pro - All are required to keep social distanc - fessional mountain climbers. ing rules and nearly everyone above the “We are in trouble if even mountain climbers age of 6 is required to wear a mask in pub - have started to litter the nature,” Sabah said, lic spaces and in vehicles of more than one adding that taking an empty juice bottle back dur - person. Businesses were allowed to reopen ing descend shouldn’t have been such a difficult starting May 4, 2020 after the state of thing to do for the climbers. emergency announced on March 16, 2020 that required schools, universities, and businesses to close. Diaspora Small businesses, cafés, restaurants, and hotels struggle to remain open amidst rising Best Western Plus Congress Hotel in Yerevan Commissioner Says numbers of cases, restrictions on the public, and new safety measures. Efforts Underway for “The purchasing power of the Armenian people has been reduced,” claims Sebouh March 16, food related organizations Syrian COVID Victims Mardirossian co-founder of AGROnet remained open. Since the onset of the pan - (agrodeals.net), a small business connect - demic, AGROnet has had a 65-percent YEREVAN (Armenpress) — High Commissioner ing Armenian farmers to the hospitality reduction in sales. Due to the closure of for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan said on August industry. AGROnet received $300 in gov - borders with neighboring countries and 14 that discussions are underway to understand Turkey and Europe ernment assistance but needed much more. restrictions on travel, informal importation how they can help Armenians living in Syria in Exchange Diplomatic While many businesses were required to stopped altogether and formal fighting the coronavirus pandemic. close during the initial lockdown starting see BUSINESSES, page 3 Speaking at a press conference, Sinanyan said Salvos Over Eastern Armenians in Syria face not only financial but healthcare problems. Mediterranean Drilling “Indeed, this issue exists and it was raised by our Syrian-Armenian compatriots. We are considering ATHENS and YEREVAN (Combined Songs of how we can help. The problem concerns medica - Sources) — The diplomatic agencies of tion, the most basic medications have become Armenia and Turkey have renewed their unavailable [there]. We are now thinking how we acrimonious exchange over the weekend Cilicia can [quickly] help our compatriots,” he said. after Yerevan voiced support for Greece and Cyprus in their dispute with Ankara over Starmus Festival to the latter’s Mediterranean gas and oil Celebrated search effort. “We closely follow the latest develop - Take Place in Armenia ments and naval mobilization in the Aegean By Harry Kezelian III In 2021 see DRILLING, page 4 Special to the Mirror-Spectator YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Armenia is expected DETROIT — The region of Cilicia to become an international center for astronomy, occupies a unique place in the history of technology, science, music and arts for one week as the Armenians, which began after the it is going to host the 6th Starmus International incursions of the Turks in Asia Minor in Festival from September 6 to 11, 2021. the 11th century and the exile of the The event will be held in Armenia at the initiative Armenian nobility. From the time that of President Armen Sarkissian, with the support of Baron Roupen I gained a foothold in the the government of Armenia. mountains near Hadjin in 1080, the area Photo of Misak the butcher, pub - The event is expected to attract thousands. lished in the newspaper Tzayn The Starmus International Festival is an interna - was to become a second homeland for Hayrenyats of Constantinople in tional gathering focused on celebrating astronomy, the Armenian people up until the 1909 with a caption asking “when space exploration, music, art, and allied sciences Armenian Genocide of 1915. will justice be served in his case?” such as biology and chemistry. It was founded by Turkish drilling in the Mediterranean see SONGS, page 14 Garik Israelian, an astronomer at the Institute for Astrophysics in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Young Armenian-American INSI DE Activists Amplify Armenian Issues through Instagram Posts Dance By Michelle Mkhlian LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK – T he Armenian community Impresarios Special to the Mirror-Spectator has produced a formidable social media presence since the tensions Page 12 between Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a new peak on July 12. Armenian organizations, activists, and even meme accounts have taken to their platforms to compensate for the lack of INDEX coverage the conflict has received in main - Armenia . .2-3 stream American media. Arts and Living . 11 Community News. 5 Each of these pamphlet-like Instagram posts Editorial . 18 uses infographics to highlight a particular issue and provide International . 4 users with actionable steps they can take to make a difference. see INSTAGRAM, page 10 2 S ATURDAY A UGUST 22, 2020 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia All Eyes on Belarus after Elections Armenia Eases Mask YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — A leading Armenian political power and a democracy [in post-Soviet groupings]. Regulations analyst believes that the establishment of democracy in Belarus will hopefully join us. And second, what this also Belarus will be of high significance to Armenia, a mem - means is that the real loser here is not just Lukashenka, YEREVAN (Armepress) — The Armenian govern - ber of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union and it’s [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev in Baku. ment is easing the coronavirus restrictions and the Collective Security Treaty Organization that also include Azerbaijan, after events in Belarus, is now much more iso - mandatory face mask rule is being revised. Belarus. lated and vulnerable,” he said. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, the coron - In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the leader avirus response task force leader and the (Azatutyun) on August 17 Richard Giragosian, the found - of Armenia’s 2018 “Velvet Revolution,” sent congratula - Superintendent in charge of enforcing the state of ing director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies tions to Lukashenka on his disputed reelection hours emergency restrictions, published on August 14 a Center, said that in that case Armenia where a democra - after Belarus’s Central Election Commission announced decision effective immediately defining the areas tic change of government took place in 2018 will no the preliminary results of the vote on August 10. where citizens are no longer required to wear face longer feel “alone” in the post-Soviet groupings. Only a handful of world leaders have congratulated coverings. Giragosian thinks that the resignation of Belarusian Lukashenka on his disputed election win. Among them Citizens no longer have to wear face coverings in President Alexander Lukashenka is only a matter of time. are Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s leader their personal vehicles, at resorts and beaches, in “It’s a question of days and even hours of what time he Xi Jinping. The European Union has said it does not rec - the mountains and forests and similar open areas. has left. But I don’t think the question is if, but [I think ognize the results, and the United States has expressed However, the mandatory facemask rule in these it’s] when he will leave power,” the political analyst said. deep concern over the election results and the unrest, areas remains in force in the event of visiting his - Hundreds of thousands of protesters have been filling with President Donald Trump describing the situation toric-cultural sites, pilgrimages, during organized the streets of capital Minsk and other Belarusian cities unfolding in Belarus as “terrible.” individual or group tours, hiking tours etc. protesting the official results of the August 9 presidential Pashinyan’s move immediately drew criticism from his Other earlier rules are still in force: facemasks are election that they believe political opponents and some mandatory in open air and enclosed public areas. have been rigged in favor of leading human rights activists Children under age 6 and people with respiratory ill - Lukashenka who has ruled who believe that the Armenian nesses are noy required to wear face coverings. Belarus since 1994. “In a general sense like leader took a hasty step. Many observers in Armenia’s 2018 Velvet Pashinyan himself refused to Soldiers in Recent Yerevan have been drawing comment on the criticism, but parallels