[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 60 (Monday, May 16, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______


                         HON. TIMOTHY J. PENNY

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 16, 1994

  Mr. PENNY. Mr. Speaker, April 24, 1994, marked the 79th anniversary 
of the Armenian genocide. From 1915 to 1923, 1.5 million Armenian men, 
women, and children were either deported or exterminated by the Ottoman 
Empire. By the end of 1923, the Armenian population of Turkey ceased to 
exist.
  Even today, Mr. Speaker, there are those who deny that genocide 
against the Armenians ever happened. The Government of Turkey has not 
acknowledged the truth, claiming instead that the Armenians were 
victims of World War I. However, the truth about the genocide was 
evident to Henry Morganthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire 
between 1913 and 1916. After visiting the Armenian territories, 
Morganthau reported back to Washington:

       I am confident the whole history of the human race contains 
     no such horrible incident as this. The great massacres and 
     persecutions of the past seem insignificant when compared to 
     the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.

  Sadly, the Armenian genocide was not an isolated incident in the 
world. We must never forget the Jewish Holocaust or the Cambodian 
genocide. I fear that the same thing may be occurring in Rwanda today. 
A world that forgets or turns its back on such tragedies is a world 
that will see them repeated. We cannot afford to send the message that 
genocide is an acceptable form of behavior in the world community.
  As we commemorate the tragedy of the Armenians earlier this century, 
let us focus our attention on the current situation in Armenia and 
Azerbaijan, and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr. Speaker, 
it would be easy to blame the Azerbaijanis for all of the current 
problems in the Caucasus. Azerbaijan has enacted a crippling economic 
blockage on Armenia, causing untold hardship on the Armenian people. It 
has denied a 75-percent majority of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-
Karabakh the right to self-determination. However, this is only part of 
the story. Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh over the last year have 
attacked and taken control over Azerbaijani territory outside of 
Karabakh.
  We must show displeasure with both Armenians and Azerbaijanis for 
aggression and disregard for basic human rights. The humanitarian 
standards for civilians on both sides of the conflict have continued to 
deteriorate over the past year.
  Mr. Speaker, I do have some concerns about U.S. humanitarian 
assistance to the region. The Freedom Support Act has specifically 
excluded Azerbaijan from receiving assistance. Under section 907, the 
Government of Azerbaijan is prohibited from receiving any humanitarian 
assistance ``until the President determines, and so reports to the 
Congress, that the Government of Azerbaijan is taking demonstrable 
steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against 
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.''
  The Freedom Support Act specifies that all recipients of U.S. aid 
must respect human rights. Yet Armenia has violated some of the same 
specific points required by Azerbaijan. It has prevented trade from 
reaching Nakhichevan, a part of Azerbaijan that lacks any direct land 
link to the rest of Azerbaijan. Yet only Azerbaijan is held responsible 
for failing to trade with Armenia. Armenia has not respected the rights 
of ethnic Azerbaijans living in Armenia. According to the United States 
Committee for Refugees, a neutral third-party observer, Azerbaijanis 
living in Armenia have fled as a result of persecution.

  Section 907 also prohibits ``offensive uses of force.'' During the 
past year, we have witnessed ethnic Armenians increasingly resort to 
offensive uses of force in Azerbaijan. The U.N. Security Council in 
1993 condemned the continued aggression by ethnic Armenian forces 
outside of Nagorno-Karabakh through Resolutions 822, 853, 874, and 884. 
Azerbaijani forces have been in retreat during the past year, yet we 
continue to penalize them for using offensive uses of force.
  Mr. Speaker, both sides of this conflict must be held accountable for 
their actions. I am convinced that the prohibition of assistance to 
Azerbaijan as dictated under section 907 runs counter to our strategic 
and humanitarian interests in the Caucasus. Our current strategy has 
not contributed to a peaceful solution to this conflict and has most 
certainly caused enormous suffering to innocent civilians. If we ever 
hope to play the role of an honest broker in the region, we must treat 
both parties in an even-handed manner and encourage them to move 
forward toward a lasting solution.
  Therefore, I propose that we rescind section 907 of the Freedom 
Support Act. If we cannot summon the courage to repeal section 907, 
which prohibits humanitarian aid to the people of Azerbaijan, we must 
then encourage the nongovernmental bodies such as the American Red 
Cross and the Adventist Development Relief Agency to continue 
delivering humanitarian assistance to all victims in the region.
  So today, Mr. Speaker, let us commemorate past atrocities by calling 
attention to the continued killing of Armenians and Azerbaijanis. 
Ethnic hatred continues to cause the needless deaths of innocent 
civilians in this region. We must reexamine our policy and increase our 
efforts to help both sides find an enduring and just peace.

                          ____________________