If Actions Occur, People Will Come Out to Reaffirm Their Position: Environmentalist on Amulsar Mine Exploitation

If actions occur, people will come out to reaffirm their position, said Shirak Buniatyan, an environmentalist and resident of Jermuk, regarding the potential exploitation of the Amulsar mine. It is noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview with 1in.am the day before that the probability of exploiting the Amulsar mine is high.

"The Prime Minister did not say anything new; instead, he clarified that his position has not changed. Over the past three years, we have noticed that this government has been inclined to exploit the mine from the beginning," said Buniatyan.

According to him, the people have a clear and rooted position regarding Amulsar, a will that has allowed the mountain to remain standing for three years. "The likelihood of exploiting the Amulsar mine has always been high. If this has not been widely acknowledged by the public from the Prime Minister, we have understood this over the past three years," he noted, recalling that prior to the war, while maintaining 24-hour monitoring in the area, they observed that whenever control was loosened, attempts were made to enter the territory immediately.

"Last year, significant police forces were deployed to the Amulsar area, and force was used against people, which also raised suspicions that the Prime Minister's statement about high probability has always existed. At this moment, environmentalists and residents of Jermuk see no change," he stated.

During the interview, when asked whether the post-war situation has changed the attitude towards Amulsar, the Prime Minister replied that his position has not changed, as he holds the same opinion he did a year ago.

Buniatyan emphasized that it would be unacceptable to use the war as a pretext for exploiting the mine. "We saw that even the Su-30 aircraft, which were purchased at high prices, were not used at all. This indicates that the issue was not about finance in the war, but rather about acquiring military technology that serves the correct purpose, and exploiting Amulsar should not simply be used as a pretext for the results of the war, because Amulsar will not be a state mine and the revenues will not benefit our country," he added.

Buniatyan also noted that the Prime Minister has recently been referring to environmental consequences during conversations, trying to present that in today’s developing world, environmental issues will always exist. However, according to him, it is unacceptable to view Amulsar in that dimension and to present the issue merely as a debate or disagreement between environmentalists and the government. Moreover, he argues that Amulsar is a profound, multi-layered issue for Armenia.

"There are the violated rights of the people here, the issue of the health resort area, and the rights of other investors. There are other investors in Jermuk, and there is no guarantee that this field will not be affected. The mining company does not provide any guarantees that other sectors will not be harmed as a result of its activities," he pointed out.

Buniatyan noted that during the war, the Kajaran mine became vulnerable to the enemy, and the Sotk mine was also under fire. Despite the closed borders and the war situation, there were tourists in Jermuk. "After that, we currently see that the situation in the Sotk mine is uncertain, while there are tourists in Jermuk. Tourism is a sensitive sector and simultaneously quickly recoverable," he concluded.

Since the start of the war in September 2020, 24-hour monitoring has not been conducted at the entrances to Amulsar, as many volunteered to go to war. Unfortunately, some lost their lives, and the fates of others remain unknown to this day. Currently, according to environmentalists, there is nothing but the guarding service, and Amulsar is covered under snow drifts of 3-4 meters thick.