by Louise Manoogian Simone
Defense Minister Samvel Babayan says he is tired of the reference to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh as if it were a "child custody" battle.
"We are fed up of being treated like a divorce case where lawyers are negotiating with an abusive guardian and a mother without paying much attention to what the child wants," Babayan said during a rare interview in this capital city of Nagorno Karabakh.
His views are echoed across this territory which 150,000 Armenians have called home for centuries.
Babayan is grateful to the international community and Armenia for their role in helping consolidate the three-year-old cease-fire which has stopped the bloodletting.
"The problem is between us, the Armenian people of Karabakh, and the abusive guardian, Azerbaijan, under whose control we lived for 70 years. The only real first step toward peace is when we sit down and face each other across the same table and negotiate our differences," he said.
"Look at Russia...it negotiated a peace agreement directly with the Chechens. Look at Israel...it is talking directly with the Palestinians. Why is Azerbaijan afraid of talking directly with us, the government and people of Karabakh," he asked.
There are no indications that direct negotiations between Karabakh and Azerbaijan are imminent. Third parties, including the United States and the Soviet Union, remain active in the search for a peace formula, but that too has only helped consolidate the cease-fire between the antagonists.
In the meantime, Karabakh maintains its vigilance, apprehensive of Azerbaijani intransigence and its refusal to meet with the government of the territory which it once controlled.
At the front lines, young Armenian recruits from the Karabakh armed forces keep a close watch on troop movements along the Azerbaijani frontier which in some locations is a mere 300 yards away.
"There is no fighting now, but it can start at any time," says a local commander who requested to remain anonymous.
The first shots of the war, in which more than 15,000 Armenians died, started after the predominantly Armenian population of the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Karabakh demanded re-unification with Armenia.
At that time both were still part and parcel of the Soviet Union, which had entered the era of glasnost and perestroika-;a development that seemed to encourage greater freedom of speech, expression and self-determination.
But Moscow did not practice what it preached, and the Azeri response to the demands of the Armenian majority of Nagorno Karabakh came first in the form of threats of physical reprisal, then by terrorism and for three days in February, 1988 pogroms against Armenian inhabitants of the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait, not far from Baku.
"Sumgait was meant to frighten the Armenians of Karabakh, but it had the opposite effect," said a young officer.
With the failure of the Sumgait pogroms to deter and subdue the Armenians of Karabakh, Azerbaijan launched an all out war against the territory, using heavy artillery, planes and tanks against the then-poorly armed population.
"We started our battle of self-defense and later liberation with hunting rifles and shotguns. We did not do well at first, but what turned the table in our favor was our blind determination to protect our families and lands against another Sumgait.
"We fought for what was ours, and there is no going back," the officer said.
With the help of volunteers from Armenia, the fighting led to the liberation of all of Karabakh, its declaration of independence and later the establishment of the Republic of Mountainous Karabakh in 1992.
Today that entity enjoys a de facto independent existence and is fully organized as a State. It does not only have its well-trained army since 1992, but also a civilian administration which runs the daily affairs of the territory.
Defense Minister Babayan, who is in his early 30's, is adamant on matters involving the freedom and future status of Karabakh.
"We will not give in to pressures from anyone. We have no room for compromise when it comes to the safety, security and freedom of our people which we paid for with our blood," he said.
Babayan said he was perplexed with international demands that a solution to the conflict was only possible if Karabakh went back to its pre-war status-;an autonomous region within Azerbaijan.
"We will never accept that notion. We will not be swayed by any kind of pressure-;wherever that comes from. We are the masters of our own fate. No one can decide our future except us," Babayan said.
Touring the rugged frontier region, officers and enlisted men avoid answering questions about the war, but are quick to add that while they are ready if the circumstances dictate a resumption of hostilities, what they really want is peace.
Armenian youth in Karabakh join the army at the age of 18 and serve for three years. Training is rigorous and military service is mostly along the front lines.
At one of the army barracks in Karabakh, soldiers relax in spotless sleeping quarters and recreation halls. It is difficult to visualize how what started as small bands of "freedom fighters" have been organized into a highly disciplined and full-fledged army.
"The strength of our armed forces is one of the main safeguards for peace. We have to be vigilant while waiting for a political solution," Babayan said.
