[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMEMORATING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2001

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise with my colleagues in 
calling for the remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. I remain deeply 
concerned that the United States has not officially recognized this 
tragedy as a genocide, and believe it is time this nation acknowledges 
the truth.
  That truth is told by those who were there. Many Armenians that saw 
the killing, saw the destruction and lived through the persecution, are 
now our neighbors and friends. For years, these brave individuals who 
lost their loved ones have told the painful story of their experience, 
yet it has often fallen on deaf ears. They have told of the day in 
1915--April 24th--when Turkish officials arrested and exiled 200 
Armenian political, intellectual and religious leaders. That terrible 
day started a campaign of terror that would last for eight years, 
resulting in the death of 1.5 million Armenians.
  Today, despite all of our advances, we still see this kind of brutal 
ethnic cleansing in several places around the world. In Kosovo, an 
international military force had to be called in to end ethnic 
cleansing in that tiny province. And across Africa, in places like 
Sierra Leone and the Congo, entire groups of women, children and men 
have literally been wiped out in attempts to control land and 
resources. If we are ever to stop such inhumane treatment, we must 
ensure that we speak the truth about the past. We must ensure that our 
young people hear the wrongs that have been committed against humanity, 
so that they have the opportunity to stand firmly for basic human 
rights as they rise to become our leaders.
  As a nation, the United States speaks often about respect for human 
rights. I am proud that we hold such values so close--but until will 
accept the truth about atrocities like the Armenian Genocide we fail to 
reach our goals.

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