The
Decree of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic about 10-th anniversary
of tragedy on January 20
In
January 20, 1990 cruel crime was committed against the Azerbaijan people.
In Baku and some regions of the Republic Soviet military units were illegally
entered with the purpose of punishment of the peaceful population who
went on streets in a sign of protest against attempts of violation of
a territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, unfair and prejudiced policy which
was carried out under the guidence of the former USSR against Azerbaijan
people, unable activity of local authorities. In an outcome of retaliatory
measures realized with unprecedented cruelty, hundreds of innocent citizens
of Azerbaijan were wounded and killed. Thus, against the Azerbaijan people
the act of a mass terror was performed.
On
the eve of events of January 20 policy carried out by the leadership of
Communist party of the Soviet Union contradicting to interests of the
people, biased and prejudiced line realized by a center against the sovereignty
and a territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, have caused boundless anger
of population of the Republic. Collusion of then leadership of Azerbaijan
with a center on Nagorno-Karabakh problem has become the reason of the
sharp protests in the Republic.
Since
1987 artificially created so-called Nagorno-Karabakh problem from the
first days was perceived by the Azerbaijan people as an attempt directed
against the territorial integrity of the Republic, violation of Constitutional
rights of the citizens. Though the inviolability of our boundaries have
repeatedly and officially been confirmed by State structures of a various
level, stage by stage center has started to carry into the life policy
pursuing the purpose of separation of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast
from the composition of Azerbaijan.
In
March, 1988 Central Committee of Communist Party of the Soviet Union and
Council of Ministers of the USSR, by accepting the special decision about
acceleration of social-economic development of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous
Oblast, in fact have laid the basis of separation of Nagorno-Karabakh
from the subordination of the Azerbaijan SSR. With this decision, without
having any objective fundamentals adopted in an outcome of the self-thought
reasons, Nagorno-Karabakh was submitted exclusive rights and large money
allocations, the solution of many issues of the area was entrusted directly
to Central ministries and structures. In the decision of the Supreme Council
of Azerbaijan SSR dated June 17, 1988 it was said, that the measures realized
by this decision of a center, " create favorable conditions for acceleration
of development of productive forces, satisfying economic and moral needs
of both Armenian and Azerbaijan population, as well as other nationalities
of autonomous oblast".
The
next step of the center aimed to separate Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous
Oblast from subordination of Azerbaijan has become the Decree issued in
January 12, 1989 by the Supreme Councill of the USSR about introduction
in Autonomous area of the special form of control. The leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh
was entrusted to Committee of the special control created under the Chairmanship
of a representative of a center A.Volski. It actually meant a separation
of Nagrno-Karabakh from a composition of Azerbaijan SSR.
The
leadership of the USSR in official documents, accepted by it tried to
create such image, that it has same attitude both to Azerbaijan, and to
Armenia, realizing measures on normalization of circumstances in the region.
While the prejudiced attitude of a center to Azerbaijan, to Azerbaijanies
was evident. Till 1988 Azerbaijanies appeared to be subject to ideological
aggression realized in the purposeful form in central mass media of the
USSR and various mass –media means of Armenia. The basic purpose of the
given campaign was the creation of a negative image of Azerbaijan. It
was possible to consider it as a preparatory stage of mass operation of
ethnic cleaning begun in 1988 in the Armenian SSR, and also in Nagorno-Karabakh
Autonomous Oblast. During withdrawal with unprecedented cruelty of Azerbaijanies
living in Armenia from the native places many of our compatriots, including
old men, children and women were killed. While official State structures,
law-enforcement forces and mass media of the USSR paid extremely large
attention to Nagorno-Karabakh problem, big tragedy of the Azerbaijan people
was accompanied by full silence. The indifferent position of Azerbaijan
leadership to this problem has become the real crime against our compatriots.
In
an outcome of such a position of the leadership of Azerbaijan, the Supreme
Council of Armenian SSR was dare to accept on December 1, 1989 the decision
to join Nagorno- Karabakh to Armenian SSR. And On January 15, 1990, several
days before events of January 20, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme
Council of the USSR "About introduction of State of emergency in Nagorno-Karabakh
Autonomous Area and some other regions" as a matter of fact has put an
end to hopes of Azerbaijanies to return back to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.
As it is visible from the title of the Decree, the issue of belonging
of autonomous area and "some other regions" already became doubtful.
The
realization by a center of a prejudiced policy against Azerbaijan, explicit
demonstration by the leadership of Republic of absolute indifference to
destiny of the people was called feelings of anger and protest of broad
national masses. All of them clearly realized, that the leadership of
Azerbaijan exhibits feebleness and indecision in suppression of encroachments
on destiny of republic, people, occasionally even realizes secret treacherous
plans against the people, concluding agreements with a center with the
purpose of preservation of their own positions in the leadership. In such
a condition the people had to undertake all the responsibility and to
express mass protest with the hope to prevent a realization of these treacherous
plans.
Leadership
of the USSR has selected a path of open punishment of the people, who
dared to champion for restoring of the justice in the Republic. The capture
of Baku in January 20, 1990 by a large contingent of the Soviet army,
special assignment units and internal forces without declaration of state
of emergency was accompanied by the special cruelty and unprecedented
atrocities.
