[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2679-2680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TWENTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE SUMGAIT MASSACRE

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                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 18, 2011

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, next week marks the twenty-third 
anniversary of the Sumgait massacre. I stand today to recognize the 
massacres in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, and the continued Turkish and Azeri 
aggression against the Armenian people.
  In late February of 1988, during what was supposed to be a period of 
glasnost and perestroika within the Soviet Union, Armenians, who had 
been the target of genocide in the early part of the 20th century by 
the Ottoman government, were under assault by the Azeri authorities in 
the town of Sumgait in Azerbaijan. This three-day rampage left dozens 
dead and hundreds injured, many burned alive. Women and minors were 
abused, scores of apartments were robbed, shops and kiosks were 
demolished, and thousands of people became refugees.
  The Sumgait massacre is but one example in a long line of 
Azerbaijan's aggression and hostility against the Armenian people. Just 
two years later, the disappearance of a 450,000 strong Armenian 
community in Azerbaijan was witnessed. While Azerbaijan claims that 
events in Baku were about the liberation of Azerbaijani people from the 
Soviet occupation, the truth is that Mikhail Gorbachev had to send 
Soviet troops to the Azerbaijani capital to stop the mass killings and 
deportations of Armenians organized by the Government of Azerbaijan. 
The unfortunate fact is that the Azerbaijani Government was successful 
in ethnic cleansing and the mass deportation of the entire Armenian 
population of Baku.
  Despite the attempt by the Government of Azerbaijan to cover up the 
crimes of Sumgait and Baku, enough brave witnesses came forward to give 
an accurate account of the offenses. Having survived near annihilation 
at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish authorities, it is a testament to 
the indomitable spirit of the Armenian people that they were able to 
endure and overcome another genocide campaign during the pogroms that 
took place throughout Azerbaijan, including in its capital city of 
Baku.
  Many Armenians have marked the anniversary of the Sumgait massacre by 
organizing a march here in Washington from the Embassy of Turkey to the 
Embassy of Azerbaijan in order to highlight the continued Turkish and 
Azeri aggression toward the Armenian people. This anniversary reminds 
us yet again of the historical injustices the Armenian people have 
faced, and the need for strong U.S. engagement in the region to 
safeguard Armenia against the aggressive tactics of its neighbors.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues stand with me in recognizing 
this tragic moment in history. Through recognizing the atrocities of 
the past, we can build a more peaceful future.

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