ARPI VARDANIAN: “AAA SHOULD CONTINUE ITS ACTIVITY UNTIL US RECOGNIZES
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE”
YEREVAN, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN. “The Armenian Assembly of America has
carried out active and compassionate work years running in order to
achieve the US government’s official and final recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and to avoid making it a political issue by the US
government as the fact remains,” Arpi Vardanian, Armenian Regional
Director of AAA, declared in her interview to Noyan Tapan’s
correspondent. She emphasized that the problem of genocides has become
much more urgent and received wide publicity during the recent 10-15
years. A number of genocides occured during 50-60 years in the world,
including the Jewish Holocaust, the genocides in Ruanda and Cambodia,
and these events changed the position of the international community.”
By the way, 20-30 years ago nobody was engaged and interested in
problems of genocide,” Vardanian mentioned. At the same time,
according to her, unless the Armenians had begun their activity aimed
at the Genocide recognition some decades ago today they would have
been be left out of this process. “Some changes gradually happen, even
some influential newspapers have begun to use the word “genocide” and
not “massacres” or “tragedy.” There are facts about the Genocide in
archives of the US and many other countries and it can’t be hidden but
the most painful is the fact the problem became a political one and
this hampers the issue of recognition,” Arpi Vardanian emphasized. She
said that the content of US President George Bush’s April 24
traditional address to the American Armenian community isn’t known to
her but according to her, some events may have a positive impact on
the President’s 2005 speech. Among these events Arpi Vardanian
attached special importance to US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans’
statement on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which was a great
progress in the process of Genocide recognition. Besides, according to
her, the positive response of the International Center for
Transitional Justice on the applicability of the United Nations
convention on the preventation and punishment of the crime of genocide
to events which occurred during the early 20-th century was also a
very great event. Arpi Vardanian also attached special imortance to
the initiative of J.Knolenberg and F.Pallone, Co-chairmen of the
Commission on Armenian Issues of the House of Representatives of US
Congress, saying that nearly 130 congressmen have already joined the
initiative. “The AAA should also continue working with the community
in order to make the latter active in this issue, as well as with
congressmen and US President George Bush’s administration until the US
recognizes the Armenian Genocide,” A.Vardanian said.