MINISTER OSKANIAN REACTS TO UN RWANDAN GENOCIDE POSTPONEMENT

ARMENPRESS
Apr 11 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, ARMENPRESS: "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, " Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian said
in retaliation to a postponement of a UN exhibition on Rwanda Genocide.

This UK-based AEGIS Trust NGO-sponsored exhibition on the horrors of
Rwanda, at the United Nations in New York, was 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," Oskanian’s statement said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress