TORCH-LIGHT PROCESSION STARTED IN YEREVAN: “GENOCIDE WILL BE RECOGNIZED”
Regnum, Russia
April 24 2006
1,500 torches and 300 candles were lighted on April 23 in the
Armenian capital of Yerevan from the Turkish state flag, set on
fire earlier. Nikol Agbalyan Student Union of Dashnaktsutiun Armenian
Revolution Federation (ARFD) initiated here start of annual torch-light
procession to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Place of Victims of Armenians
Genocide, a REGNUM correspondent informs. Chairman of ARFD youth wing
Ishkhan Sagatelyan is quoted by the REGNUM correspondent as saying,
that more than 3,000 representatives of youth from Armenia and abroad
participated in the meeting. “Active youth gathered here today to show
the whole world, that Genocide is and will be kept in memory of all
Armenian people,” stated Ishkhan Sagatelyan. It should be reminded,
on April 24, the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey s commemorated.
Addressing the meeting, Member of ARFD Supreme Body, Head of External
Relations Committee of Armenian Parliament Armen Rustamyan stated
that Armenia had not still achieved victory in its struggle, because
“Turkey continues to falsify history, trying to position itself
as a victim.” “However, the struggle to recognize the Genocide
internationally turned out to be most effective this year; Armenians
demonstrated for the whole world that the Genocide recognition is
not an Armenian internal question; our example is demonstrative
for many countries, and our struggle finds understanding,” stated
the member of ARFD supreme body. Also, Armen Rustamyan informed,
on April 24, Memorial Place of the Armenian Genocide will open in
Marseille (France). “It will be small Tsitsernakaberd,” he stressed,
expressing his assurance, that Armenians’ struggle will necessarily
reach its result: “The Genocide will be recognized.”
At present time, several thousands young people with torches are going
through Yerevan downtown to Tsisternakaberd Memorial Place. The action
participants are holding 30-meter Armenian tricolor flag, hundreds of
flags with national symbols, scanning ‘recognition’ word and singing
patriotic songs. Representatives of Armenian Apostolic Church head
the procession, holding a huge cross.
The traditional procession is peculiar appeal to world to recognize
and to condemn criminal actions of Turkish government in 1915, headed
by Ittikhat ve Terraki (Uniting and Progress) Party. As a result of
ethnical clearance, planned at state level, at least 1.5 millions of
Armenians were killed, and several hundreds of thousands were forced
to leave their historical motherland, looking for shelter. On the
same day, Armenians will be silent for a minute in memory of Genocide
victims in the whole world; all churches and monasteries of Armenian
Apostolic Church will ring bells.
It should be stressed, such countries as Russia, France, Canada,
Lebanon, Uruguay, Cyprus, Argentine, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia,
Netherlands, Switzerland, Vatican, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Poland
recognized Genocide of Armenians. Separate documents are adopted
by more then 30 US states. European Parliament condemned the crime
too. In some countries, denial of the Genocide is considered as crime.
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