Armenians condemn genocide

Northern District Times (Australia)
April 20, 2005 Wednesday

RYDE’S 10,000-strong Armenian community will commemorate, on Sunday,
the 90th anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in their history.

The first genocide of the 20th century claimed 1.5 million lives
when the Turkish Ottoman Empire exterminated the Christian Armenian
population living in Eastern Anatolia (Republic of Turkey) between
1915 and 1922.

Ryde Council unanimously backed Councillor Sarkis Yedelian’s motion
last Tuesday night to condemn the genocide.

Taline Soghomonian, 20, a youth member of the Armenian National
Committee of Australia, said she was pleased the motion was passed.
“I was very happy with it but there’s still a long way to go,” the
North Ryde resident said.

“Not a lot of people know about it because of the fact the Turkish
Government denies it.”

A plaque commemorating the anniversary will be unveiled at Memorial
Park, Meadowbank on Sunday at 12.30pm.