Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: anca@anca.org
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA OUTLINES CASE FOR HOLDING GENOCIDE RESOLUTION VOTE
— Urges Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Frist
to Heed Congressional and Constituent Calls for Action
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA),
again this week, urged the Congressional leadership to take note of
the overwhelming bipartisan support for legislation marking the 15th
anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the Genocide Convention
and schedule a vote on the Senate and House Genocide resolutions
(S.Res.164 and H.Res.193).
In an ANCA update sent to Members of Congress, ANCA Government
Affairs director Abraham Niziblian outlined ten key reasons why Senate
Majority Leader Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert should place
the Genocide legislation on the Congressional docket for action.
The complete Memorandum follows.
The Genocide resolution was introduced in the Senate in June, 2003 by
Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ). Its companion House
measure, H.Res.193, led by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA),
Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), was adopted unanimously by
the House Judiciary Committee last May and has 111 cosponsors. The
resolution cites the importance of remembering past crimes against
humanity, including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Cambodian and
Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities. Support
for the measure has been widespread, with a diverse coalition of over
100 ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations calling
for its passage, including American Values, National Organization
of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the
National Council of La Raza.
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An Update on the Congressional Genocide Resolution
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It has been more than a year since Representatives George Radanovich,
Adam Schiff, and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co- Chairs Frank Pallone
and Joe Knollenberg introduced the House version of the Genocide
Resolution, H.Res.193, in April of 2003. Senators John Ensign and
Jon Corzine introduced the Senate version, S.Res.164, in June of 2003.
If the House and Senate leaderships do not schedule votes on their
respective Genocide Resolutions, this human rights legislation will
die with the end of Congressional session this November.
The key question, with less than six months before the end of the
Congressional session, is – “Why have House Speaker Dennis Hastert
and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist not scheduled votes on the
Genocide Resolution?”
Provided below are ten compelling reasons why the Genocide Resolution
deserves a vote:
1) The Genocide Resolution seeks to prevent future genocides
At its heart, the goal of the Genocide Resolution is to prevent future
genocides. This legislation stresses the importance of remembering
and learning the lessons of past crimes against humanity, including
the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and the Cambodian and Rwandan
genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities. Supporters of
this legislation recognize that silence in the face of genocide only
encourages those who would commit such atrocities in the future.
2) The Genocide Resolution strengthens America’s commitment to the
Genocide Convention
The resolution strengthens America’s commitment to the universal
values of the Genocide Convention and calls on the United States to
commemorate the 15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the
Genocide Convention. The law implementing the Convention, known as the
Proxmire Act, was named after the Wisconsin Senator who led a tireless
20-year campaign to attain U.S. adoption of the Genocide Convention.
Senator Proxmire, noted for his unswerving commitment to human rights,
delivered over 3,200 speeches during his Senate career to ensure
passage of this measure.
3) The Genocide Resolution was unanimously adopted by the House
Judiciary Committee
On May 21, 2003 the House Judiciary Committee adopted the Genocide
Resolution without a single dissenting vote. The report prepared by
the House Judiciary Committee described the Armenian Genocide in the
following terms: “Beginning in 1915, the Islamic Turkish state of the
Ottoman Empire sought to end the collective existence of the Christian
Armenian population. From 1915 through 1918, during World War I,
the Ottoman Empire subjected the Armenian people to deportation,
expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre, and starvation. The
atrocities were renewed between 1920 and 1923. It is estimated that
one and a half million Armenians were killed out of over two million
Armenians who had lived in the Ottoman Empire.”
4) The Genocide Resolution has broad, bipartisan support
This measure has been cosponsored by 39 Senators and 111
Representatives.
This March, a bi-partisan group of over sixty (60) U.S.
Representatives co-signed a Congressional letters Speaker Dennis
Hastert to bring the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, to a vote in the
U.S. House. The letter, which was initiated by Genocide Resolution
author Rep. George Radanovich, stressed that: “As we saw in Rwanda
a decade ago, and as we witness today the signs of a possible new
genocide emerging around the world – as a government and a people
– we must make sure that we apply the lessons of past genocide to
prevent future crimes against humanity. Sadly, even as we confront
new genocides, we still have among us those who – against all facts
and morality- deny the Holocaust or seek rewrite the history of the
past atrocities. These hateful deniers dishonor the dead and threaten
the living. They make the world a more dangerous place by emboldening
future potential perpetrators of genocide to believe that their crimes
can be committed with impunity. Adolf Hitler confirmed this with his
chilling remark to his military staff prior to launching the Holocaust:
“who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians.”
5) The Genocide Resolution has been endorsed by a coalition of over
100 organizations
Support for the Genocide Resolution has been widespread, with a
diverse coalition of over one hundred (100) ethnic, religious, civil
and human rights organizations calling for its passage, including
American Values, National Organization of Women, Sons of Italy,
National Council of Churches, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and
the National Council of La Raza.
6) Pulitzer Prize winning author supports adoption of the Genocide
Resolution
Samantha Power, the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of “A Problem
from Hell” – America and the Age of Genocide, supports the Genocide
Resolution. Ms. Power, who formerly served as Executive Director
of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University, has said that, “For
too long American leaders and citizens have reflexively uttered
the phrase “never again” without taking concrete steps to give the
slogan meaning. This legislation marks the beginning of a twenty-
first century campaign to get the U.S. government to commit itself
politically and operationally to prevent future genocide.”
7) Over forty (40) legislators participated personally in the Capitol
Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide
On April 28th, over 40 Senators and Representatives participated in
the Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill, which attracted
hundreds of Armenian Americans who traveled to Washington, DC from
around the nation to thank their legislators for supporting the
passage of the Genocide Resolution.
8) One hundred and ninety-one (191) members of Congress asked President
this April to recognize the Armenian Genocide
One hundred and sixty-nine (169) U.S. Representatives and twenty-
two (22) U.S. Senators co-signed Congressional letters this April
urging President Bush to honor his pledge to properly recognize the
Armenian Genocide in his annual April 24th remarks.
9) National Genocide Resolution postcard campaign
Over 75,000 Armenian Americans and other friends of Armenia have
participated in a national postcard campaign urging House Speaker
Hastert and Senate Majority Leader to bring the Genocide Resolution
to a vote in their respective houses of Congress. In California alone,
this postcard campaign has been publicly endorsed by the Mayor of Los
Angeles Mayor James Hahn; State Controller Steve Westly; Attorney
General Bill Lockyer; Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi; Los
Angeles Supervisor Mike Antonovich; Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, and a
many others.
10) Benefit concert supports passage of Genocide Resolution
The multi-platinum selling, Grammy Award nominated band “System Of
A Down” played a sold-out benefit concert in Los Angeles on April
24th for the Armenian National Committee of America and other groups
supporting the Genocide Resolution.