[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 1998

  Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, April 24 marks the 83d 
anniversary of the beginning of one of the most terrible chapters of 
human history--the Armenian genocide.
  From 1915 to 1923, over 1\1/2\ million Armenians perished at the 
hands of Ottoman Turks. As Peter Balakian documents in his book ``Black 
Dog of Fate'':

       Every day you heard about Armenians disappearing. 
     Shopkeepers disappearing from their shops in the middle of 
     the day. Children not returning from school. Men not coming 
     back from the melon fields. Women, especially young ones, 
     disappearing as they returned from the bath.

  But sadly, the Turkish government is practicing historical 
revisionism by denying that a genocide took place. Even more 
regrettably, Turkey continues its blockade of Armenia, attempting to 
starve it of humanitarian aid and commerce. The United States should 
persuade Turkey to be a catalyst for truth and peace in the region. 
Only with Turkey's cooperation and America's leadership will it be 
possible to move forward to bring peace and prosperity to the 
descendants of the victims and the survivors of the Armenian genocide.
  This period of ethnic cleansing was only the first of the twentieth 
century. It was to be followed by the Holocaust of World War II and the 
mass murders of the Bosnian conflict and central Africa. Perhaps if 
more people had known the truth behind Armenia's tragedy, the world 
would have seen the warning signs, and prevented the subsequent 
genocides. Today in 1998, ethnic cleansing threatens to reignite in 
places like Kosovo. It is of utmost importance to acknowledge the 
Armenian genocide, for its example is relevant more than ever today.
  I am a proud cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 55, which 
honors the victims of the Armenian genocide and urges the United States 
to be active in the struggle to bring recognition to this tragedy.
  Today, Armenian grandparents are passing the story of Armenian 
suffering down to their families because they know the importance of 
keeping the truth alive. We in Congress should do our part too, to 
inform the public, to recognize historical fact, and to honor those who 
suffered.

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