It is worth recalling that virtually all separatist conflicts in the post-Soviet space began with "language issues". The Armenian 'Artsakh' separatists also justified their demand for so-called 'miatsum' - the annexation of the Nagorny Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian USSR - on the grounds that the Armenian language in Azerbaijan was allegedly 'infringed' and 'its rights violated'.

The Abkhaz and Ossetian separatists also raised a similar 'language issue' of 'infringement of native languages'. The latter, by the way, were not confused by the fact that there were no Ossetian schools and the population was fully Russified in North Ossetian ASSR that was part of the RSFSR, while in South Ossetian ASSR there were Ossetian schools and Ossetian culture was developing in every way. The main thing for them was to accuse Georgia of allegedly "infringement of the Ossetian language".

Well, everyone knows how "protected" by separatism the Abkhazian language.

This language is dying out faster than the Abkhazians themselves, whose demographic situation is disastrous under the so-called "independence", while the younger generation of Abkhazians do not know Abkhazian language and just use Russian.

What language feels perfectly well in separatist Abkhazia is the Armenian language. Especially in light of mass resettlement of Armenians here after the Second Karabakh War, which makes Abkhazia "little coastal Armenia". This eloquently shows whose interests were initially served by provocative incitement to separatism, including the alleged "struggle for the rights of the Abkhaz language" about which the Armenian instigators were so "worried" at the time.

The last time the "language card" was tried by the separatists was in Ukraine in 2014. There, too, on the eve of the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbass by Russian troops, local separatists were very indignant about the alleged "infringement of Russian language rights" and a fratricidal war was launched largely because of the "language issue".

The separatist scheme is standard - first, the "language issue" is raised. And if this point is "on the agenda", things move rapidly upwards. Demands for "cultural autonomy" appear, then special rights for the "oppressed nation", then inevitably the question of secession from the state and accession to the "mother tongue" or where the "language will not be infringed".

This scheme appears to have been decided by the Armenian "Javakhk" separatists in the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which, it should be recalled, was originally planned by Armenian nationalists to join "greater Armenia", following the "Karabakh scenario" later implemented in Azerbaijan. On the eve of the collapse of the USSR at the Dashnak congress, the 'Artsakh' project of 'miatsum' was only one vote ahead of 'Javakhk'.

Now, it seems that after Armenia suffered a crushing defeat in its aggression against Azerbaijan and the "Artsakh" issue is closed, Armenian nationalists are beginning to work on the issue of "Javakhk miatsum". Again, as with other separatist ventures, they began with the language issue.

So on December 2, 2021 at the 2nd meeting of the 14th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues Armenian nationalists raised an issue of alleged "oppression of the Armenian language in Georgia". The Armenian "Javakhk" separatists in the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which, we should remember, was originally planned by Armenian nationalists to join "great Armenia", according to the "Karabakh scenario" later realised in Azerbaijan. On the eve of the collapse of the USSR at the Dashnak congress, the 'Artsakh' project of 'miatsum' was only one vote ahead of 'Javakhk'.

Now, it seems that after Armenia suffered a crushing defeat in its aggression against Azerbaijan and the "Artsakh" issue is closed, Armenian nationalists are beginning to work on the issue of "Javakhk miatsum". Once again, as in other separatist ventures, they began with the language issue. At a meeting of a representative of the Armenian diaspora in Georgia, Kristina Arakelova, stated the demand of the Armenian diaspora in Georgia to grant the Armenian language the status of a "regional official language":

"Georgia became a member of the Council of Europe in 1999 and has taken the responsibility to ratify the charter for regional languages. Georgia has not yet ratified this charter, which was seen as a threat to the country's statehood.

In 2013, the Armenian minority appealed to the Georgian parliament to ratify this instrument in order to give Armenian the status of a regional language in Georgia. However, the issue was not resolved and was not even discussed in parliament. The European Charter for Regional Minority Languages is an instrument used to protect minority languages; it is an instrument of conflict prevention in regions inhabited by different linguistic and ethnic minorities.

In Georgia, however, the very process of ratification was seen as an act of separatism; the Georgian government saw it as an issue of state security. On the one hand we are talking about recognizing the language of a minority to which the Georgian population does not belong, but on the other hand, a minority within a country cannot be seen as a threat to the state order.

This kind of attitude leads to violation of human rights. The Georgian government today ignores the appeals of ethnic minorities that are trying to defend their historic languages. Minorities in many regions are therefore subjected to various abuses. The pandemic has exposed these inequalities and exacerbated the situation of minorities.

We would like to use this platform to ask the government of Georgia to recognize linguistic and religious minorities. Furthermore, we ask that the Georgian parliament ratify the charter as soon as possible and develop as soon as possible an action plan for the proper implementation of the charter, involving directly the civil society and all linguistic and ethnic minorities living in Georgia. We also call on Georgia to fully implement the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.” – Kristina Arakelova said from the UN Tribune.

The Armenian nationalists' "language demands" on Georgia are also heard in an ultimatum at the main international platform at the UN. Then what happens next? Will the next point be the inevitable equally ultimative demand first of all for "cultural autonomy" for the Armenians of "Javakhk"? And then "independence"? Or a direct "miatsum" of annexation of Samtskhe-Javakheti to the Republic of Armenia? And of course, the Armenian nationalists will not stop there. They have the main idea to move their "great Armenia" to the sea, where they have already established their "zone of compact settlement" in Abkhazia and the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation.

Paradoxically, the expansion towards Karabakh in Azerbaijan did not bring the Armenian nationalists closer to the sea, but distanced them (the Caspian Sea is an enclosed body of water and has no connection to the world ocean). But through Samtskhe-Javakheti they have plans to "break through a corridor" to the Black Sea by the shortest route. All the more that Armenian nationalists do not even hide their rights for Batumi as "their" sea port. Here is a typical interview:

Using the "UN platform", the Armenian "Javakhk" separatists are making an ultimatum demand on Georgia regarding the "official status" of the Armenian language and this cannot be ignored. If they concede here, the Armenian lobby will very quickly embark on an active process that will lead to the dismemberment of Georgia.

The paradox of the "language demands" of Armenian nationalists, who scream about infringement of their alleged "native language" in Georgia, is that for the same Akhalkalaki Armenians and almost the majority of Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Armenian is not originally a native language at all. In the same Akhalkalaki Armenians, descendants of migrants from Turkey, were speaking in Turkish 100 years ago. All the conditions for "Armenians to speak Armenian" were created by Georgia, first by the Georgian SSR and then by independent Georgia.

Armenian schools and kindergartens have been and are operating in Javakheti, and their budget subsidises the development of Armenian culture. What else do the Armenian nationalists lack? And without the "status" of the Armenian language, today everyone speaks mostly Armenian in the same town of Akhalkalaki, where 100 years ago the Armenian language was not spoken at all.

Here, for example, is the official website of Akhalkalaki municipality in Armenian:

Apparently, the issue of "status" is needed by Armenian nationalists only to foment separatism with a view to further dismemberment of Georgia. In reality, the Armenian language and the languages of other national minorities in Georgia are not threatened.

Kavkazplus