Armenia Solidarity
British-Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Armenian Genocide Trust
The Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff ,Wales
0771898273 2 Int: 0044 7718982732
Meeting on Darfur and Denial of the Armenian Genocide in the UK
Parliament (in the context of an ethical foreign policy)
Police Take an aggressive attitude to Armenian Lobbyists
In London yesterday, on Tony Blair’s last day as Prime Minister,
British-Armenian activists lobbied parliament all day in support of
Early Day Motion 357. This motion, recognising the Genocide, has now
been signed by 144 Members of Parliament.
Police took an unwarranted intolerant attitude, tearing a large
"Recognise the Genocide " banner and detaining the director of Armenia
Solidarity for half an hour under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for
holding the banner too close to Parliament. The distribution of
leaflets was continued throughout and the banner redisplayed where it
could still be noticed by those entering the Houses of Parliament.
A meeting on "Darfur and Armenia" was organised in the House of Commons
in the evening in conjunction with, the Genocide Prevention All Party
Parliamentary Group and the Aegis Trust
In the meeting in the House of Commons, Dr James Smith of The Aegis
Trust, in a major speech on Ethical Foreign Policy emphasised the
parallels between Armenia and Darfur where the Turkish model of the 20th
century is being successfully repeated. Ruth Barnett spoke on the
psychological effects of denial and introduced the concept of reducing
the present "Genocide Footprint" by addressing the issues of past
genocides. The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, Dr Vahe
Gabrielyan, emphasised the political dimensions of genocide recognition
which could not be addressed by any commission of historians however
eminent. The meeting was chaired by John Bercow MP of the Genocide
Prevention All Party Parliamentary Group, and attended by several other
parliamentarians including Lord Avebury, Lord Alton of Liverpool David
Burrowes MP as well as David Drew MP, the sponsor of the meeting.
The present Armenian Genocide Recognition effort in the UK is an ever
expanding coalition which is gathering momentum involving involves more
and more Armenian and UK supporters. "Genocide Recognition is a human
not merely an Armenian issue" said Eilian Williams, a spokesman for the
organisers. "We urge all Armenians to continue lobbying to obtain
further parliamentary support as well as to consider joining the Aegis
Trust in their Genocide Prevention Campaigns.