"CULTURAL GENOCIDE" CONFERENCE LAUNCHES IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 20, 2010
YEREVAN

"Cultural Genocide" one-day conference launched today in Yerevan
dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed
in 1915 in the Ottoman Turkey. The conference started with a prayer,
the present commemorated the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide
with one minute of silence.

Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan said that tens of years
passed from the atrocities committed against Armenians by Turkey but
the sorrow of an Armenian is still deep and the pain – incurable, and
the people of Armenia are demanding. "Today the world-spread Armenians
have one wish – the final recognition of the Armenian Genocide. We are
convinced that we will reach the final result," the minister pointed
out. She said in conditions of extended pain Armenians continued
fighting, creating, and being in different corners of the world they
preserved the national face and values. "Armenians continue fighting
for the recognition of the Genocide and condemns this crime so that
it will never happen in any of the countries," Hranush Hakobyan said.

According to her Turkey was not satisfied with only pogroms: today
as well it continues committing "cultural genocide" eliminating
Armenian monuments, cross-stones. "Elimination of national values is
also genocide. We must insist on our demand and the criminal must
bear the responsibility," the minister pointed out. She noted that
for reaching justice Armenian people must come jointly: Turkey will
never succeed in sowing discord in Armenia-Diaspora relations.

Head of the National Assembly’s ARF faction Vahan Hovhannissyan said
that the "cultural genocide" issue is being discussed seldom but it
will not be right to underestimate its importance. He said that the
restoration of spiritual values of a nation is much more difficult.

"With its obvious policy today Turkey tries to cut Diaspora from
Armenia. We must unite to prevent it," the parliamentarian said.

Rector of the Yerevan State University Aram Simonyan said the wounds
made by Turkey are still fresh in the memory of the Armenian people.

"We understand quite well that Yeghern was not limited with pogroms,
it continues with the cultural genocide. It is first of all the seizure
of our cultural heritage which is very often done by the Turkey in a
hidden way. We must be very sober and fight for saving our cultural
heritage," the rector said.

Director of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum of the National
Academy of Sciences Hayk Demoyan said that we must pass from the phase
of registration of the fact of the "cultural genocide" to concrete
actions. For reaching result, he said, it is necessary to work out
an All-National program.

The conference has been organized by the Armenian Diaspora Ministry
with the support of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum. It is
being broadcasted in the USA and Canada.