Category: News

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
April 29, 2004, Thursday
Muted celebration as Cyprus joins E.U.
Nicosia
Despite a programme of events that should last 48 hours, weekend
accession celebrations in Cyprus are expected to be a muted affair as
a divided island joins the European Union on Saturday.
The main party will be held at Eleftheria Square, barely 400 metres
from the dividing Green Line that would have been abolished if the
Greek Cypriots had not rejected the United Nations peace plan in a
referendum vote last Saturday.
Had they accepted the reunification plan, as did a majority of the
Turkish Cypriots living in the north, then Nicosia would have rid
itself of the reputation as the last divided capital of the world.
Instead, some 20,000 are expected to gather in the large square where
only a week ago two major campaigns were held in favour of and
rejecting unification.
The crowd is still expected to include a large number of Turkish
Cypriots, but they seem to have lost faith in the Greek Cypriots.
Musical concerts and shows including Greek, Turkish, Armenian,
Maronite and Asian dances will demonstrate the multicultural web of
island society, culminating with a performance by Cypriot-born Anna
Vishy on Friday night.
The midnight fireworks that will be clearly seen from both parts of
the divided city, will be preceded by an expectedly sombre speech by
President Tasos Papadopoulos, who twice urged his people to reject
the U.N. backed unification plan in televised addresses a fortnight
ago. dpa mdp jm

Associated Press Worldstream
April 28, 2004 Wednesday
Armenia deports U.S. citizen accused of plotting seizure of power
YEREVAN, Armenia
A U.S. citizen was deported Wednesday after being arrested on charges
of working toward the forceful seizure of power in Armenia, the U.S.
Embassy said.
Artur Vardanian was arrested in the Armenian capital on April 22. He
had dual Armenian and U.S. citizenship, but Armenian President Robert
Kocharian revoked Vardanian’s Armenian passport the day after his
arrest.
His lawyer, Ashot Sarkisian, said Vardanian was taken under police
guard to the airport early Wednesday and deported to the United
States. No more details about his destination were available.
“The criminal case against the defendant was closed in connection
with changed circumstances,” Sarkisian said.
Vardanian was an active supporter of Stepan Demirchian, Kocharian’s
main opponent in last year’s election.
Kocharian won a second term, but the election sparked mass protests,
including nearly daily demonstrations between the first round and the
runoff. Opposition groups alleged widespread violations in both
rounds of the vote, which was followed by a parliamentary ballot in
which the pro-government party won the most votes.
In recent weeks, a new series of protest rallies have been held,
raising political tension in this ex-Soviet republic. Some 7,000
people participated in Tuesday’s protest, calling for Kocharian’s
ouster.
Vardanian, a former resident of Yerevan, received U.S. citizenship
after marrying an American citizen in the 1990s. Armenian authorities
accused him of failing to surrender his Armenian passport and
repeatedly entering Armenia illegally. They say he was involved in
political activities there.
Authorities said that this time, Vardanian arrived at the beginning
of April and participated in unsanctioned opposition meetings.

Associated Press Worldstream
April 28, 2004 Wednesday
Armenia beats Turkmenistan 1-0 in a friendly
YEREVAN, Armenia
Ara Hakopian scored the only goal Wednesday as Armenia beat
Turkmenistan 1-0 in an international friendly.
The striker scored in the 67th minute off a cross from midfielder
Romik Khachatrian, who broke down the right flank and dribbled past
two defenders to send a cross into the box.
Armenia dominated the first half and but failed to make it through
the visitors’ tough defense. Hakopian hit the post twice within six
minutes early in the first half and Galust Petrosian wasted another
clear opportunity, firing over the crossbar from close range in the
19th.
Turkmenistan had only one attempt on goal five minutes before the
interval, but the visitors did manage several counterattacks despite
not finding the net.
The match was originally set for Aug. 20, 2003, but the Turkmen side
did not show up, instead sending a letter of apology to the Armenian
soccer federation.
