United Javakhk Democratic Alliance
Encyclopedia
The United Javakhk Democratic Alliance ( Miatsyal Javakhk dashink' ) is a non-government organization composed of ethnic Armenians
living in Samtskhe-Javakheti province of Georgia
. It has, at various times, called for local autonomy for predominantly ethnic Armenian area of Javakheti
known in Armenian
as Javakhk; whence the organization's name. Its current leader is Vahagn Chakhalyan.
The movement has pursued contradictory policy, alternating sometime confrontational stance with the central Georgian government with more conciliatory rhetoric. It has its origin in the Javakhk movement which emerged in 1988 and was instrumental in organizing the deployment of a small unit of Javakheti Armenians to the conflict with Azerbaijan
over Nagorno-Karabakh
. Javakh has lobbied for the creation of an Armenian autonomous region within Georgia, and organized protests against the centrally proposed local administrators and Georgian military exercises early in the 1990s. During the civil strife in Tbilisi
early in 1991, the Javakhk exploited the constitutional vacuum and organized the Provisional Council of Representatives which self-dissolved after the local officials proposed by Tbilisi were finally accepted in November 1991. The organization proposed to hold a referendum on autonomy or secession of Javakheti in 1998, but, ridden by internal differences, failed to gather significant active popular support. Both the Georgian and Armenia
n governments has pursued a careful and calming policy in regard with local nationalist movements that helped ease tensions in the region.
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
living in Samtskhe-Javakheti province of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. It has, at various times, called for local autonomy for predominantly ethnic Armenian area of Javakheti
Javakheti
Javakheti is a historical region of the nation of Georgia, in the southeastern part of the country's Samtskhe-Javakheti province. Today it comprises the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda municipal territories. It was historically bordered in the west with both sides of the Mtkvari river, in the north,...
known in Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
as Javakhk; whence the organization's name. Its current leader is Vahagn Chakhalyan.
The movement has pursued contradictory policy, alternating sometime confrontational stance with the central Georgian government with more conciliatory rhetoric. It has its origin in the Javakhk movement which emerged in 1988 and was instrumental in organizing the deployment of a small unit of Javakheti Armenians to the conflict with Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
over Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
. Javakh has lobbied for the creation of an Armenian autonomous region within Georgia, and organized protests against the centrally proposed local administrators and Georgian military exercises early in the 1990s. During the civil strife in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
early in 1991, the Javakhk exploited the constitutional vacuum and organized the Provisional Council of Representatives which self-dissolved after the local officials proposed by Tbilisi were finally accepted in November 1991. The organization proposed to hold a referendum on autonomy or secession of Javakheti in 1998, but, ridden by internal differences, failed to gather significant active popular support. Both the Georgian and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n governments has pursued a careful and calming policy in regard with local nationalist movements that helped ease tensions in the region.