[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the 89th anniversary of 
the Armenian Genocide, a painful chapter in world history when the 
international community stood silent as Armenian villages were purged 
and systematically destroyed.
   Between the years of 1915 and 1923, close to one and half million 
Armenians were killed while hundreds of thousands of others were 
mercilessly deported, exiled, and uprooted from their homes. Although 
the atrocities were documented by the United States and others, the 
information was never acted upon. Sadly, even today, the issue remains 
buried.
   After 89 years, the victims and their descendants deserve better. No 
longer should their suffering go unnoticed or unmourned. Recognition of 
the Armenian Genocide is long overdue. It is time for the United States 
to make a concerted effort to overcome the historical denial that 
genocide took place, and put an end to the harmful isolation of Armenia 
that tragically continues.
   We must identify ways to facilitate the lifting of the blockade 
against Armenia and encourage a peaceful resolution of the conflict in 
Nagorno-Karabagh. We must help Armenia continue to flourish as a 
burgeoning democracy, extend Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) 
status to strengthen her economy, and stand ready to help maintain her 
military strength.
   Let us resolve ourselves to ensure that the coming year will be one 
that brings full recognition of the genocide that took place, and peace 
to the region and the memory of those who perished.

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