ANCA COMMENDS CHILEAN SENATE FOR RECOGNIZING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ArmRadio.am
08.06.2007 15:05
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the
Chilean Senate’s unanimous passage of legislation recognizing the
Armenian Genocide and urging its government to support a key 1985
United Nations Subcommission report properly describing this crime
against humanity as a clear instance of genocide.
"We join with Armenians in Chile, throughout South America, and around
the world in welcoming Chilean Senate’s recognition of the Armenian
Genocide," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "The Chilean
government’s principled stand further isolates Turkey and shines the
spotlight of international public opinion on the remaining countries
– the United States sadly among them – that insist upon remaining
complicit in Ankara’s shameful campaign of genocide denial."
The resolution was introduced by Senator Ricardo Nunez (Socialist)
and cosponsored by Senators Guido Girardi, Jaime Naranjo, Jaime
Gazmuri, Mariano Ruiz-Esquide, Alejandro Navarro, Camilo Escalona,
Roberto Munoz Barra, Juan Pablo Letelier and Antonio Horvath. Citing
the United Nations Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities report, the Senate noted the "ethical and
moral imperative that Chile makes a resolution along the lines of
that from 1985 which recognizes that the Ottoman Empire committed a
brutal genocide in Armenia against a defenseless people that now cry
out for moral reparations from part of the international community
and especially Turkey."
The Chilean Senate’s recognition was spearheaded by that country’s
small but vibrant Armenian community, working closely with the Armenian
National Committee of South America (ANC-SA). ANC of Argentina Chairman
and longtime South American activist Hagop Tabakian noted that:
"passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in Chile is an important
step in our progress toward our goal of all of South America taking
a principled stand on this key human rights issue."
Chile joins its South American neighbors Uruguay, Argentina, and
Venezuela in properly characterizing Turkey’s systematic campaign to
annihilate its Armenian population between 1915-1923 as genocide. Other
countries worldwide that have also recognized the Armenian Genocide
include Bulgaria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy,
Lebanon, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland,
The Netherlands, and The Vatican, as well as the European Parliament
and various other European bodies.