User:HP2016/sandbox

Article Selected: Electric Yerevan

The Protests against a hike in electricity rates (Armenia) article has not been updated since the summer of 2015. I'll start by addressing these major issues with the article:

1. Very poorly cited article, many facts and events are un-cited. For example, "On 27 June, protesters closed the Mashtots Avenue and Sayat-Nova Avenue intersection and the Place de France." Where was this concrete fact reported? There is multiple instances of this found throughout the article.
2. The structure of the article just doesn't flow very well and should be more fleshed out. There should be more than just three sections. The protest section has too much information that can be viewed as irrelevant for that section and most probably needs to be divided.
3. The lead of this article is too short and doesn't have enough information to summarize the article.
4. Citations could be more diverse and have more credible sources. Its hard to find scholarly articles about this topic outside of some Armenian studies departments, so I will be focusing on credible international sites that have covered the events.
5. I also think its important to add an "After Math" section of just the "End of protests" section

I have already started making some edits to this article, such as the following:

1. Added citations
2. In protest section added: On 23 June, early in the morning 200 peaceful protesters were detained.^{[2] The protestors age ranged from 17 to 35 and majority were part of Armenia's emerging middle class.[3] Majority of protestors could afford the price hikes, however their actions were geared towards how the country is currently run. The apolitical nature of the protests allowed maximum engagement from ordinary citizens. Political party members participated as well, however without any organisational involvement from their respective parties.[3] Lead figure Vartan Shushanyan credited the organization’s widespread support due to its specific demands — increased oversight of ENA, a reversal of the price hike and refusal to engage in political horse trading.[10] Police used water cannons on protesters which send 25 people to the hospital and triggered a larger wave of protests to follow.[3]}
3. Fixed protest start date: Protests began on June 19, 2015, locally referred to as #ElectricYerevan,^[5]
4. In the info box I added more cities where protests were held and clearly stated the movements goals
5. Background section I added: This was the third price increase for electricity over the last few years, with most recently in 2013 having it risen by about a third.^[5] Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) holds an exclusive license to distribute electricity in Armenia, doing so at tariffs approved by Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission.^[3] ENA had been acquired by Russian Inter RAO UESin 2006. ENA justified the acquisition by stating the company had no other way of paying off over $250 million in debt caused by the inefficiencies in Armenia’s outdated energy infrastructure^[5] and due to the devaluation of the Armenian dram over the past year.^[6]

I plan to propose a change in the title of the page itself. Here is the rationale that I plan to post to the Talk page:

The title of the page, "Protests against a hike in electricity rates (Armenia)" does not meet the Wikipedia:Article titles guidelines for the following reasons:

1. It is not concise or natural—the current title just details the events that took place without naming it. For example, Occupy Wall Street isn't titled, "Tents on Zuccotti Park to fight inequality," but rather by its name.
2. It is outdated—while this title accurately described the protest movement in its early days, when the article was written, it is no longer the most clear name for the series of events that have now become known as "Electric Yerevan"

Background

Garegin Bagramyan, the Armenian Public Services Regulatory Commission chairman also stated, "The main reason for this decision is the fluctuation in the currency exchange rates."

Armenian-Russian relations

During the post-Soviet era, relations between Armenia and Russia have been cooperative. Many post-Soviet states struggle with weak political party development, a high degree of fragmentation, and an anemic civil society. Post-Soviet countries lack genuine civic participation. Ideological restrictions and public sector dominance during the Soviet period enforced citizens to be passive and expect authorities to hold the responsibility for community welfare. In the post-soviet era, two new social classes have emerged. There is a new middle class with non-manual employees at its core and a lower class with chronic unemployment and economic inactivity at its core. 43% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate stands at 30%, stimulating the emigration of large numbers of the Armenian population, despite an 8% growth in gross domestic product. Armenia has a high level of dependency on foreign aid from the diaspora, contributing up to 20% of the GDP in 2006—to support both economic and human development within the country. In Armenia nominal democratic institutions do exist, but in reality an oligarchical system of political power has taken shape. This creates tension within the country that weakens the legitimacy of the government. Confrontation with the authorities often take a radical form, with mass meetings being quite frequent. According to the International Corruption Perception Index, Armenia is ranked 94th in public sector corruption. Faced with an imperative need to modernize, Armenia considered the EU’s enhanced offer under the Eastern Partnership with great interest. However, in the Fall of 2013, Armenia joined the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Armenia was also in negotiations with the European Union to allow the country to participate in a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The European Union wanted close relations with former Soviet republics on Russia's borders. At the EU–Russia summit held in Khabarovsk in 2009, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev warned that Russia did not want the Eastern Partnership to turn into partnership against Russia. Due to being Russia's only ally in the region, Russia invests, trades and lends with Armenia. Russia also holds two military basis within Armenia and Armenia also joined the Collective Security Treaty Organization's Rapid Reaction Force to come to the defense of its members.

