[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E623-E624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMEMORATING THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2010

  Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, this week, we solemnly commemorate the 
95th Anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide.
  From 1915 to 1923, the Ottoman Government sought to destroy Armenian 
communities through a systematic campaign of terror. Men were separated 
from their families and murdered; women and children were forced to 
march across the Syrian Desert, and killed if they lagged behind. At 
the time, the United States took bold diplomatic, political, and 
humanitarian action to end the bloodshed and protect the survivors. 
Ninety-five years later, we must continue to take pride in our efforts 
and reaffirm our commitment to ending genocide and defending human 
rights for all.

[[Page E624]]

  Sadly, there still remain those who aggressively deny or raise doubt 
about this chapter of history. The Republic of Turkey threatens severe 
diplomatic consequences to nations that officially recognize the 
genocide, and current Turkish law deems discussion of the genocide to 
be a criminal offense. Moreover, as a part of negotiations to end its 
seventeen-year blockade of the modern nation of Armenia, Turkey has 
insisted on the establishment of a new historical commission to study 
the events of 1915 to 1923, as if abundant scholarly evidence of 
genocide did not already exist.
  If we are to prevent future atrocities, we must not be afraid to 
speak out about those that have taken place in the past. I am proud to 
have cosponsored H. Res. 252, which passed the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee on March 4, 2010. The resolution calls upon the President to 
ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects 
appropriate understanding and sensitivity of the United States record 
relating to the Armenian Genocide. That vote--as well as today's somber 
tribute--reflects our determination to honor the memory of the 
genocide's victims and leads us to vow, once more, that genocide will 
never go unnoticed, unmentioned, or unmourned.

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