[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3672-H3673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         UNITED NATIONS MUST BE LEADING VOICE AGAINST GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I am strongly disappointed that United 
Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has given in to Turkey's demands 
and cancelled an exhibit commemorating the 13th anniversary of the 
Rwanda genocide.

                              {time}  2045

  Turkey, as usual, was offended by references in the exhibit to the 
Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I.
  As a representative of the international community, the United 
Nations must be the leading voice against genocide. That includes all 
genocides, including the Armenian genocide. Unless the United Nations 
takes a stand against Turkey's denial, its value to the international 
community is greatly undermined.
  As the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian genocide approaches, Turkey's 
recent behavior is yet another example of why it is so important for 
Congress to reaffirm the Armenian genocide by

[[Page H3673]]

passing H. Res. 106. Over the past year, Turkey has pulled out of NATO 
exercises after France affirmed the Armenian genocide. They have 
threatened U.S. troops in Iraq if the U.S. reaffirms the Armenian 
genocide. And now they are preventing the U.N. from honoring the 
victims of the Rwandan genocide. Their denial has no limits.
  The United States must never allow crimes against humanity to pass 
without remembrance and condemnation. As a society, we cannot 
effectively work to end crimes against humanity without recognizing 
those that have previously occurred.
  Far too many times we have seen the horrible consequences of ignoring 
genocide. Even after unprecedented humanitarian efforts by Americans, 
the Armenian genocide had become the ``forgotten genocide,'' and in 
1939 Adolf Hitler exclaimed to his generals to have no mercy by 
stating, and I quote, ``who, after all, speaks today of the 
annihilation of the Armenians?
  In 1994 world leaders witnessed the Hutu leaders of Rwanda kill 
800,000 Rwandans, and did nothing. Today we sit idly by as militias 
massacre innocent citizens in Darfur; and, again, world leaders do 
virtually nothing. There are lessons to be learned by history. 
Unfortunately, Turkey has undermined the intent of the U.N. exhibit to 
help teach the lessons of genocide inaction.
  Turkey's policy of denying the Armenian genocide gives cover to those 
who perpetrate genocide everywhere. If the cycle is to end, there must 
be accountability for genocide. Genocide denial is the last stage of 
genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, when will today's world leaders stop letting Turkey deny 
its past? It is bad enough for Turkey to threaten and prosecute its own 
citizens for discussing these crimes, but to threaten to retaliate 
against countries that acknowledge the Armenian genocide is appalling 
and unacceptable. As a global community we must collectively stand for 
historical truth and recognize the worst humanitarian crimes that we 
have seen.

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