The Truth Regarding What is Happening along the Lachin Corridor

Armenian activists in recent days have been creating quite a storm over the fact that Azerbaijani environmental activists are protesting along the Lachin corridor.    According to a recent ANCA Press Release, “Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) was joined by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair David Valadao (R-CA), House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee Ranking member Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) in calling on the Biden Administration to send emergency aid to Artsakh in response to the devastating humanitarian crisis in Artsakh caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor.”   However, one must ponder, are their claims correct?   Is there a humanitarian crisis along the Lachin Corridor? Is there really a blockade?

The answer to all of these questions is a gigantic negative.    The Azerbaijani environmental activists seek to protest until monitors are permitted to evaluate the ecological damage caused by Armenia’s and Russia’s illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan’s natural resources in violation of international law.   The purpose of the protests is to raise awareness about Armenia’s environmental terrorism, Armenia’s violations of international law and the plight of the environment in the areas under the control of Russian Peace Keepers.

However, the goal of the protests is not to cause a humanitarian crisis for local Armenian residents in the area.   In fact, between December 12, 2022 and January 5, 2023, a total of 370 vehicles passed in both directions along the Lachin Corridor.   330 of these vehicles belonged to the Russian Peace Keepers, 31 were ambulances from the International Red Cross and another three belonged to local Armenian residents.  During this period, Russian Peace Keepers provided the local Armenian population with transports of food that included rice, canned meat, pasta, flour, potatoes, onion, chicken, vegetables, cabbage, sugar, coffee and other types of food.  

It is critical to note that while the Azerbaijani environmental activists have blocked off the road for their protest, they have not blockaded the area as it does not fall under their jurisdiction.  In fact, the area remains under the control of the Russian Peace Keepers and in recent times, the only transports that have been barred are those of mines, munitions and weapons, which used to pass through these areas with impunity but no longer are.  Thus, it is not fair to accuse Azerbaijan of blockading the area and causing a humanitarian crisis, as they do not control the road in question and the Russians have ensured that despite the protests humanitarian supplies pass through without problems.

Considering this, why have ANCA and other Armenian activists in the United States and elsewhere accused Azerbaijan of blockading the area and causing a humanitarian crisis, even though no blockade or humanitarian crisis exists?   The answer to this question is the fascist ideology that is prevalent among Armenian society, which causes them to engage in Pallywood like accusations to justify their cause.  A recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center showed that 84% of Armenians believe that their culture is superior to that of other nations, especially that of neighboring Azerbaijan.  

By portraying Armenians as a superior race with an “ancient history” and “superior culture” to Azerbaijanis, Armenians are able to justify their nation’s theft of Azerbaijan’s natural resources in the areas under the control of Russian Peace Keepers and thus argue against the legitimacy of the Azerbaijani environmental activists, who seek to install environmental monitors in the area.  They are thus able to transform the just cause of Azerbaijani young environmental activists into that of an entity causing “a blockade” and creating “a humanitarian crisis.” 

However, what baffles the eye is not why some Armenian nationalists make these claims, but the fact that US Democratic Congressmen, who should be standing in solidarity with Azerbaijani environmental activists, have actually bought into these false claims and based on them are actually petitioning the Biden administration to harm Azerbaijan.   One must ponder, do such Congressmen care about the environment as the Democratic Party claims to support or do they merely serve as pawns for Armenian interest groups, who fund their re-election campaigns?