Re: ‘Open Letter’ by Radio Van

Background info:

‘Champion of equality’ British Council Armenia sponsors homophobic radio station in Yerevan

Open letter by Radio Van
***

I did not know that criticising Radio Van and exposing its homophobia is equivalent to ‘damaging Armenia’s international reputation’. Familiar language they use, and that says it all.

Unzipped: Gay Armenia will always challenge homophobic organisations or individuals, regardless of their political or whatever affiliation, or those who support them. I will always reflect whatever I find positive and praise-worthy in Armenia. I will always expose, challenge and criticise human rights violations or societal injustices in Armenia. The way I see and feel it. This is my way of loving Armenia, and I do not need your or anyone else’s ‘lectures on patriotism’.

Head of radio station cites her views on gay adoption and marriage as reasons for the outrage against the radio station. No, Ms. Arevshatyan, your anti- gay adoption or marriage views were so mild compared to everything else you’ve said that I never paid attention or mentioned them on my blog.

“Sterilization and isolation” (“Стерилизовать и в резервацию!”) - this reflects your real views about LGBT people.

I do believe that people can change. I believe in power of education. However, engagement is a right option with those whose intentions are genuine.

‘Open Letter’ by Radio Van, with its somewhat aggressive tone and ending, proves that the radio station did not change and did not recognise its mistakes (to put it mildly), and all these mentions of “engagement” or “dialogue” are disingenuous. You must come clean first and open up new page for the Radio Van, page free of hatred.

Until then, any support or sponsorship for the radio station by organisations such as British Council, BMI etc I will consider against fundamental human rights and for promoting homophobia in Armenia.

‘Champion of equality’ British Council Armenia sponsors homophobic radio station in Yerevan

British Council Armenia
We're throwing a party to launch The Selector, a radio programme featuring the latest music from the UK! Radio Van will be broadcasting the show throughout the year and you have the chance to win great prizes by tuning in to Radio Van and coming to our party at Lake Sevan. See you there! 

...and on the event's page: 

The British Council Armenia and Radio Van are happy to announce the launch of The Selector radio programme in Armenia. We are having a big party to mark this occasion and you are invited! [...]
Besides dancing and fun, you’ve also got the chance to win great prizes in a lottery! A return ticket to London for one person and an unforgettable and all-inclusive weekend for two at Arthurs Resort in Aghveran are up for grabs. A big thanks to BMI and Arthurs Resort for providing the prizes!
Besides the great music that The Selector offers, there is another great reason to tune in to Radio Van’s broadcast of the show throughout the year. You can win another return ticket to London to attend The Selector annual party, a prize once again provided by BMI.

***

Reading these announcements on Facebook, I could not believe my eyes. I was outraged and utterly disappointed with the decision by British Council Armenia to sponsor and support homophobic radio station in Yerevan.

Earlier this year, this blog exposed institutional homophobia and hatred within the Radio Van, with the head of radio station ‘fully agreeing’ with neo-nazi views expressed on their corporate blog. This ‘inspired’ me for launching Armenia: Homophobia Hall of Shame. Back then, I did express my firm belief that promoting hate should not be profitable in Armenia. Apparently, British Council in Armenia does not share such views.

I also pointed out at sponsorship by British Embassy in Armenia for a project within the radio station aimed at... promoting European integration (!!).

British Ambassador in Armenia was quick to intervene and reassured that the embassy was unaware of the homophobic material, the Euro project was agreed long before and now completed, and they “do not have any other current projects with Radio Van”. Thanks to that intervention, main homophobic materials were removed from the Radio Van’s corporate blog. However, that removal was simply a technical act. Head of radio station Shushanik made it clear on several occasions that her views did not change, that she was forced to remove materials, and the radio station never publicly acknowledged or distanced from their homophobic past, which never really became ‘past’ but continued to be ‘present’.

‘Marking’ International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), 17 May 2010, head of Radio Van Shushanik effectively and literally compared gays to... ‘sh*t’, cleverly using a seemingly not gay related citation and effectively equaling fight against homophobia with that against ‘sh*tophobia’. (link)

And here we are, our ‘champion of equality’ British Council Armenia happily sponsoring projects with such radio station and making joint invitations to a fancy beach party with “great prizes”. ...If this is “the freedom of expression and the diversity of views” British Council Armenia “respects”, then no comments, indeed.

