International Genocide Recognition

[Gavur]

Genocide Recognition

Embassy Magazine, Canada
April 5 2006

British Columbia's provincial government passed MLA Adrian Dix's
Private Member's Motion recognizing "the genocide of the Armenians as
a crime against humanity," and designated April 24 as a day to remember
the 1.5 million victims of the first genocide of the 20th century.

[Hovik]

The More States Recognize Armenian Genocide the More Aggressive Turkey Becomes

The More States Recognize Armenian Genocide the More Aggressive Turkey Becomes
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is not a precondition for the establishment of normal neighbor relations,” RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told France Press. He voiced assurance that ‘the obstacle can be removed via cooperation between the Armenian and Turkish people. The RA FM described the proposal of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on formation of a commission of historians for investigation of the events of 1915 as smoke screen. “How can a joint commission be formed in the absence of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara?” he said adding that it’s a political issue and the approach should be political. Minister Oskanian condemned Turkey for its denial policy. “The more states recognize the Armenian Genocide the more aggressive Turkey becomes. Turks have never been so organized at the state level as in this denial campaign,” he remarked. In his words, the adoption of the French bill penalizing the Armenian Genocide denial is a response to the aggressive line of the Turkish government. When commenting on the fear that the acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide may arouse claims of compensation Vartan Oskanian said. “Armenia’s foreign policy agenda includes the recognition of the Genocide only,” reports RFE/RL.
! Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».

[Joseph]

Argentina

Argentine Parliament Recognizes Armenian Genocide

By Diego Karamanukian in Buenos Aires

The lower house of Argentina’s parliament adopted late Wednesday a resolution recognizing the 1915-1918 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

The bill overwhelmingly approved by the assembly declared April 24, which sees annual commemorations of more than one million genocide victims in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora, an official “day of mutual tolerance and respect” among peoples around the world. It gives Argentine citizens of Armenian descent the legal right to be absent from work or university classes on that day.

There was no immediate reaction to the move from Turkey, which has strongly condemned similar resolutions passed by about two dozen other nations and insists that the mass killings did not constitute a genocide.

The bill has to be approved by the Argentine Senate in order to become a law. Officials in Buenos Aires say the upper house could discuss it as early as next week.

Argentina is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians, most of them descendants of genocide survivors. They have long been lobbying the authorities in Buenos Aires to officially recognize the genocide. Neighboring Uruguay, which also has an influential Armenian community, did so several years ago.

[Joseph]

Argentine Parliament Recognizes Armenian Genocide

By Diego Karamanukian in Buenos Aires

The lower house of Argentina’s parliament adopted late Wednesday a resolution recognizing the 1915-1918 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

The bill overwhelmingly approved by the assembly declared April 24, which sees annual commemorations of more than one million genocide victims in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora, an official “day of mutual tolerance and respect” among peoples around the world. It gives Argentine citizens of Armenian descent the legal right to be absent from work or university classes on that day.

There was no immediate reaction to the move from Turkey, which has strongly condemned similar resolutions passed by about two dozen other nations and insists that the mass killings did not constitute a genocide.

The bill has to be approved by the Argentine Senate in order to become a law. Officials in Buenos Aires say the upper house could discuss it as early as next week.

Argentina is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians, most of them descendants of genocide survivors. They have long been lobbying the authorities in Buenos Aires to officially recognize the genocide. Neighboring Uruguay, which also has an influential Armenian community, did so several years ago.

Argentina Passes Law Declaring Armenian Deaths A "Genocide"

December 14, 2006 2:24 p.m. EST

Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer
Buenos Aires, (AHN) - Argentina has passed a bill labeling the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey a "genocide."
The Argentinean Senate has unanimously voted to mark April 24 as an annual day commemorating the deaths which occurred around the time of World War I, and remain a sensitive subject for the modern Turkish government.
The issue has been receiving recent attention after the French National Assembly approved a bill making it a crime to deny calling the deaths a genocide. However, the bill, passed in October, still needs to pass through the French Senate and President.
French President Chirac has opposed the bill, while Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has also spoken out against both bills.

[Joseph]

Seems Ankara is warning everyone these days, the EU, the US, the Kurds, etc.





