[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5169]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               101ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, last Sunday I had the opportunity to attend 
the 101st anniversary commemoration of the Armenian genocide, hosted at 
the Armenian Martyrs Memorial in Providence, RI. I was pleased to be 
able to join with so many in the Armenian community in my home State 
for this solemn event.
  Over a century ago, the Young Turk leaders of the Ottoman Empire 
summoned and executed over 200 Armenian community leaders and 
intellectuals, beginning an 8-year campaign of oppression and massacre.
  By 1923, an estimated 1\1/2\ million Armenians were killed, and over 
a half a million survivors were exiled. These atrocities affected the 
lives of every Armenian living in Asia Minor and, indeed, throughout 
the world. The survivors of the Armenian Genocide, however, persevered 
due to their unbreakable spirit and steadfast resolve and went on to 
greatly contribute to the lands in which they found new homes and 
communities, including the United States. This genocide should no 
longer be denied, which is why I have joined with several of my 
colleagues on resolutions over the years to encourage the United States 
to officially recognize the Armenian genocide.
  But as we remember our history, we must also look to the present and 
to our future.
  Violence against Armenians in Nogorno-Karabakh has escalated in 
recent months. These attacks on the Armenian people are completely 
unacceptable and call into question the sincerity with which Azerbaijan 
has approached recent peace negotiations. We must remain vigilant and 
do all that we can to encourage Azerbaijan to return to the negotiating 
table and make a good faith effort to ensure a lasting peace agreement 
in the region.
  As ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I remain 
committed to supporting efforts to provide assistance to Armenia to 
strengthen security, promote economic growth, and support democratic 
reforms and development.
  We also must find a way to come together to recognize our past and to 
show our unwavering support to those facing persecution today.

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