In reply to my outrage and disappointment with their sponsorship of homophobic organisation, British Council Armenia came out with a relatively long response which contained quite a few but somehow irrelevant references to “equality” and “diversity” and did not address in any way my concerns re homophobia.

“The British Council values Equality and Diversity and aims to establish cooperation with individuals and organisations representing the diversity of Armenia and the world. We also respect the freedom of expression and the diversity of views, at the same time we always do our best to promote our values of Equality and Diversity among our partners and beneficiaries and to ensure that no discrimination occurs in the framework of our partnership initiatives and all the project stakeholders are treated with respect. In regard to this particular project, we would like to stress that this partnership has its history since 2003 when The Selector was being broadcast by RadioVan. Moreover this is a true non-commercial partnership thanks to which it has been possible to revive  the Selector in Armenia and bring our audiences the best of British music as we believe that Art is one of the most powerful media for establishing intercultural dialogue and promoting positive social change. We do hope that you will enjoy this initiative and that it will help us strengthen the links between Armenia and the UK."

No, I won’t and I cannot enjoy any initiative which promotes or sponsors homophobic groups in Armenia or elsewhere. This is not the way to “strengthen the links between Armenia and the UK”.

All these references to “Equality” and “Diversity” are totally devalued if, on one hand, the British Council sponsors ‘silent’ posters against discrimination, but in practice loudly sponsors homophobic radio station with fancy launch parties. This sponsorship by British Council clearly contradicts declared British Foreign Policy directives in promoting equality, human rights, including LGBT rights, worldwide. Moreover, not only British Council in Armenia is not ashamed of these connections, it proudly announces involvement of at least one other British institution, BMI, in sponsoring of this project with “great prizes”. I assume - or I want to believe - that BMI is not aware of homophobic nature of the organisation they are sponsoring.

Shameful.

Shut Down BMI Airlines Day - 20th October

Via No Borders South Wales, this call "for a sustained campaign against BMI. We call on BMI to no longer take part in the forced deportation of migrants." (one of the latest examples - Azeri gay artist Babi B's deportation via BMI)

Contact BMI and register your disapproval at their role in deporting people back to places they do not wish to go back to, for whatever the reason this may be. Urge BMI to follow the other airlines who have taken an ethical stance and who refuse to carry out any more deportations.

On the 20th October let’s hit BMI with everything we’ve got! Then let’s do this on the 20th of every month until BMI see sense.

In the meantime, The Independent reports that "an important part of the Government's immigration policy has suffered a serious blow after a leading airline announced it would no longer carry failed asylum-seekers who were being forcibly removed from the United Kingdom."

XL Airways, which has a fleet of 24 aircraft, said it was opposed to the policy because it had "sympathy for all dispossessed people in the world".

Last week, The Independent revealed that hundreds of failed asylum-seekers have claimed they have suffered physical and racial abuse during the removal process at the hands of private security guards. [...]

"Our chief executive [Phillip Wyatt] had made it quite clear to all concerned that we will not be operating any further flights of this nature ... We are not neutral on the issue and have sympathy for all dispossessed persons in the world, hence our stance."

A spokesman for the airline told The Independent the Government had been informed of its decision. Other airlines are now expected to make their own objections public.

It is not known how many airlines have contracted to carry failed asylum-seekers but it is estimated that the Government pays out several million pounds each year. Emma Ginn, of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, said last night: "It's time airlines rethink what they are doing. Shareholders and customers will be horrified by the reality of what happens to deportees taken for these flights."

The Borders and Immigration Agency, the government body that has responsibility for forced removals, has refused to disclose details, requested under the Freedom of Information Act, about deportation flights. The agency said: "If we were to disclose the information you have requested, this would prejudice the number of airlines willing to contract with the agency on charter operations and could drive up the cost of such operations. In addition, the release of information could damage commercially those airlines who offer this service."