In 2015 the relations between the two countries turned sour, which stems from Armenia becoming outspoken about Russia due to its increased arm sales to Azerbaijan during the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh War. Also despite joining Russia's Eurasian Economic Union in January 2015, Armenia's economy has stalled and declined. For example during the first half of 2015, Armenia’s exports to Russia declined by 35% compared with the same period in 2014. Financial transfers from Russia have declined sharply. In August 2015 private remittances from Russia to Armenia underwent a 49% decline by comparison with the same period in 2014, falling from $147.8 to $71.3 million - a trend continued into 2016. The reduction of remittance linked income to Armenia's population has negatively impacted the nations economy by resulting in a decline in retail trade. Russia's economic trouble is a result of Western sanctions imposed because of Moscow's annexations of Crimea and involvement in Ukraine.

Post-Soviet era electricity privatization

Inter RAO uses a parallel integrated grid which synchronizes the electric generators across the Caucasus and Central Asia. The connectivity of the grid provides coordination between the electric generators and allows shortfalls in one area to be made up with surpluses from another. While the grid increases the quality and reliability of electricity, it does raise security concerns to nations. Inter RAO is a parastatal company where the Russian government owns 52.68 percent of the company's shares.

Protests

Police brutality led to protestors blocking central Bagramyan Avenue and barricading themselves with dumpsters.

End of protests

Tashir Group acquired ENA for a total of $253 million. Tashir Group pledged to introduce international standards within five years, improve the management of the utility and is also committed to reduce the technological losses of the company by at least 2% Tashir Group is planning to invest 8.4 billion dram to modernize the nations electricity metering system and another 5.8 billion to repair and construct distributions networks.

Sources to look into:

http://thearmenite.com/2015/06/what-is-electricyerevan/

https://slon.ru/posts/53208

https://medium.com/@Hromadske/what-was-electricyerevan-4023bfa935e#.9q49bj5hz

https://snob.ru/selected/entry/94300

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/8/9/armenia-electric-yerevan-vows-comeback.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/armenia/11699692/Armenias-Electric-Yerevan-protests-enter-seventh-day.html

https://news.vice.com/article/police-use-water-cannon-to-break-up-latest-electric-yerevan-protest-in-armenia

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/world/europe/armenias-electric-yerevan-protesters-return-to-streets-despite-arrests-and-water-blasts.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33286397

http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-police-threaten-to-break-up-electric-yerevan-protests-as-tensions-rise-2015-6

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/74146

https://www.opendemocracy.net/karena-avedissian/electrified-yerevan

2016 Yerevan hostage crisis is a little dated and was obviously written during the events and not afterwards.

Things I will be adding to article:

In lead changed that 2 policeman killed in attack not one

also in the lead need to add in addition to taking over the building they seized a store of weapons.

Background

When Sefilian was formally charged with acquiring and possessing weapons when he appeared in court, the allegations of plotting a coup were dropped.

Tensions in the country have also been running high over Russian mediation attempts following the aftermath of the 2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes. With the Kremlin suggesting to give some land back to Azerbaijan and in turn allow the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to receive international recognition.

Jirayr Sefilian and six others were arrested and charged with illegal arms possession and trafficking.

Hostages

The Daredevils of Sassoun took over the Ereubuni police station in Yerevan around 5:30 a.m. on July 17, 2016. The armed group drove a vehicle through the front door of the police station.

After releasing two hostages, the gunmen still held onto four hostages total. These hostages included: General Major Vardan Egiazaryan, the deputy head of the Armenian police force, and Colonel Valeri Osipyan, the deputy chief of Yerevan’s municipal police force.During the siege two of the armed men have sustained injuries

Throughout June 17 Facebook was inaccessible and the websites of media outlets reporting on developments were being shut down.

During the negotiations, it was agreed that in return for the hostages’ release, Armenian law enforcement officers and authorities would permit the armed group’s leaders to speak to journalists in a neutral zone around the occupied police station. Nearly 40 reporters were transported to the area late Saturday afternoon, though none of them were allowed to hold a live broadcast of the news conference.

