[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  COMMEMORATING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 24, 2013

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today we solemnly commemorate the 98th 
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Over the course of eight years, 
the Armenian Christian population was systematically terrorized, 
murdered, and driven out of their country. In 1914, two million 
Armenians were living under the Ottoman Empire; by 1922, only 388,000 
remained. Today we remember the victims of these atrocities and vow 
that their suffering will not be forgotten.
  The horror of the Armenian Genocide was surpassed only by the silence 
that followed it. To this day, the Turkish government prohibits 
recognition of its predecessor's dark history, and has pressured others 
to adhere to the same base standard. The United States has a moral 
obligation to acknowledge the horrors of the past, just as we must 
recognize all genocides as crimes against humanity. Recognition of the 
Armenian Genocide is long overdue.
  As a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I hope 
that my colleagues will join me in paying solemn tribute to those who 
lost their lives and those who have survived such terrible atrocities. 
Let us stand up to governments that persecute their people, and 
reaffirm our commitment to the victims of injustice.

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