[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4477]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING ARMENIAN VICTIMS OF POGROMS AND ETHNIC CLEANSING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the victims of pogroms 
against Armenians in Sumgait (1988), Kirovabad (1988), and Baku (1990), 
and the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan.
  I hope that by speaking out publicly against these atrocities I will 
help reaffirm America's commitment to an enduring, peaceful and 
democratic resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
  It is sickening that even during modern times, less than 25 years 
ago, brutal attacks on Armenians occurred in Azerbaijan.
  Thomas de Waal, in his book Black Garden, described the massacres of 
Sumgait as:
  ``Gangs, ranging in size from about a dozen to more than fifty, 
roamed around, smashing windows, burning cars, but above all looking 
for Armenians to attack. The roving gangs committed acts of horrific 
savagery. Several victims were so badly mutilated by axes that their 
bodies could not be identified. Women were stripped naked and set on 
fire. Several were raped repeatedly.''
  But shockingly most of the Azeris who committed these horrific acts 
and their accomplices in government were not brought to justice.
  The Sumgait Massacres are part of a long and disgraceful history of 
violence against the Armenian people that also includes successive 
massacres in Kirovabad and Baku.
  It is past time for the United States to officially recognize the 
Armenian genocide and to support the security and self-determination of 
the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.
  This anniversary should serve as a reminder that we can stay silent 
no more.
  Let's take this moment to remember all those who lost their lives at 
Sumgait, Kirovabadk, and Baku and pledge to prevent ethnic cleansing 
from occurring anywhere in the future.

                          ____________________