ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY URGES MURTHA TO REMEMBER TIBET AND REJECT "BLACKMAIL" BY TURKEY

AZG Armenian Daily
19/10/2007

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America today called upon
House Members not to give in to pressure from the government of
Turkey, which is opposed to an important and bi-partisan resolution
that affirms the Armenian Genocide. The call from the Assembly came
as Congress and President Bush met today with the Dali Lama – despite
intense political and diplomatic pressure from China, which opposes
the U.S. having any relationship with Tibet.

"I truly hope that no Member of Congress is persuaded to jump ship
on such a critical vote as this simply because of some threats by
a foreign government," said Armenian Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny.

"The government of Turkey and its million-dollar lobbyists are
effectively blackmailing the Congress and the government of the
United States. We should stand up to the threats and demand that
Turkey immediately cease its campaign of misinformation and threats."

Ardouny noted that the Bush Administration has decided to meet with the
Dali Lama today in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, despite threats and
intense diplomatic and political pressure from the government of China.

"If we can stand up to China why on earth are we afraid of standing
up to Turkey," Ardouny said. "The community commends House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi for standing strong in the face of such threats and
for her willingness to bring this long-delayed resolution to a vote
before the full House. As she said over the weekend, this resolution
is long overdue and it’s time for Congress to stand up and speak
out forcefully on a human rights issue that will reverberate for
generations," added Ardouny.

The resolution, H.R. 106, is non-binding and has been introduced in
several previous sessions of Congress.

It was approved 27-21 last week by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee. Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America
is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting
public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c)
(3) tax-exempt membership organization.