Lineups:
Armenia: Roman Berezovski (Armen Ambartsumian, 46th); Yeghishe
Melikian, Aleksandr Tatevosian, Sargis Hovsepian, Harutyun Vardanian,
Romik Khachatrian, Artur Petrosian (Artavazd Karamian, 10th), Rafael
Nazarian, Albert Sargsian (Barsegh Kirakosian, 78th), Ara Hakopian
(Levon Pashaian, 72nd), Galust Petrosian.
Turkmenistan: Bayramniyaz Berdiev; Arsen Bagdasaryan, Kamil Mingazow,
Guwanch Rejepow, Alik Haydarov, Nazar Bayramov (Artem Nazarov, 85th),
Kurbangeldi Durdiyev (Vyacheslav Sudarev, 90th), Begenchmuhammed
Kuliyev, Rustam Saparov, Dayanchegylych Urazov (Yevgeny Zemskov,
78th), Vladimir Bayramov.

Associated Press Worldstream
April 28, 2004 Wednesday
Armenian parliament passes softened law regulating rallies
YEREVAN, Armenia
The Armenian parliament on Wednesday approved the final reading of a
proposed law on public gatherings that limits where they can be held
but that provides for penalizing officials if they block legitimate
rallies.
The measure comes as Armenia undergoes a wave of opposition protests
calling for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian.
It calls for rallies to be prohibited within 150 meters (about 500
feet) of places of strategic or state significance. That designation
could include the presidential palace, where police forcefully broke
up a large rally this month, injuring some demonstrators and
detaining more than 100.
However, the measure, if it is signed into law by the president, also
calls for says national and local officials can be subject to
criminal or administrative punishment if they illegally hinder the
organization of mass demonstrations.
Justice Minister David Arutyunian said the final version of the draft
law took into account most of the changes recommended by the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Among the changes was elimination of a clause that would have
considered journalists and other non-participants in a rally legally
responsible in connection with a gathering’s actions.

ARKA News Agency
April 29 2004
7TH annual meeting of BSTDB to take place in Yerevan
OSCE calls to Armenian authorities to investigate recent cases of
violence
CJSC ISC-Star plans to create center of satellite television in
Armenia
*********************************************************************
7TH ANNUAL MEETING OF BSTDB TO TAKE PLACE IN YEREVAN
YEREVAN, April 29. /ARKA/. 7th annual meeting of Black Sea Trade and
Development Bank will take place in Yerevan, the President of BSTDB
Mustafa Gyurtin stated at the meeting with RA Minister of Finance and
Economy Vardan Khachatrian. Khachatrian in his turn sad that increase
of BSTDB role in the region only contributes to bilateral mutually
beneficial cooperation.
BSTDB is an international financial organization created in 1994 by
OBSEC members. BSTDB members are Greece, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria,
Romania, Ukraine, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
OSCE CALLS TO ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO INVESTIGATE RECENT CASES OF
VIOLENCE
YEREVAN, April 29. /ARKA/. OSCE calls to Armenian authorities to
investigate recent cases of violence, OSCE Yerevan Office press
release states. According to press release, OSCE Yerevan Office is
concerned with absence of progress in punishment of guilty and
atmosphere of intolerance in the republic. `It is necessary to
consider cases of use of violence and punish all guilty in the frames
of law’, the Head of OSCE Yerevan Office, the Ambassador Vladimir
Pryakhin stated in the letter to RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.
In accordance to this, Pryakhin mentioned attack on RA NA Deputy
Viktor Dallakian, beating of the Chairman of Helsinki Association of
Armenia Mikael Danielian and Political Scientists Ashto Manucharian.
L.D. –0 –
*********************************************************************
CJSC ISC-STAR PLANS TO CREATE CENTER OF SATELLITE TELEVISION IN
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, April 29. /ARKA/. CJSC ISC-Star plans to create center of
satellite television in Armenia, the company told ARKA. The Center
will be called ZVEZDA-STV. It is planned that the Center will deal
with transmission of programs of Armenian TV companies outside of
Armenia – for Armenia Diaspora. Besides, the company plans to create
own TV programs as well. The company conducts works on creation of
own ZVEZDA-PRODUCTION producer center.
Armenian-Russian-American joint venture was registered in Armenia,
Sept 24, 2001. The founders of the ISC-Star, JV are both legal and
physical entities of some foreign countries, Russia including, and
residents of the Republic of Armenia. ISC-Star currently has over 100
IP-communication and paging communications units all over the world.
L.D. -0 –

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – April 29, 2004
APRIL 24TH COMMEMORATIONS
REMEMBER MARTYRS AND CONVEY
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
The various events commemorating the 89th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide concluded this week.
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan presided over the Divine
Liturgy and Requiem Service on Saturday, April 24, at St. Illuminators
Cathedral in New York City. V. Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General
of the Prelacy and pastor of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, NY, was the
celebrant and preacher.
His Eminence attended various commemorations including at the New York
City offices of Governor George Pataki, New York City Hall, Times Square,
and Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. The Prelate’s prayers and messages on
these occasions are on the Prelacy’s web page,
ST. GREGORY CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA
HOLDS RETREAT FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS
St. Gregory the Illuminator Sunday School, Philadelphia, held its eighth
annual sleepover retreat for third through twelfth grades as well as for
candle and fan bearers on Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27.
Based on the proclamation of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia, designating 2004 as the Year of the Family, the
theme of the retreat was baptism, the initial welcoming of a child into the
Armenian Church family. Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion were
covered first in teaching, questions and answers and then anchored into
virtual reality via a mock baptism. Afterwards the students gathered in the
kitchen to learn to make Mahs, which was distributed among the St. Gregory
Church family on Sunday.
Other activities of the weekend included evening and morning worship
services, roller blading at a local skating rink, and fellowship with one
another.
(submitted by Jeanette Nazarian)
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENOCIDE,
IMPUNITY AND JUSTICE TAKES PLACE IN ANTELIAS
An international conference organized by the Catholicate of Cilicia on
Genocide, Impunity and Justice, and under the auspices of the President of
Lebanon, took place last week at the Catholicate in Antelias, Lebanon. The
conference was organized as part of the Catholicate’s commemoration of the
89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, with the participation of were
prominent genocide scholars and specialists. A special message was received
from the President of Rwanda.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, addressed
the conference. The Catholicos said that the 20th century was an age of
genocide despite significant and encouraging developments, which were the
result of numerous international declarations for human rights, including
the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998.
However, he said, the international community failed to respond immediately
in Rwanda, which led to disastrous repercussions. While in Kosovo, thousands
of human beings were saved because of preventive action.
The Catholicos also pointed out that the punitive approach is an
essential factor for the restoration of justice, which only happens when the
rights of the victims are fully recognized and adequately addressed. He
added that retributive justice should follow the punitive approach. This
means that victims should be compensated, truth should be revealed and
responsibility accepted.
ORDINATIONS AT ST. PAUL CHURCH
IN WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS
On the weekend of May 8 – 9, Archbishop Oshagan will visit the community
of St. Paul Armenian Church, Waukegan, Illinois.
On Saturday evening the Prelate will attend a dinner welcoming Rev. Fr.
Arsen Kassabian as the new pastor of the church. The dinner will also be a
fond farewell for Archpriest Fr. Arshag Daghlian, who has been serving the
parish as an outreach priest. The Prelacy and the Waukegan community express
their warm thanks and appreciation to Der Arshag for his dedicated service.
On Sunday, May 9, Archbishop Oshagan will celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
deliver the Sermon, and officiate at the ordination ceremonies. Asadour
Soulakian, Dr. Arsen Mekaelian, and Sam Haroian will be ordained deacons.
Mikayel Mekaelian and Ghougas Mekaelian will be ordained sub-deacons, and
Vazken Haroian and Zareh Haroian will be ordained acolytes.
