PRESS RELEASE
Armenia Solidarity
British Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Armenian Genocide Trust
c/o The Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales
[email protected]
baappg.bazil@btint ernet.com
[email protected]
Tel: 07718982732 Int: ++ 44 7718982732
The Number of Members of the UK Parliament recognising the Armenian
Genocide passess 150
The majority of non-Conservative eligible Members have now signed the
Genocide motion.
Another important milestone on the journey to UK Recognition of
the Genocide was passed today.
Glenda Jackson MP became the 150th Member of the UK Parliament to
signi Early Day Motion 357, recognising the Truth of the Genocide which
our parents, grandparents and other relatives endured during the years
of 1915-23.
This motion, put by Bob Spink MP, has put the Armenian Genocide
issue at the forefront of international issues on which MPs have shown
concern. Including other MPs who have signed the Genocide Motion in
previous years but unable to do so this year for parliamentary technical
reasons, the total now approaches 200
The majority of MPs who are eligible to sign the motion, and
unconstrained by their party, have now done so. Of the 460 MPs who are
eligible to sign, 180 are members of the Conservative Party who provide
a central,ready-made answer explaining why their members will not sign.
Few Conservatives have dared to break with the Party’s authority. Of the
other 280 MPs of the Labour (the party of government), Liberal Democrat,
Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) and smaller
parties just over half (143) have signed
That the past governments of the UK in recent years have
maintained a position of denial in the face of this obvious and
self-evident truth is a blemish on the reputation of this country, which
was the first to identify and publicise what happened to the Armenians
in 1915 as " New Crimes against Humanity and Civilisation"(the precursor
of the modern term Genocide). in the Joint Statement of the Allies in
May 1915). Most Armenians in the UK are able to recite their familly
stories of persecution, mis-treatment and murder, if the government and
the remainder of MPs would care to listen.
To continue with the lobbying, we shall give a copy of the "House
of Commons Conference on the Armenian Genocide" published by Nor Serount
Cultural Association, to all MPs this week.It includes contributions by
historians and other Genocide Scholars. We expect that this will enable
all MPs to have more knowledge of the issue, resulting in more
signatures in the three weeks left for the motion after the summer
recess.
We are confident now that MPs will be encouraged to force a vote
on the issue in the House of Commons after the autumn, following this
unprecedated support.
We are also hopeful of meeting with several MPs on july 24th, the
84th anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty. Gregory Topalian will address a
meeting in the House of Commons on that day on "Britain’s Responsibility
for the Fate of Western Armenia"