Tragedy
of January 20 made with the purpose to break a faith and will of the people
dared to fight for their rights, to humiliate its national dignity and
to demonstrate the force of the Soviet military machine, it was military
aggression and crime of totalitarian communist regime against the Azerbaijan
people.
While
a committed crime and its outcomes were vivid, the leadership of the Republic
by all means tried to veil the essence of the tragedy. The fact, that
majority of the political and State leaders of the Republic was not on
the session of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR, called upon demand
of the people and initiative of group of the Parliament members, on January
22, 1990 in connection with January tragedy once again has confirmed their
indifference to destiny of the people and their complicity to some extent
in a committed crime. The leadership of the Republic even has not considered
it necessary to participate on the funeral ceremony of marturs.
Popular
Front of Azerbaijan which repeatedly demanded to give the political assessment
to January 20 events, also did not use its opportunities during the years
when it was in power. So, despite that a lot of time has passed after
the event a terrible crime commited by the leadership of USSR and Azerbaijann
against the people is still not revealed.
Yet
in the period of Soviet power in Azerbaijan concrete facts and proves
collected by wide peoples’ masses in connection of January 20 tragedy
passed to State Investigation Commission were intentionally removed and
taken from Azerbaijan. At that period law-enforcement forces of Azerbaijan
did not take the appropriate measures on investigation, on the contrary
some secret documents connected with January 20 tragedy as well as important
archive documents were partly or absolutely eradicated.
Despite
that events taken place in other regions of the USSR including Tbilisi
and Baltic countries were discussed on the level of Soviet leadership,
Congress of peoples’ deputies, events taken place during January 20 tragedy
intentionally distorted and were destined to oblivion.
Only
in 1994 serious steps to give the right assessment of January 20 events
were made. The Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic of January
20, 1994 recomended to Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan to give full political
and legal assessment to January 20 events.
By
devoting to the given problem a special session,Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan
Republic on its meetings continued for several days has revealed the true
originators and reasons of January events. The decision of Milli Majlis
from March 29, 1994 gave a political-legal assessment to tragical events
of January 20, 1990.
The
tragedy of January 20, being a crime against the Azerbaijan people, in
fact has become a terrible act, one of the most bloody acts of a terror
realized by totalitarism in a history of XX century directed against mankind,
humanism, humanity. The people who have committed this crime, until now
do not suffer punishments. Our people is sure, that the guilty will bear
responsibility before the history, mankind, and also before the Azerbaijan
people.
In
spite of the fact that the Azerbaijan people on January 20 has been subjected
to military, political, moral aggression, nevertheless it has demonstrated
to all the world the its faith to historical traditions of heroism, determination
to resist to the heaviest trials in the name of freedom and independence
of the native Land, by not sparing even the life for the sake of it. The
sons and daughters of our Motherland, during bloody January 1990 events
becoming martyrs in the name of freedom and independence of Azerbaijan,
with their determination to sacrifice have entered the bright page in
the heroic annals of our nation. And today Azerbaijan people is proud
of its daughters and sons, who ready to sacrifice the life in the name
of a preservation of its national dignity.
On
the eve of the 10-th anniversary of tragedy of January 20, remembering
our compatriots, heroically sacrificing their lives in the name of freedom
of Azerbaijan with deep grief memory, I order;
1.
Taking into account an exceptional meaning of bloody January tragedy in
a history of Azerbaijan as the top of heroism and selflessness to conduct
in all cities, regions and villages of the Azerbaijan Republic large-scale
special ceremonies devoted to the 10-th anniversary of tragedy.
2.
To the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture,
Ministry of Youth and Sports, State Committee on Problems of the Women
of the Azerbaijan Republic; to held mass events, conferences and lectures
devoted to tragedy of January 20 so that to educate young generation in
the spirit of ideas of patriotism, independence, devotion to national-moral
values.
3.
To Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and Ministry of Education; to ensure
alongside with realization of fundamental scientific researches reflecting
various stages of struggle of our people for freedom and independence
on the duration of the history, objective presentation from a scientific
point of view of a tragedy of January 20 in this struggle, and also carrying
out of the special scientific sessions and conferences devoted to this
event, preparation of various articles.
4.
To the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic with the
purpose to bring to a public of the various countries in connection with
the 10-th anniversary of tragedy of January 20, and in connection with
its original essence to prepare and to realize the program of measures
describing bloody January as the act of aggression and terror, launched
by Soviet totalitarian regime against the Azerbaijan people.
5.
To the Ministry of Press and Information of the Azerbaijan Republic, State
TV Committee, editorials of the newspapers and magazines to ensure issuing
and featuring of materials in connection with the 10-th anniversary of
tragedy of January 20.
6.
To Industrial Unit "Azerkinovideo" to develop a documentary chronicle
devoted to events of January 20.
7.
To Cabinet of Ministers to settle problems implying from the present Decree.
Heydar
Aliyev
the President of the Azerbaijan Republic
Baku,
December 16, 1999
|
