MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
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PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: press@mfa.am

10-04- 2007

Minister Oskanian reacts to the postponement of exhibition on Rwandan
Genocide at the United Nations in New York

It is not enough that the Government of Turkey thinks it can hide its
history from its own people. Now, they have taken their campaign of cover-up
and distortion to such lengths that they will prevent an exhibition on
Genocide entitled "Lessons from Rwanda."

This UK-based AEGIS Trust NGO-sponsored exhibition on the horrors of Rwanda,
at the United Nations in New York, is being postponed because the Turks
object to a sentence that refers to Armenians being killed and to Raphael
Lemkin’s conclusion that such large-scale and pre-meditated slaughter
amounted to Genocide.

Raphael Lemkin’s work is part of the international record, and of world
history. It is unacceptable that a UN member-state, committed to world
peace, dares to export such intolerance to the United Nations. Armenia
cannot accept that the history of the world, the current experiences of
suffering of the people of Rwanda, of Darfur, and Armenians’ memories of
injustice are subjected to such callous, cynical dismissal.

It is ironic and shameful that this Turkish-led postponement should befall
an event which was to provide lessons on how to respect human rights and
prevent genocides. Instead, the lesson here is one of total disrespect for
history and memory. -0-