[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3831-S3832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to speak today in order to 
commemorate the Armenian Genocide. As you know, today marks the 86th 
anniversary of this tragic occurrence. It is important that we take 
time to remember and honor the victims, and pay respect to the 
survivors that are still with us.
  April 24th marks the inception of brutal genocidal campaign to 
eliminate Armenians from the Turkish Ottoman Empire. From the period of 
1915-1923, approximately one and a half million Armenians perished 
under the rule of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. During this horrific 
period, the Armenian people fell victim to deportation, conscription, 
torture, starvation and murder.
  The Armenian genocide was the result of a consciously orchestrated 
government plan. The German Chancellor to the Ottoman Empire, Count 
Wolff-Metternich, stated at the time that, ``In its attempt to carry 
out its purpose to resolve the Armenian question by the destruction of 
the Armenian race, the Turkish government has refused to be deterred 
neither by our representations, nor by those of the American Embassy, 
nor by the delegate of the Pope . . .''
  In a century filled with loss and bloodshed, the Armenian Genocide 
marked the first effort of the century to systematically eliminate an 
entire people. Unfortunately, the world did not learn from this 
massacre, and the past 86 years have been stained by reminders that 
there are those who will stop at no means to spread their agendas of 
hate and intolerance.
  Nobel Laureate writer Elie Wiesel has said that the denial of 
genocide constitutes a ``double killing'' for it seeks to rewrite 
history by absolving the perpetrators of violence while ignoring the 
suffering of the victims. We must acknowledge the horrors perpetrated 
against the Armenian people to preserve the memory of the victims and 
to remind the world that we cannot and will not forget these crimes 
against humanity. However, it is not enough to simply remember those 
who have perished. We must speak out against such tragedies, and 
dedicate ourselves to ensuring that evils such as the Armenian Genocide 
are not revisited on our planet. This is the highest tribute we can pay 
to the victims of any genocide.
  The Armenian people have preserved their culture, faith and identity 
for over a thousand years. In the last century alone, the Armenian 
people withstood the horrors of two World Wars and several decades of 
Soviet dominance in order to establish modern Armenia. I hope all my 
Senate colleagues will join me in honoring and remembering the victims 
of the Armenian Genocide.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today marks the 86th anniversary of the 
beginning of one the great human tragedies of history, the Armenian 
genocide. Between 1915-1923 as many as 1.5 million Armenians were 
systematically murdered by the Ottoman Empire and hundreds of thousands 
more were forced to flee their homeland. These Armenians were victims 
of a policy intended to isolate, exile and even extinguish the Armenian 
population.
  Although nearly a century has passed since this tragedy occurred, we 
must not wipe it from our consciousness and let it become the forgotten 
past. Rather, we must continually learn from mistakes of the past so 
that they are not repeated again and again in the future. Recent 
history in Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo tells us that systematic 
brutality, that the attempt to wipe out an entire population because of 
its ethnicity, is still possible. The atrocities that took place in 
these countries remind us that we still have much to learn.
  The international community has made some progress, standing up for 
justice, holding those responsible for genocide and other serious 
violations of international humanitarian law accountable for their 
crimes. By establishing war crimes tribunals, like the International 
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and the 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, ICTR, we have begun to send 
the clear message that such atrocious crimes will not go unpunished. I 
am pleased that the former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, who has 
been wanted on international war crimes charges for his role in the 
campaign of violence and hate in the Balkans, has finally been 
arrested. I hope that his arrest marks the beginning of full justice 
being served with regard to him and others responsible for the 
unspeakable crimes committed in the Former Yugoslavia.
  Each day we continue to read about and witness ethnic violence and 
violations of human rights in countries across the globe. Sadly, in 
many places this is simply the norm. Clearly there is a great deal of 
work that still needs to be done to prevent human tragedy. So today as 
we commemorate the Armenian genocide, let us honor the men, women and 
children whose lives were lost between 1915-1923, as well as the other 
countless victims of violence throughout history, and recommit 
ourselves to efforts that foster acceptance of others, respect for 
human rights, democratic principles, and peaceful relations between 
people and nations at all levels.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today marks the 86th anniversary of 
the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. I rise today to acknowledge and 
commemorate this terrible crime and to help ensure that it will never 
happen again.

[[Page S3832]]

