US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN267

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000267 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, ASEC, PHUM, AM 
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: KURDS DEMONSTRATE FOR OCALAN 
 
REF: 04 YEREVAN 2417 
 
1. (SBU) Marking the sixth anniversary of the capture of 
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, about 250 ethnic Kurds came 
to Yerevan in buses February 15 to stage a peaceful march 
across downtown Yerevan and demonstrate in front of Armenian 
Government buildings and the United Nations Development 
Programme (UNDP) office building.  Organized by the 
Kurdistan Committee, an Armenian NGO affiliated with Kongra 
Gel, the demonstrators left a letter with UNDP Staff 
explaining that the purpose of their march was to support 
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and condemn "the 
international conspiracy ... led by the U.S. ... to 
discourage the Kurds from pursuing their fair cause."  The 
most recent similar demonstration by the Kurdish community 
was October 29, 2004 (reftel). 
 
2. (SBU) At least five busloads of demonstrators assembled 
midday in Yerevan's Opera Square, marched about one mile to 
the government buildings around Republic Square where they 
made several speeches in Kurdish and handed out flyers 
explaining their demonstration.  While there was police 
presence along the route, including one armored vehicle, 
both the police and demonstrators remained calm and 
nonviolent. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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3. (U) According to the GOAM, there are about 30,000 ethnic 
Kurds living in Armenia, concentrated around 21 small 
agricultural villages in the Aragatsotn region 20 miles 
northwest of Yerevan.  This number includes a small number 
of Christian and Muslim Kurds as well as a larger number of 
Yezidis, who have a unique religion that proscribes, among 
other things, wearing the color blue and eating lettuce. 
GODFREY