Ankara warns US over Armenian genocide bill
By Zaman, Ankara
Thursday, December 28, 2006
zaman.com

Faced with the possibility that the U.S. Congress will consider a proposal with regard to the alleged Armenian genocide, Spokesperson for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Namik Tan asked the U.S. Administration to continue its long-lasting balanced and constructive policy.
At a weekly press conference Tan discussed news reports indicating that with the Democrats in control of both houses of Congress, the U.S. legislative body would consider a proposal on the alleged Armenian genocide. Tan noted that Turkey was following the efforts of the Armenian lobby to exploit the political situation in the United States with great concern.
Noting that bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States were multidimensional and strategic, Tan further said: “The U.S. has always been constructive and right minded vis-ŕ-vis those kinds of efforts. We believe that the U.S. administration will continue the same approach. The relations between the U.S. and Turkey are so important that they transcend those insignificant issues.” Asked about the recent remarks made by Armenian authorities, Tan recalled that any concrete results from those efforts largely depended on Armenia’s flexible and constructive approach to resolve the regional problems in compliance with the international legal rules and regulations.
EU invitation letter insufficient
Tan noted that Turkey requested information from Azerbaijani authorities concerning the allegations made by Armenian-origin Turkish citizen Burak Bedikyan that he was maltreated and not admitted into Azerbaijan. Spokesperson Tan also noted that the European Union’s invitation letter to initiate negotiations in the field of industry and establishments has arrived in Ankara. Tan stressed that the letter did not meet Turkey’s expectations, as an invitation to start negotiations in four chapters was anticipated.

[Joseph]

France is unanimous in condemning Armenian Genocide

Yerkir.am
January 19, 2007

About 2,000 political leaders and intellectuals participated in a rally
supporting criminalization of the Armenian Genocide Denial organized
on Wednesday by the Coordination Council of Armenian Unions in France
in Paris.

ARF's Hay Dat Office for Europe informs the rally participants
supported unanimous fight against Genocide denial and expressed
solidarity with the victims of the Genocide. Representative of France's
Jewish community Serge Clarsfeld assured that their community will
support the calls for criminalization of the Genocide denial by the
French Senate.

Chief Secretary of the French Socialist Party Francois Holland spoke
on behalf of the Socialist Party and its presidential candidate
Segolen Royal.

Representative of People's Movement Union Party Patric Devejian
stressed that "Turkey's denial will bother citizens of France and not
visa versa". The rally was concluded by Charles Aznavour's performance
that was received with warm applauses.

The law passed by the French Parliament on October 12, 2006 prescribes
a punishment of 45 thousand euros and one year of imprisonment for
denial of the Armenian Genocide.

[Helen]

France launches 1915 Genocide stamp

France launches 1915 Genocide stamp

[1.5 million]

I'll make sure I send out a few hundred posts to random Turks next time I' in France (this summer)...viva La France!

[Kharpert]

I'll make sure I send out a few hundred posts to random Turks next time I' in France (this summer)...viva La France!

Ditto.

[Eilian]

Armenian Genocide recognised at main UK Holocaust Day event

Armenia Solidarity
[email protected]

Armenian Genocide Recognised at the Official UK Holocaust Memorial Day Event
The Armenian Genocide was officially recognised at the Holocaust Day Event in Newcastle, UK at the weekend, following representations from Armenia Solidarity official John Torosyan,a leading figure in the the Welsh-Armenian Community.(supported by Nor Serount Cultural Association).
Our original recuest to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust was made two years ago, and their response has been encouraging since then.
(The Welsh Armenian Community were allowed to stage an exhibition on the Genocide, with music and speeches in the foyer Millenium Centre, in the fringes of the main event when the 2006 HMD was held in Cardiff)
This time,though, recognition came from the main stage. It is signifigant because the organising body, the Holocaust Day Trust, is supported by the British government, with a minister usually participating at the event.
It will now be increasingly difficult for the UK government to keep to their position of denying the truth of the Armenian Genocide when they have sponsored an event which has recognised this truth! Speeches are prepared beforehand, and it was not a question of one speaker speaking her mind. This was with the full permission of the organisers.

Here is the text of what was said in the National Commemoration. It was by Mary Blewitt of SURF, the Rwandan survivors fund:


"The only reason I can think I was spared is to help those who, like me, must live with the legacy of genocide. I represent only the survivors of the genocide in Rwanda, but try when possible to speak as well for the survivors of the Holocaust and the genocides in Cambodia, Kosovo and Armenia. I try to ensure that their voices are heard - voices that tell the whole truth, that warn us of what humanity is capable of, that remind us of the suffering that must never again be permitted to happen to anyone, anywhere in the world."

Confirmation of this may be obtained from:
Chief Executive
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
PO Box 49743
London
WC1H 9WU

https://www.hmd.org.uk

0845 838 188
Our hope is that this progress acheived in Genocide Recognition will persuade more UK Armenians to co-operate with us by contacting your M.P. to ask him/her to sign Early Day Motion 357, recognising the Genocide in the House Of Commons. Also, please ask him/her to sign motion 344 on the blockade of Armenia. Let us know at [email protected] if you are doing this, and send us the reply, even if it is negative.