  On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire launched a brutal and 
unconscionable policy of mass murder. Over an eight year period, 1.5 
million Armenians were killed, and another 500,000 were driven from 
their homes, their property and land confiscated.
  We who enjoy the blessings of freedom and liberty must commemorate 
this event to ensure that it does not happen again. Far too often 
during this century we have remained silent as men, women, and children 
have been singled out, rounded up, and killed because of their race, 
ethnicity, or religion. By acknowledging the Armenian Genocide we state 
loud and clear: Never again.
  Never again will we let brutal violations of human rights go without 
condemnation. Never again will we turn our backs on the oppressed and 
give comfort to the oppressors. Never again will we fail to stand up 
for justice and human dignity. Never again will we allow genocide to be 
perpetrated on this Earth.
  Even as we remember the tragedy and honor the dead, we also honor the 
living. I am proud that my home State of California is home to a 
vibrant Armenian American community, a half a million strong. They have 
enriched the culture of our state and have participated in every aspect 
of civic life. They are a shining example of a people who overcame the 
horrors of the past to create a better future.
  Let us never forget the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Let us 
ensure that they did not die in vain. Let us come together to remember 
the crimes of the past and to pledge to one another that they will not 
happen again in the future. Let us look ahead with Armenia and the 
Armenian American community to a brighter tomorrow.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 86th 
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. From 1915 to 1923, 1.5 million 
Armenians were executed in the first genocide of the 20th Century.
  Sadly, there are some people who still deny the very existence of 
this period which saw the institutionalized slaughter of the Armenian 
people and the dismantling of Armenian culture. To those who would 
question these events, I refer them to numerous documents kept by the 
United States National Archives, which detail these horrifying events. 
The entire Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire was forcibly 
removed from their historic homeland in present-day eastern Turkey. A 
million and a half people were massacred and another 500,000 were 
exiled. As the United States Ambassador to the Ottoman State at the 
time, Henry Morgenthau, said, ``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.''
  Tragically, the Armenian genocide was the first in a series of 
genocides in the 20th Century. Adolf Hitler, in preparing his genocide 
plans for the Jews, predicted that no one would remember the atrocities 
he was about to unleash. After all, he asked, ``Who remembers the 
Armenians?''
  And that is why we come together every year at this time to remember. 
The genocide of the Armenians did take place, and we do remember. That 
memory must be kept alive, to keep us vigilant in our efforts to 
prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to join with Armenians throughout the 
United States, in Armenia, and around the world in commemorating the 
86th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
  This week, members and friends of the Armenian community will gather 
together to remember April 24, 1915. On that day, nationalist forces of 
the Ottoman Empire started an eight year campaign of massacre and 
deportation that would impact the lives of every Armenian in Asia 
Minor.
  Armenian men, women, and children of all ages fell victim to murder, 
rape, torture, and starvation. By 1923, an estimated 1.5 million 
Armenians had been systematically murdered and another 500,000 had 
their property stolen and were driven from their homeland. With World 
War I occupying center stage at the time, the Armenian people's 
situation went unaided.
  Unfortunately, the residents of Armenia still suffer today. Armenian 
efforts at democracy and economic development have been hindered by 
regional conflict, natural disasters and internal strife. Yet, despite 
these setbacks, the Armenian people have maintained a persevering 
spirit that has kept hope alive. In the past few months, optimism has 
grown as internationally mediated peace talks between Armenian 
President Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Aliyev have made 
progress.
  Commemoration of the Armenian genocide is important not to keep alive 
the memory of those Armenians who died, but to remind the world of its 
duty. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu noted in 1999, ``It is sadly true what 
a cynic has said, that we learn from the history that we do not learn 
from history. And yet it is possible that if the world had been 
conscious of the genocide that was committed by the Ottoman Turks 
against the Armenians, the first genocide of the twentieth century, 
then perhaps humanity might have been more alert to the warning signs 
that were given before Hitler's madness was unleashed on an unbelieving 
world.'' It is my hope that the world has begun to pay attention to 
history because, unlike in 1915, the international community heeded the 
warning signs in Kosovo and did not sit back and watch, but reacted 
quickly and decisively. We must always bear witness to the terrors of 
yesterday so that we can respond to acts of oppression in the future, 
ensuring that the deaths of all victims of hatred and prejudice are not 
in vain.
  Therefore, on the 86th anniversary of the terrible tragedy of the 
Armenian genocide we remember the past and rededicate ourselves to 
supporting Armenia as it looks to the future.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, April 24 marks the 86th anniversary of 
the beginning of one of the most tragic events in history, the Armenian 
Genocide. In 1915, the Ottoman Turkish Government embarked on a brutal 
policy of ethnic extermination. Over the next eight years, 1.5 million 
Armenians were killed, and more than half a million were forced from 
their homeland into exile.
  In the years since then, the Armenian diaspora has thrived in the 
United States and in many other countries, bringing extraordinary 
vitality and achievement to communities across America and throughout 
the world. The Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian National 
Committee of America, and other distinguished groups deserve great 
credit for their impressive work in maintaining the proud history and 
heritage of the Armenian people, and guaranteeing that the Armenian 
Genocide will never be forgotten.
  One of the enduring achievements of the survivors of the Genocide and 
their descendants has been to keep its tragic memory alive, in spite of 
continuing efforts by those who refuse to acknowledge the atrocities 
that took place. In Massachusetts, the Armenian Genocide is part of 
that curriculum in every public school. Legislation was introduced last 
year in the U.S. House of Representatives to support recognition of the 
Armenian Genocide, and the French government approved a law to 
recognize the Armenian Genocide in January.
  It is time for all governments, political leaders and peoples 
everywhere to recognize the Armenian Genocide. These annual 
commemorations are an effective way to pay tribute to the courage and 
suffering and triumph of the Armenian people, and to ensure that such 
atrocities will never happen again to any people on earth.

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