ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONISTS DEVELOP UNDERGROUND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000240

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC
NSC FOR MARIA GERMANO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO PREL AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONISTS DEVELOP UNDERGROUND
INFORMATION NETWORKS TO SKIRT SOE


Classified By: CDA JOSEPH PENNINGTON, REASONS 1.5(B,D)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Supporters of opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian
and others disillusioned with Armenia's post-election
crackdown are engaged in a spirited technological battle with
the authorities to maintain access to independent news
sources in the face of the near-total media ban imposed under
the March 1 State of Emergency (SOE) decree. A university
instructor described to us a growing "network of resistance"
that has developed ways to evade the draconian restrictions
and spread "underground" news to like-minded Armenians.
Although the effectiveness of the information network will be
limited by Armenia's low level of internet penetration,
especially outside of Yerevan, the energy with which it is
being pursued reinforces our judgment that the political
confrontation that erupted into violence on March 1-2 is far
from over. End Summary.

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"SAMIZDAT" RETURNS TO ARMENIA
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2. (C) During a March 9 dinner with the Charge, a university
instructor who supports opposition leader and former
president Levon Ter-Petrossian (LTP) described the
extraordinary efforts of LTP supporters to thwart the
information blockade in place since the SOE was announced on
March 1. This interlocutor is well-known to emboffs, and had
been completely apolitical until the final days of the
pre-election campaign, when anger over his perception of the
Sargsian campaign's abuses gradually converted him into an
LTP enthusiast. The instructor, who said he decided to vote
for LTP only on the day before the election "because of the
way the Government was attacking him," has become actively
engaged in disseminating banned information through a growing
network that he likened to the "samizdat" movement of the
Soviet era. As the evening wore on, the instructor received
more than a dozen cell phone calls (each call signaled by an
"Ode to Joy" ring tone, the signature piece from LTP's
post-election rallies on Freedom Square) updating him on
alternate servers and "work-arounds" for websites that have
been blocked by Armenian authorities under the SOE. (Note:
"Samizdat," which is Russian for "self-published," refers to
the Soviet-era dissident technique of circulating banned
manuscripts, with each recipient expected to hand-write
additional copies to disseminate to sympathetic friends and
family. End Note.)


3. (C) As part of the recent crackdown, Armenian authorities
have attempted to block access to all independent and
opposition-leaning news sources, including on the internet.
Targeted sites have include those of Radio Liberty, VOA, and
selected Armenian and Russian press outlets. YouTube was
also temporarily blocked after a video was posted purporting
to show Armenian security forces firing toward demonstrators
on the night of March 1-2, but is now once again accessible.
The instructor told us that Armenian students supporting the
opposition had found ways to access the banned sites by
tapping into servers outside of Armenia. "For every site
that is banned," he said, "we have worked out a way to get
around it." He further reported that opposition supporters
were "packaging" news from the banned sites in zipfiles,
which are then circulated to address lists of hundreds of
other sympathizers. Each recipient is then instructed to
resend the information to 100 other like-minded activists.

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PAYQAR.ORG
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4. (C) Oppositionists have also created new sites, sometimes
with the help of their brethren in the diaspora, that feature
extensive non-official news reports as well as information
about LTP's statements and activities, and the reaction of
the international community. Zhamanak.com, for example,
bills itself as "an Armenian-American political diary," and
presents a sophisticated layout with stories in both Armenian
and English. When the authorities blocked LTP's campaign
website (levonforpresident.com),his supporters established
the Armenian-language alternative payqar.org, which is
apparently easier to access from local computers. The banner

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of the site features a raised fist that has become the symbol
of LTP's resistance, and the post-election rallying call
"struggle, struggle until the end." The site includes a link
to a "clandestine newspaper" with pro-opposition stories from
the "alternative" media. These sites, along with a number of
pro-opposition blogs that have remained accessible, are the
primary sources of information for techno-savvy Armenians who
oppose the regime.

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AND MORE DVDS...
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5. (C) Distribution of DVDs, which served LTP supporters well
in the hostile media environment during the election
campaign, is again being used by opposition foot-soldiers as
a means to evade the media blockade. The clip posted to
YouTube of the events of March 1-2 has been reproduced in DVD
format and is being spread by LTP supporters in Yerevan.
(Comment: DVD distribution significantly widens the pool of
potential viewers, as nearly 40 percent of Armenian
households own DVD players, whereas internet penetration in
Armenia hovers in the low teens. In Yerevan, the heart of
the "resistance" movement and home to roughly half of
Armenia's 3 million population, access to technology is
significantly higher, meaning that many if not most residents
who tilt toward the opposition have probably been exposed to
oppositional information in one form or another. Armenians'
social practice of maintaining close contact with relatives
across large kinship networks is also a significant
multiplier of information dissemination. End comment.)

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NO ONE BELIEVES THE OFFICIAL MEDIA
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6. (C) The effect of the media blackout is further undermined
by the official media's lack of credibility with the broader
public. Giro Manoyan, a leading figure in the somewhat
pro-governmental Dashnaktsutyun, told CDA March 15 that
"people are not stupid -- no one believes the official
media." (Comment: This remark echoes the refrain we heard
from protesters in Freedom Square, who characterized giving
in to the authorities' alleged theft of the election as a
grievous insult to Armenians' dignity. End Comment.) Manoyan
criticized the authorities for their heavy-handed approach,
which he likened to "Soviet times." He echoed the views of
our contacts across the political spectrum that the effect of
state television's propaganda campaign against the opposition
is to "drive more people into the arms of LTP." During the
same conversation, Manoyan took issue with an
Armenian-American visitor who asserted that the authorities
were solidly in control of the current situation. "I'm not
so sure they will be able to prevent further problems," he
said. "Their position is very fragile."

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COMMENT
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7. (C) Most Armenians we have spoken with -- including GOAM
officials and others sympathetic to the authorities, with the
notable exceptions of the President and Prime Minister --
agree that the media blackout has only added to the sense of
grievance that many Armenians, especially those living in the
capital, feel toward their current leaders. As our
discussion with the university instructor suggests, efforts
by opposition supporters to find ways around that ban have
galvanized the PM's opponents and given new determination and
energy to their cause. This is especially true among
students and young people, who are more plugged-in
technologically and more likely to view access to information
as a fundamental right. As has so often been the case in
recent months, in trying to subdue the opposition, the
authorities appear to have unwittingly broadened and
strengthened the forces arrayed against them.
PENNINGTON