[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3845]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            NAGORNO KARABAKH AUTONOMOUS REGION OF AZERBAIJAN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 5, 2014

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, twenty-six years ago, the Nagorno Karabakh 
Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan petitioned to become part of Armenia. 
Their desire to determine their own future was met with brutal force 
and violence that was tragically reminiscent to events preceding the 
Armenian Genocide.
  For the next two years, the Armenian population was the target of 
racially motivated pogroms. Hundreds were murdered, many more were 
wounded, and the Armenian community still grapples with the scars from 
the horrific attacks in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku.
  On February 20, 1988, Nagorno Karabakh began its national liberation 
movement with a resolution to secede from Azerbaijan, and on December 
10, 1991, Nagorno Karabakh officially declared independence, becoming a 
democratic state committed to freedom and respect for human rights. But 
today, the people of Nagorno Karabakh are still forced to live under 
the constant threat of violence from Azerbaijan.
  As we commemorate the somber anniversary of the beginnings of their 
struggle, we wish for the peaceful resolution of this conflict and the 
right of the Nagorno Karabakh people to determine their own future.

                          ____________________