British Airways and Virgin, who were contacted by The Independent, said their aircraft had been used for the purposes of escorted deportations as they were under a legal obligation to return failed asylum-seekers. A Virgin spokesperson said: "That is a matter for the Home Office, who makes immigration policy. We are simply not qualified to make those decisions."

British Airways refused to say how many removals it carried out each year, but said it adopted a policy of permitting one escorted or two unescorted removals per flight : "It is UK law and we comply with it – it's like asking whether we are happy paying income tax."

But a Home Office spokesman said the Borders and Immigration Agency only contracted with airlines willing to operate removal flights. He added: "The agency uses agents/brokers to arrange both charter and scheduled removals. Airline captains have the right to refuse carriage of a passenger and will do so if they feel appropriate for security or commercial reasons."

Gay Azeri artist Babi B has been deported from the UK to Azerbaijan via BMI flight

Breaking news:

Sorry, Babi! We failed to keep you in the UK and potentially safeguard your life.

If anything happens to Babi in Azerbaijan, British government and the BMI airline will bear the ultimate responsibility for that.

Below is a message which I just received via Keep Babi Safe in Cardiff Facebook group:

"As far as we know, Babi left the country on BMI flight BD929 to Baku at 3.15 pm today (Saturday 20th Sept).

BMI received loads of calls about Babi, urging them not to carry him on their flight given his mental condition and the traumas he faces in Azerbaijan. Callers also reminded BMI of the possible boycotts and negative press that would occur if they went ahead and carried Babi to his very precarious future.

Depite all this, BMI decided to comply with the HO decision.

Please write to BMI stating that you will ensure none of your friends and family travel with them in the future, that you will campaign ceaselessly against them, for they have acted selfishly, with no regard to an individual's health and mental well-being.

Let's make sure they experience a backlash. In particular, everyone should contact Rob Coveney: 01332854687 extension 2. This is a man who had the chance to keep Babi safe but instead chose to turn his mobile off in the hours prior to the plane's departure in order to ignore all protest - and probably sit in a beer garden somewhere, soaking up some rays (conjecture, of course, but he certainly wasn't doing his job and manning the phones!)."

P.S. I can't even properly boycott BMI, as it's the only direct airline from the UK to Armenia... But I will refrain from buying any other flights via BMI.

URGENT! Babi’s removal directions have changed

*source: No Borders South Wales

Babakhan (Babi) B was supposed to be deported back to Azerbaijan on Azerbaijan Airlines on the J2800 flight today 20th Sept at 20:00. The airline told campaigners yesterday that they would not be taking Babi on their flight due to harassment.

Babi has also had a medical examination yesterday and the report strongly recommended that Babi should be given time to access the mental health assessment he needs. Babi’s solicitor has lined up an appointment to see a neurologist as it is clear that Babi’s mental health is very fragile. Based on the medical review Jenny Willotts has made strong representations for Babi urging the Home Office not to deport this man.

Babi phoned a friend/campaigner early this morning almost hysterical after he had been told that they were taking him to the airport at 09:00 today. In a move that appears to go against their own rules the UK Border Agency have changed the details of Babi’s forced removal, at the last minute and on a saturday Babi has been given new removal directions, he will now be deported from Heathrow Airport at 15:15 today on flight BD929 British Midlands Airways (BMI) to Baku.

HELP BABI

Please contact BMI and let them know in no uncertain terms of the huge level of damage this deportation will do to their company.
Telephone: 0870 6070 555 or 08712240224 or +44 (0)1332 64 8181 (callers outside UK)
Also you can call the BMI switchboard (ask for a senior manager): 01332854000
Fax: 01709 314993

It appears the most effective number to call is 01332854687 extension 2 and speak to press officer Rob Coveney.

Customer Relations: 01332854321 extension 2

Please say:
- Babi is medically unfit to travel, and is under threat in Azerbaijan.
- That Azerbaijan Airlines were orginally meant to deport later on today, but they refused for ethical reasons.
- Threaten a boycott of the company and serious finacial consquences that that will cause.
- Highlight the damage it will cause the BMI brand from the large amount of press coverage this will get (point out that there has been a large amount of press coverage of Babi’s case alredy)

PLEASE ACT QUICKLY! Call as many times as you can.