Letter to Secretary General of UN, Mr. Ban Ki-Mon
APPELLO AL
SEGRETARIO GENERALE DELL’ONU, BAN KI-MON
March 22, 2014
Mr. Ban Ki-Moon,
Secretary General of the United Nations
UN Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. Secretary General:
At the present time, there is a battle in
northwestern Syria,
at the border of Turkey. The
ancient Christian-Armenian town of Kessab and its
surrounding villages (population of 3,500) came under
attack on Friday, March 21, as sniper gunfire and bombs
from the hilltops surrounding Kessab hailed down on Kessab
and its environs, damaging buildings, destroying streets
and shattering windows. The Kessab Armenians were forced
to flee from their ancestral homes and lands in the
morning hours of March 21 and sought refuge in the nearby
port city of Lattakia.
We are told from eyewitnesses in northern Syria that Turkey gave right of
passage through their mountainous border with Syria
to rebel forces that are battling the Syrian government
troops. We also were told by eyewitnesses that external
Turkish border troops have joined in the attack against
the Syrian army.
Christian Armenians have lived peacefully in
the northern Syrian region of Kessab for over four
centuries, creating a beautiful agricultural eden in the foothills of the
mountains that divide Syria
and Turkey.
During and after the Genocide of Armenians by the Turks in
1915, Syria
took in tens of thousands of Armenian refugees, and
Armenians have been law-abiding and productive citizens in
Syria
with no incident until today. It is a tragedy to see
Armenians victimized yet again because of the
indiscriminate violence and humanitarian calamity in Syria.
Various relief organizations in Lattakia are
assisting the Armenians of Kessab, providing those with no
family or friends in Lattakia with shelter and food at the
Armenian Church and school facilities and Greek Orthodox
Church. Many of the refugees were forced to flee with
nothing more than their night clothes, unable to take with
them official identification papers such as passports.
The principles of international humanitarian
law require that all parties to the conflict, including
opposition forces, promote conditions that would allow
civilian populations to remain in their homes. All parties
to an armed conflict must refrain from deliberate and
indiscriminate attacks or strikes against civilians,
should protect all civilians living in areas under their
authority, including members of religious minorities, and
facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to
them.
International humanitarian law also
prescribes that all sides to an armed conflict have a
responsibility not to intentionally attack, seize or cause
damage to religious buildings, institutions or cultural
property that are not being used for military purposes.
In the spirit of peace, international
humanitarian law and respect for human rights, including
those of religious minorities, we respectfully request:
• That the United Nations call for the
immediate cessation of the bombardment of the Kessab
region and the indiscriminate attack on its peaceful
civilian population by rebels and Turkish border troops,
which is in blatant violation of international human
rights and humanitarian law;
• That the United Nations and its affiliated
agencies intervene or otherwise ensure the physical safety
and legal protection of the Kessab Armenians and of all
Armenians and other religious minorities in Syria caught
in the crossfire of this humanitarian calamity;
• That the United Nations provide
humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons of Kessab
and its surrounding villages (Karadouran, Sev Aghpiur,
Baghjaghas, Eckez-Oloukh, Eskiuran, Dooz Aghach, and
Chinarjek) who have been forcibly displaced from their
ancestral homes, lands and livelihoods as a result of
these bombardments and armed attacks;
• That the United Nations assist in the
peaceful return and resettlement of Kessab Armenians to
their ancestral homes, lands and livelihoods.
Respectfully,
Board of Directors
Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles
Esther Tognozzi, chairperson
Vartan Poladian
Haig Chelebian
Anahit Yaralian
Hrach Marjanian
Soghomon Poladian
Krikor Terterian
support this Letter.
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