PRELATE WILL BE WITH NEW JERSEY
AND NEW YORK COMMUNITIES THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop Oshagan will visit the Sts. Vartanantz parish in Ridgefield,
New Jersey, this Sunday, May 2, where he will deliver the sermon. Following
the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence will go to St. Illuminators Cathedral, New
York City, to attend the Mothers Day luncheon organized by the Cathedral
parish.
PLG MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON & FASHION SHOW, MAY 3
The Prelacy Ladies Guild Mothers Day luncheon and fashion show will take
place Monday, May 3, at The St. Regis. Archbishop Oshagan will attend and
make the surprise Mother of the Year presentation.
A UNIQUE PROGRAM FOR ADULTS
IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION
Critical Issues of Life & Faith: An Armenian Orthodox Perspective will
be the topic of a unique educational program for adults in the Mid-Atlantic
region. The seminar, sponsored by the Armenian Religious Education Council
(AREC) will take place June 25 to 27, at St. Mary of Providence Center in
Elverson, Pennsylvania.
The issues explored will include: Marriages: Straight or Gay?
Reproductive Technologies; Abortion; Suicide, Cremation. The program will
include lectures, Bible studies, panel discussions, small group discussions,
and worship services.
The main speaker will be Dr. Vigen Guroian, Professor of Theology and
Ethics at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. Professor Guroian is the
first Armenian theologian ever elected to the American Theological Society
and the Orthodox Theological Society of America. He has served on the Board
of Directors of the Society of Christian Ethics, has been active in both the
National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, and is a
member on numerous editorial boards. His published works include nearly 150
articles and six books with three more scheduled to be published later this
year.
The fee is a modest $90, which includes meals and room accommodations
for two evenings (Friday and Saturday). The weekend program begins Friday
evening and concludes Sunday afternoon.
For information contact Deacon Shant Kazanjian at the AREC office,
[email protected] or 212-689-7810. Visit the Prelacy web page,
for more information.
THIS SUNDAY IS RED SUNDAY
This Sunday, May 2, the third Sunday after Easter, is called Red Sunday
(Karmir Kiraki). The origin of the name, Red Sunday, has been lost, but it
is most probably related to nature. Like Green Sunday, it is a popular
designation related to spring, since it is at this time of the year that the
fields are adorned with red tulips amidst the green grass. It is a good time
of the year to think about ecological concerns and our stewardship of the
earth created for us by God.
Relying on his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in
which justice will be established. (2 Peter 3:13)
Visit our website at

RIA Novosti, Russia
April 29 2004
AZERI PRESIDENT PINS HOPES ON RUSSIA FOR OIL EXPORT ROUTES
STRASBOURG, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – As co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
group, Russia can do much for Karabakh settlement, said President
Ilkham Aliev of Azerbaijan. He was addressing a news conference at
the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg.
The President hopes for Russia to join hands with the USA and France,
other Minsk group co-chairs, together to step up Karabakh conflict
extinguishing efforts. Russia has an ample chance to gain prominence
in the efforts thanks to its long-established friendly contacts with
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two contenders for Karabakh.
President Aliev shifts entire responsibility for the conflict on
Armenia. As he emphatically said, “Azerbaijan will never recognise
independence of the self-proclaimed Karabakh Republic, and will never
tolerate it joining Armenia, either.” He made a strong call to
reinstate Azeri territorial integrity.
Azeri petroleum exports were another principal theme of the news
conference. Their northern route, via Russia, needs much improvement.
At present, an annual 2.5 million tonnes of Azeri oil is going abroad
by the Baku-Novorossiisk mainline, and another six million by the
Baku-Supsa. Both terminals are Russia’s and Georgia’s Black Sea
ports, respectively. The figures the President quoted concerned only
an Azeri government oil-drilling company, with no account for
expatriate companies in Azerbaijan, he pointed out.
Another mainline is being laid from Baku to Ceyhan, Turkish terminal
in the East Mediterranean. Azeri exports may amount to fifty million
tonnes a year after the line is commissioned toward next year’s end.
