AMBASSADOR ENGAGES EDUCATION MINISTER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000859 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KJUS AM SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ENGAGES EDUCATION MINISTER ON WHISTLEBLOWER CASE REF: YEREVAN 645 YEREVAN 00000859 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: AMB Marie L. Yovanovitch, for reasons 1.4 (b,d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On December 9 the Ambassador met with Minister of Education Armen Ashotian and raised the case of the environmental youth activist Mariam Sukhudian who, after blowing the whistle on abuses in a state-run boarding school for special needs children, found herself charged with reporting a false crime (reftel). Ashotian responded that while he cannot interfere in the ongoing criminal investigation of Sukhudian, he is using the publicizing of the case to focus government attention and resources on the long-neglected special needs schools. He said the imminent establishment of an NGO advisory council on schools will help his ministry monitor special needs schools, and he was planning to dismiss some of the controversial personnel in these schools. Ashotian added that if Sukhudian is found innocent, the Ministry of Education would work with her to address the problems she exposed at the boarding school. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- WON'T INTERFERE IN INVESTIGATION, BUT CASE COULD SPUR REFORM -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) During her meeting with Minister Ashotian, the Ambassador asked for an update on Sukhudian's case, and expressed concern that the GOAM appeared to be retaliating against the youth activist for honestly exposing abuses that she discovered at the special needs boarding school. The Ambassador added that people such as Sukhudian should be protected, not persecuted, lest the authorities send a chilling signal to well-intentioned whistle blowers. The Ambassador also noted that special needs children are especially vulnerable, and it's essential that they be protected as much as possible. ¶3. (C) Minister Ashotian said he had met with Sukhudian and continued to follow the criminal case through the media, but said he was not able to interfere in the ongoing legal proceedings since this was now a law enforcement matter. He acknowledged, however, that "the case of Mariam" was "a chance to rebuild the system" for special needs schools. He noted that Sukhudian's case has proven auspicious in generating "great" media coverage on the challenges facing special needs education. He confided that "our ministry lacks the resources to promote" special needs education in general, but expressed hope that this case could change the equation. He then invited the Ambassador to help him generate greater attention to the plight of special needs schooling by asking her to accompany him to an inspection of a special needs school of her choice. (Note: The Ambassador said she'd warmly accept such an invitation after she returns from her in the New Year. End Note.) ¶4. (C) Ashotian added that "I propose to work with her (Mariam)" if she is found innocent. He also told the Ambassador that in the event of Sukhudian's innocence, "we will work" with Sukhudian to take action against the personnel at the special needs border school in question. He acknowledged that it is not so easy for the Ministry of Education to "imperatively" dismiss school directors, but that he had imminent plans to pursue dismissals of problematic directors at several unspecified special needs schools. -------------- NEW NGO CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL FOR SCHOOLS -------------- ¶5. (C) Minister Ashotian also briefed the Ambassador on his plans for the establishment of a new NGO council that would advise him and serve as a civil society supervisory body on schools, including the state-run boarding schools for special needs children. He said he launched the project several months ago, and that so far 30 NGOs had applied to be members of the council. He reported that the by-laws of the council were almost agreed upon, and as soon as they were, the new council would have the legal status "to attend and inspect any schools they want." ¶6. (C) Ashotian noted that "the problem with boarding schools" is that "they have remained outside of societal interest" for a long time, and that many of the problems today are a legacy of past neglect. He expressed hope that "the new NGO council will help us establish a new supervisory YEREVAN 00000859 002.2 OF 002 mechanism" and "protect the educational rights and dignity of children." He told the Ambassador that in spite of the current economic crisis, the Ministry of Education next year is increasing the number of secondary schools that offer special needs ("inclusive") education from 20 to 80. Unfortunately, he added, the percentage of special needs children whose parents opt to send them to boarding schools is still high--60 percent of the entire special needs children population receiving education--but he hoped to reduce that number by offering "inclusive education" at a larger number of secondary schools. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) Minister Ashotian, who has been in the office only six months, said all the right things about the Sukhudian case. If the ambitious new minister is to be believed, the youth activist Sukhudian has provided him with a unique opportunity to address the long-standing neglect of special needs boarding schools. Based on Post's experience, however, promises made by the authorities do not always translate into action. In the meantime, we will continue to raise this case with the relevant officials in the hopes that, as the minister himself stated, this controversial affair can become an unexpected opportunity to improve special needs education in Armenia. ¶8. (C) We also want to provide support to Mariam Sukhudian both because she appears to be innocent of the charges brought against her and because of the chill it would impose on society if she is found guilty--and the positive effect it would have on others if she was exonerated. Sukhudian attended the event that the Embassy held on December 10 in honor of International Human Rights Day. YOVANOVITCH