[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        ARTSAKH INDEPENDENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL McCOLLUM

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 14, 1999

  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, congratulations to the brave people of 
Artsakh--the traditional Armenian name of what is presently known as 
the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh--on their independence day--September 
2nd. Eight years after their unilateral declaration of independence as 
the Soviet Union was collapsing and hostile militant forces were rising 
in the Caucasus, the predominantly Armenian population of Artsakh is 
still far from being safe and secure. Shunned by the world at large and 
increasingly threatened by the rise of militant Islamism in the 
Caucasus, the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh sets an example of 
perseverance and commitment to freedom and independence.
  The current plight of the people of Nagorno Karabakh is a sorry 
situation since the Armenians of Artsakh are among the oldest distinct 
population groupings on earth. Armenian settlements and a distinct 
political entity have existed in Artsakh since the 2nd century B.C. 
Armenian independence prevailed there until the collapse and partition 
of the first Armenian state in the 5th Century A.D. At that time, 
between 480 and 483, Movses Khorenatsi wrote the monumental ``History 
of Armenia'' under the auspices of Prince Sahak Bagratuni--a 
manifestation of the centrality of Artsakh in Armenian civilization. In 
the late Middle Ages, the Armenian principalities retained their 
independence under Persia's nominal rule.
  The Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh were among the first in the region 
to embrace Christianity back in 301 A.D. in the aftermath of the 
missionary activities of St. Gregory the Illuminator. In this context, 
the repeated destruction and rebuilding of the Monastery in Amaras 
symbolizes the resilience and determination of the Armenians of 
Artsakh. First built around 330 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator, it 
has been repeatedly damaged and destroyed by countless invaders--such 
as the Arabs, the Persians, the Mongols and the Turks--only to be 
rebuilt again and again by the local population. The Monastery in 
Amaras was last damaged by the Azerbaijani forces in 1992, during 
Nagorno Karabakh's bitter war for independence. It has since been 
rebuilt and its centrality in Armenian religious life restored.
  The Armenians' quest for independence has long historical roots. In 
the late 1980s, as the population of the then Soviet Union was awakened 
to rediscover nationalist roots, as well as cultural and religious 
heritage, so did Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. By then, they had a 
history of quest for independence despite Soviet oppression. 
Significantly, since 1923, Nagorno Karabakh was a distinct Autonomous 
Region within Azerbaijan--a status that reflected the population's 
distinction. The Armenian population was restive since the thaw of the 
early 1960s, including riots in the late 1960s demanding self-
determination within the confines of the USSR.
  In the late 1980s, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh were alarmed by 
the rise of Turkic militancy in Azerbaijan. The legacy of the 1918-1920 
slaughter of Armenians by Turkish and Azerbaijani forces--especially 
the March 1920 destruction of Shushi, an Armenian cultural center that 
lost its Armenian population and character until recaptured in May 
1992--was revived by pogroms in Baku and ``ethnic cleansing'' of 
Armenian population throughout the region since 1988. No less alarming 
was the Azerbaijani blockade aimed to starve the Armenian population 
into surrender and self-imposed exile. Hence, once the Armenians' quest 
for self-determination was rejected by the Soviet and subsequently 
Azerbaijani authorities, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh embarked on 
their quest for independence as the sole guarantor for their self-
survival.
  On September 22, 1991, the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh declared 
their independence and vowed to defend the Armenian character of their 
land. They then withstood a three-year long brutal war in which the 
vastly superior Azerbaijani forces strove to destroy them completely. 
Presently, the population of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh is a 
mixture of the local population and Armenian refugees from parts of 
Nagorno-Karabakh still held by Azerbaijani forces, as well as 
ethnically cleansed Armenian communities in other parts of Azerbaijan, 
most notably Baku. They are trying to rebuild their country. A mere 
150,000-200,000 people surrounded by a sea of hate with only a corridor 
to Armenia as a life-line of sustenance.
  Therefore, we should recognize the determination of the Armenians of 
Nagorno Karabakh to preserve and revise their heritage and take control 
of their lives. In an era where the United States has stood up to the 
rights of endangered minorities to self-determination, stability, and 
betterment of life, we should not neglect the legitimate rights and 
aspirations of the Armenian people of Artsakh. They have already fought 
and sacrificed enormously in order to attain these rights. On their 
independence day, they deserve not only our congratulations, but our 
recognition and help, so that they can continue to grow and develop 
free of existential threats.

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