“This does not mean we shall give up the Baku-Novorossiisk line-a
route which has to be improved,” said Mr. Aliev.
An Azeri-Russian ad hoc team is weighing up prospective improvements,
he added.

Houston Press, TX
April 29 2004
Capsule Reviews
A picture of our opinions on local exhibitions
BY JOHN DEVINE, KELLY KLAASMEYER AND KEITH PLOCEK
[email protected]

“Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective of Drawings”
Born in Turkish Armenia in 1904, Vosdanik Adoian would grow up to be
Arshile Gorky, one of America’s most important and influential
artists, but he would never forget the land of his birth and the
village of his difficult childhood. This intimate retrospective at
the Menil Collection follows Gorky’s progress from his apprenticeship
to the masters through his cubist exercises to his breakthrough in
the 1940s. Aided by a return to drawing from nature and abetted by
the surrealists, Gorky experienced a creative explosion as he
filtered the world before him through his imagination and memory —
he drew on his agrarian childhood for the sinuous shape at the heart
of the lyrical The Plow and the Song. The vitality and energy of his
drawings make their abrupt cessation (Gorky committed suicide at age
44) all the more poignant. As installed in the Menil, the exhibit has
been judiciously edited down from the ungainly sprawl and visual
overload of the Whitney’s version. Don’t miss the drawings of his
mother, especially the portrait on loan from the Art Institute of
Chicago, or the Nighttime, Enigma, and Nostalgia series. Through May
9. 1515 Sul Ross, 713-525-9400.

Armenian Battle of the Weak
Armenia won’t see a repetition of Georgia’s “rose revolution” – the
opposition is as ineffective as the government it faces.
By Alexander Iskandarian in Yerevan (CRS No. 229, 28-Apr-04)
This month’s battle between the opposition and the governing coalition in
Armenia has been compared to events last November in Georgia, which led to
the downfall of President Eduard Shevardnadze.
It’s understandable that parallels should be drawn with Georgia’s “rose
revolution”: the two countries are neighbours, they share a similar
post-Soviet legacy, and in both cases the opposition employed the same
methods to rock the government boat – rallies, marches and demands for the
president to step down.
Yet, despite many similarities with Georgia, the Armenian situation is
actually very different.
What they have in common relates mainly to the nature of their ruling
regimes. As in most post-Soviet societies, the leadership is determined by a
kind of social compact between a variety of elite groups. In these poor
countries lacking in democratic traditions, the elites – political, business
(very often criminalised) and, in the case of Armenia, the military – have
created a system of political-economic groupings.
The feuding between these groups replaces the more conventional politics
seen in other countries.
Ordinary people play little part in Armenian politics, except during
elections – but even then the authorities find ways of manipulating the
vote. As a result, it becomes virtually impossible for power to shift
outside the existing political establishment. This creates tensions which
can only be relieved through external pressure on the authorities, in other
words from the streets. Those groups which are not part of the system of
power, or have been expelled from it, have no incentive to wait for the next
round of elections.
So far, Georgia and Armenia look very similar. But the differences between
them begin to be apparent when one looks at the very different outcomes of
the protests.
The Shevardnadze regime was so weak that its police force would not have
obeyed orders to break up the demonstrations. In Armenia, by contrast, the
alliance of convenience between army generals, business barons and regional
leaders was sufficiently strong for them to that feel their interests would
be threatened if Robert Kocharian, re-elected as president a year ago, were
to be overthrown.
Moreover, Armenia does not have a united opposition. One wing of the
opposition is formally headed by Stepan Demirchian, but he is such a weak
politician that his movement really has several leaders.
Another wing is led by Artashes Gegamian, a former mayor of Yerevan and an
accomplished orator who can impress a crowd, but has the reputation of being
an opportunist.
The leaders of the other parties and groups have no presidential ambitions,
but have not been able to unite with the more powerful opposition factions.
Armenia’s divided opposition forces have very different ideas about how they
would share out positions if they ever came to power. Lacking a single
leader, they have also signally failed to demonstrate unity to the
population at large. Basically their slogan has been, “Kocharian must go!