On July 22, President Serzh Sargsyan addressed the nation and said, " I urge the armed people, who have occupied the territory of the police headquarters, to show restraint and not endanger the lives of others with their reckless moves. Hostages must be released,” and also added that the armed group must also surrender their weapons.

On July 22, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Supreme Body of Armenia condemned the acts of Sasna Tsrer by stating, "The A.R.F.-Dashnaktsutyun seeks the settlement of the current situation exclusively by peaceful means, considers new bloodshed as unacceptable, demands professionalism from law enforcing agencies, demands that the rights and dignity of law-abiding citizens be respected, and strongly condemns non-political methods and extremist thinking."

On July 23, 4 officers were set free, which included Vartan Yeghiazarian and Valeri Osipinian. During negotiations, Armenian law enforcement allowed Sasna Tsrer to speak with journalists in a designated neutral zone around the occupied police station. Approximately 40 reporters held a news conference but were not allowed to hold a live broadcast. At the news conference, Pavlik Manukyan stated that the police department has become evil for the people and enjoy lavish life styles with the use of unnecessary military equipment for policing.

On July 27, 4 medics were allowed to enter the police station to treat Araik Handonyan, one of the armed men who was wounded in the leg but refused to go to the hospital.

On July 30, the police issued an ultimatum to release all hostages and vacate the building or prepare for a police assault. Sasna Tsrer opened fire and shot down another officer. The group eventually surrendered that day to avoid further bloodshed. After surrendering, the group issued a statement saying, "We will continue our struggle from prison. We believe that we have achieved our goal: we became the spark that allowed people to rise up and it makes no sense to spill blood."

Demonstrators chose to march down Baghramyan Avenue towards the presidential residence and government buildings but were met with police, who placed coils of barbed wire across the avenue to stop the protests. Demonstrators still managed to block traffic for two hours and eventually dispersed the following day.

Casualties

On July 21, 2016 Protests erupted within Yerevan because of the governments handling of the hostage situation. Armenian interior ministry stated 51 people were injured, 28 of whom were police officers due to stone throwing from protestors.

Police reported 136 people have been detained during the government protests. 

Protesters taken to police regiments were beaten and not given food or water for hours.

Aftermath

Three high-ranking officers of Armenia’s police and National Security Service (NSS) were dismissed following the two-week standoff.

2016 hostage crisis:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/21/rioting-in-armenian-capital-as-hostage-crisis-enters-fifth-day/

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/armenia-protesters-police-clash-hostage-crisis-160721052049006.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36931851

http://www.civilnet.am/news/2016/07/17/what-happened-today-in-yerevan-and-why-developing/296980

http://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-founding-parliament-explainer-sefilian/27865671.html

https://www.armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/29418/feature_film_karabakh_war

http://www.ianyanmag.com/how-the-daredevils-of-sassoun-are-spinning-an-armenian-folktale-into-modern-reality-2016-yerevan-hostage-crisis-and-protests/

http://armenianweekly.com/2016/07/27/group-takes-medics/

http://armenianweekly.com/2016/07/27/group-takes-medics/

http://armenianweekly.com/2016/07/23/armed-opposition-group-frees-all-hostages-from-occupied-yerevan-police-station/

http://armenianweekly.com/2016/07/22/sarkisian-breaks-silence/

http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/36081

http://asbarez.com/153230/arf-says-there-is-a-way-out/

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/1577557.html

Armenian-Russian Relations

Armenia–Russia relations I'm going to add the Gyumri 2015 murders within the article since that strained relations heavily.

DRAFT

Gyumri murders

On January 12, 2015 Valery Permyakov, a Russian soldier from the 102nd military base in Gyumri, murdered an Armenian family of seven during the night. He was formally charged under Armenian Criminal Code but still held at the 102nd military base.

On January 15, protests broke out in Gyumri demanding that Permyakov be handed over to the Armenian justice system. Due to police force, fourteen people were hospitalized after the clashes.A protest was also held at Freedom Square within Yerevan where 20 people were detained due to clashes with police. The protesters argue that taxpayers’ money is being used to pay for soldiers that kill Armenian citizens, rather than protect them. Russian authorities are likely concerned that the public trial of a Russian soldier in Armenia will deeply damage the reputation of Russia’s military worldwide, especially in light of developments in Euromaidan.