[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 47 (Friday, April 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

 Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to commemorate the 83rd 
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
  Old and young around the world today remember the Armenian holocaust. 
We remember that on this date in 1915, the Ottoman Empire and the 
successor Turkish nationalist regime began a brutal policy of 
deportation and murder. Over the next eight years, 1.5 million 
Armenians would be massacred at the hands of the Turks and another 
500,000 would have their property confiscated and be driven from their 
homeland.
  Although it seems that the world stood silent while the Armenian 
population was devastated, a few witnesses did try to tell the terrible 
story. In 1919, Henry Morganthau, Sr., the American Ambassador to the 
Ottoman Empire, published a memoir which extensively detailed what he 
had seen and heard in Turkey during the previous six years. Of the 
events of the genocide, Ambassador Morgenthau wrote, ``I am confident 
that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible 
episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem 
almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian 
race in 1915.''
  Last August, I had the opportunity to visit Armenia and Nagorno 
Karabagh. I was able to see the treasures of that land firsthand and 
pay tribute to the indomitable spirit of the people of Armenia. One 
morning I toured the Genocide Monument and Museum in Yerevan and then 
stood by the eternal flame while a vocalist sang a haunting solo. It 
was the most moving moment of my visit.
  My trip to the Transcaucasus made it clear that despite having 
already undergone such terrible persecution and hardship, the people of 
the Armenian Republic still suffer today. The economy is struggling and 
the area has still not recovered from the 1988 earthquake. The Karabagh 
conflict remains unresolved and Turkey continues to blockade 
humanitarian aid to Armenia.
  However, the Armenian people remain resilient, hopeful, and an 
inspiration to others. In Armenia, they continue their quest for peace 
and democracy. Just last month, the residents of Armenia showed their 
commitment to democracy when they participated in the third 
presidential election since independence in 1991. In America, many 
communities, like those in my home state of Rhode Island, are enriched 
by the traditions of Armenians who have immigrated to our shores.
  Because Armenia is a part of our world and persons of Armenian 
descent are members of our community, we must remain committed to 
always remember the Armenian genocide. As Peter Balakian, author of the 
critically acclaimed ``Black Dog of Fate'', wrote:

       Commemoration is an essential process for the bereaved and 
     for the inheritors of the legacy of genocide. It is a process 
     of making meaning out of unthinkable horror and loss. The 
     burden of bereavement can be alleviated if shared and 
     witnessed by a larger community. Only then can redemption, 
     hope and community be achieved.

  Menk panav chenk mornar.

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