And then let the people decide”.
The first opposition rallies were staged in isolation from one another, and
with a diversity of demands, all of which underlined the lack of an agreed
programme. Opposition leaders therefore squandered their resources, opting
instead for a blitzkrieg strategy of confrontation.
All the talk of an “Armenian rose revolution” would not have merited a
second thought were this amorphous opposition facing a legitimate governing
regime that could count on the support of a substantial section of society.
But in reality the government is beset by exactly the same problems that
afflict the opposition. It is marked by decentralisation, incompetence at a
strategic level, a tendency to overestimate its own strength and, last but
not least, an inability and lack of will to engage in dialogue and
compromise.
On the one hand, the administration does not feel strong enough to become
genuinely dictatorial, while on the other, it knows it is estranged from
society and cannot call on public support. In Georgia a strong opposition
was fighting a power vacuum at the centre. In Armenia a weak opposition is
fighting a weak government.
On the night of April 12-13, dozens of opposition demonstrators were hurt
when police broke up a rally outside the parliament building. The brutality
could have been anticipated. In a country ruled by elite groups, decisions
at times of crisis are taken at a very low level by small groups, and the
system begins to act aggressively.
All this – especially the aggressive stance – shows up the weakness of the
authorities. The break-up of the rally, the official statements that the
demonstrators were – at 2am – obstructing the work of parliament, that
policemen had “not noticed” that the men whose cameras they were breaking
were journalists – all this was no less a sign of helplessness than the
opposition’s idea of marching on parliament in the first place.
One result of the aggressive action taken by the Armenian leadership is that
the public now understands how weak the regime is. That means society will
continue to generate opposition groupings.
The demonstrations will continue, but the opposition will remain weak and
disorganised as long as it remains in the phase of “negative identity” – in
other words, as long as its only unifying idea is changing the regime and
nothing more.
The government, too, will only get weaker as long as it equates political
strength with the capacity to bash opposition demonstrators over the head
with truncheons and put up roadblocks around Yerevan to stop people from the
provinces attending demonstrations.
It is not so important who wins in this confrontation, or when that happens.
At present there is a stalemate in which both sides reject dialogue,
compromise is impossible, and – in line with Armenian political tradition –
no one ever admits they have lost an election or a political fight.
Meanwhile, the political system as a whole is losing yet more legitimacy.
Armenia has declared it wants to become part of Europe, but the latest
events suggest that it is actually joining Latin America. This might be seen
as a success: politically speaking, other post-Soviet states are on the same
level as some of the worst African countries.
But that is little consolation for Armenia’s political culture – the country
is a long way off having a real political opposition that wants to devise
real policies and that is based on genuine party structures and the positive
support of broad sections of society.
When that eventually comes about, it will be impossible for the police to
break up demonstrations because hundreds, rather than tens, of thousands of
people will take part – people who know what they want to happen after the
resignation of the president, not just before it. In fact, there will be no
need for demonstrations at all because it will be a different kind of
opposition, one that the authorities have to compromise and share influence
with, as happens in many Latin American countries.
Armenia still has a long way to go before that happens. For the moment it
faces the prospect of a long stalemate between a weak opposition and weak
government, where it does not matter who emerges as victor.
Alexander Iskandarian is pro-rector of the Caucasus Media Institute in
Yerevan.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904,
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 775-1918 Fax: (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 29, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth Chouldjian
Telephone: (202) 775-1918
NEBRASKA, TENNESSEE AND LOUISIANA BECOME NEWEST STATES TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Total Number of States That Have Acknowledged the Genocide Reaches
36
WASHINGTON, DC – Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisiana have joined the
fast growing number of states who have acknowledged the Armenian
Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA). Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Republican
Governor Mike Johanns of Nebraska and Democratic Governor Kathleen
Babineaux Blanco issued proclamations citing a “Day of Remembrance
of the Armenian Genocide,” referring to the Ottoman Turkish
campaign of eliminate the Armenian population from 1915-1923. The
total number of states in the U.S. reaffirming he Armenian Genocide
has now reached 36.
“The Nebraska, Tennessee and Louisiana proclamations emphasize the
ultimate futility of Turkish efforts to distort the facts about the
Genocide,” commented ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
“Governors Johanns, Bredesen, and Blanco should be commended for
taking a stand against denial and Turkish revisionism,” he added.
In the course of the last month, five new states have issued
proclamations for the Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. All of
the proclamations mark April 23rd or 24th as an official Day of
Remembrance. The ANCA website () provides a diagram
that displays all of the states that have issued proclamations or
passed legislations recognizing the April 24th as a day of
remembrance.
The proclamations follow a concerted grassroots education campaign
by the ANC Chapters across the country to increase awareness of the
Armenian Genocide on the state and local level. ANC Tennessee
Chairman, Dr. Shant Garabedian, worked actively with the Tennessee
Armenian community, circulating a petition to Gov. Bredesen in
support of the proclamation. Garabedian discussed the initiative
following Easter Church services in Nashville this month.
Massachusetts State Republican Committee man Bob Semonian spoke
extensively to Governors Bredesen, Johanns and Blanco during the
National Governors Association conference held in Washington DC,
last month. He has since worked with local ANC activists in the
effort to secure Armenian Genocide proclamations from a series of
states across the country.
Semonian, who resides in Watertown, MA, is running for delegate for
the Republican National Convention. Registered Republicans in the
towns and cities of Arlington, Belmont, Everett, Framingham,
Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Natick, Revere,
Stoneham, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Weston, Winchester,
Winthrop, and Woburn can support his candidacy at the Republican
Caucus vote his Saturday, May 1st, to be held beginning at 9:00am
at
295 Arsenal St., in Watertown, MA.
#####
State of Nebraska
Proclamation
Whereas, One and a half million Christian Armenian men, women and
children were the victims of the brutal genocide perpetuated by the
Ottoman Turkish Government from 1915 – 1923; and
Whereas, The Armenian genocide and massacres of Armenian people
have been recognized as an attempt to eliminate all traces of a
thriving and noble civilization over 3000 years old; and
Whereas, Recognition of the eighty-ninth anniversary of this
genocide is crucial to guarding against the repetition of future
genocides and educating people about the atrocities connected to
these horrific events; and
Whereas, Armenian-Americans living in Nebraska have greatly
enriched our state through their leadership in business,
agriculture, academia, government and the arts;
Now, therefore, I, Mike Johanns, Governor of the State of Nebraska
DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the 24th day of April 2004, as
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915-1923
in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of
the observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, and cause the
Great Seal of the Stae of Nebraska to be affixed this Twenty-Third
Day of April, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand Four.
/State seal/ – Attest: John A. Gale, Secretary of State
Mike Johanns, Governor
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TENNESSEE PROCLAMATION
State Capitol
By Phil Bredesen, Governor, on behalf of the people of Tennessee
By virtue of the authority vested in me, I herby confer upon
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide
A Day of Recognition
Given under my hand and the Seal of the State of Tennessee
In Nashville, this 23rd day of April 2004
/State Seal/ Phil Bredesen, Governor
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United States of America
State of Louisiana
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
Proclamation
Whereas, One and one half million Christian Armenian men, women and
children were victims of brutal genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman
Turkish Government from 1915-1923; and
Whereas, the Armenian Genocide and massacres of Armenian people
have been recognized as an attempt to eliminate all traces of a
thriving and noble civilization over 3,000 years old; and
Whereas, recognition of the eighty-ninth anniversary of this
genocide is crucial to guarding against the repetition of future
genocides and educating people about the atrocities connected to
these horrific events; and
Whereas, Armenian-Americans living in Louisiana have greatly
enriched our state through leadership in business, agriculture,
academia, government, and the arts.
Now, therefore, I, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Governor of the state
of Louisiana do hereby proclaim April 24, 2004 as
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
In the state of Louisiana
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
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