BUSH WILL NOT RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THIS YEAR, US POLITICAL SCIENTISTS CONSIDER

Pan Armenian News
22.04.2005 02:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Despite the pressure exerted by the Armenian lobby,
the Bush Administration will not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide,
Turkish press writes according to some US political correspondents. The
Armenian Diaspora of the US has addressed countless numbers of
letters to the White House with a call to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. At the same time 32 Senators and 175 members of the House of
Representatives sent a joint letter to President Bush with an appeal
to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide in his commemoration message on
April 24. It should be noted that wife of US Ex-President Hillary
Clinton and democrat John Kerry are among those to have signed the
letter. Campaigns of the kind are launched every year and as compared
to last year the number of the signatories has increased. Armenian
lobbyists stated that George Bush is late with acknowledging the
Genocide, since he hasn~Rt kept his promise since his first election
campaign. As representatives of the Armenian Diaspora note, the
American-Turkish relations have considerably grown cool recently while
the number of radical forces protesting against the White House policy
has increased in Turkey, thus creating a favorable atmosphere for the
Genocide recognition. However political correspondents in Washington
state that despite the chill in the American-Turkish relations and
the fact that the letter to the President was signed by influential
Senators, the White House will not make steps against Turkey and will
not come to decision to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. In their
opinion, the message to the Armenian people this year will not be
different from those of the recent years, since despite some tension
in relations the US still needs Turkey and the White House will not
risk these relations for the sake of Armenians. Turkish officials
also stated of the inadmissibility of the Genocide recognition by the
Bush Administration. Official Ankara stated that before taking such
a step the White House should weigh all the arguments.

Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
April 22 2005

Step Through The Looking Glass And Discover
Friday, 22 April 2005, 9:43 am
Press Release: Outlaw Creative

Outlaw Creative
Presents
miniatures

STEP THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS AND DISCOVER

“…an Alice and wonderland world – with dancers squirming
inside…tender and lyrical, like swans arching and folding” – The
Listener, June 2004

Outlaw Creative is proud to announce the national tour of the
contemporary dance work – MINIATURES. Seven of New Zealand’s most
talented young dancers take this surreal and beautiful dance show to
a wider NZ audience following the outstanding success of the 2004
premiere.

Our most precious treasures are miniatures – little boxes of precious
dust – hidden and squeezed into and out of sight – brought out to air
occasionally.

Choreographer Malia Johnston has been creating her own work for the
past six years – working with Curve Dance Collective, Touch Compass
Dance Trust and The Graduate Dance Company. Last year she became a
founding member of Outlaw Creative with Guy Ryan and Michele Powles.
Outlaw Creative is a new voice in the growing world of contemporary
NZ dance. Outlaw has set their sights high and 2005 is geared up to
be a record year for this young company. They open their new show
Mystery of the Disappearing Body in Auckland in May before embarking
on the Miniatures national tour. They also tour Terrain from July
2005 to Taranaki, Christchurch and Nelson. This schedule, which would
be gruelling for many artists, is not the only project that Malia has
on the go – she’s also the choreographer for the high profile
WEARABLE ARTS AWARDS in Wellington later this year.

Malia Johnston, Choreographer of the Year and Contemporary Dancer of
the year 2004.
– The Listener, 2004

Miniatures boasts an original score from the talented composer Eden
Mulholland. Eden has recently released an EP for his Auckland band
Motorcade. Costume designer Asho Gevorgyan (originally from Armenia)
created the costumes for Miniatures. She has also designed for Touch
Compass, Jambalaya, the K-road festival, The Fall Guy, and Miniatures
2004 season. Asho’s designs appeared in 2004 Fashion Week as part of
Miranda Browns collection.

The cast of MINIATURES includes: Sarah Sproull, Liana Yew, Maria
Dabrowska, Jacob Sullivan, Malia Johnston, Julia Milsom and Paul
Young.

MINIATURES PLAYS
Auckland – Concert Chamber June 23-25th
Wellington – Te Whaea July 6-9th
Christchurch – Grand Hall July 28-30
Bookings: Ticketek
Duration: 1 hour

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 21, 2005

Contact: Armen Carapetian
Tel: (818) 500-1918

STATE OF CALIFORNIA COMMEMORATES THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
— Gov. Schwarzenegger signs Poochigian’s SB 424 into law
— Sen. Jackie Speier delivers SJR 2 to a rally of nearly 2000

SACRAMENTO, CA – This afternoon, California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger invited leaders of the Armenian-American community
in California along with State Senators Jackie Speier and Charles
Poochigian and Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian to his chambers to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide. Armenian National Committee
(ANC)Western Region Chairman Steven Dadaian and Sacramento Chapter
Chairman Hovanes Boghossian were among those at the special
occasion. Prior to visiting the Governor, the ANC organized the
Armenian Genocide 90th Anniversary Commemorative Committee of
California’s day of remembrance in the Golden State’s capital.

The day began with the last leg of the March for Humanity from
the Sacramento Armenian Apostolic Church to the State’s Capitol
building. Over 500 members of the California Armenian American
community joined Senator Jackie Speier and State Assembly Majority
Leader Dario Frommer and walked with the marchers in concluding their
215-mile, 19-day journey that began in Fresno on April 2nd. The
procession was met at the Capitol steps by legislators, including
Sen. Poochigian, and leaders of the California’s Armenian American
community and welcomed into the Senate as it took up SJR 2 – the
resolution that marks April 24, 2005 the California day of remembrance
led by Sen. Speier.

With an overflow crowd of March for Humanity supporters attending the
day’s Senate session, His Eminenece Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
gave the invocation in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

“This week we commemorate the 90th anniversary of this most atrocious
massacre perpetrated by the Turkish Government,” said Archbishop
Mardirossian during his opening prayer. “Bless our Governor, our State
Senators, State Assemblymen, and all those elected officials who are
staunch supporters for truth and justice,” stated the Archbishop.

Sen. Speier, who is Armenian American, gave a heartfelt account of
the Armenian Genocide for the Senate’s record. Many Senators gave
statements in support of Sen. Speier’s resolution, and passed the
resolution unanimously.

Following the Senate’s conclusion of its commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide, the Armenian-American group made up of approximately 30
community leaders, including the clergy, the Armenian Consul General
of Los Angeles, and the March for Humanity, left the floor of the
Senate to be introduced on the floor of the State Assembly for the
consideration of SB 424 -the bill that permanently designates the
week of April 24 California’s week of remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide authored by Sen. Poochigian. After supportive speeches
by Assemblymembers Greg Aghazarian, Dario Frommer, Juan Arambula,
Carol Liu, Jerome Horton, and Jackie Goldberg, the Assembly voted
unanimously 70-0 to pass the Poochigian Bill.

Following the sessions, leaders of California’s legislature joined
the Rally for Humanity on the South Steps of the Capitol. Master of
Ceremonies and ANC-Western Region Chairman Steven Dadaian welcomed
the crowd of almost 2,000, who turned out from communities in the
San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California
to thank California on its principled leadership on the issue of the
Armenian Genocide recognition. Dadaian then introduced legislators
Poochigian, Speier, Scott, Alquist, Simitian, Yee, Frommer, Aghazarian,
Liu, Villines, as well as Controller Steve Westly, who all addressed
the gathering, demanding that the US Congress and the Administration
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide properly and require that Turkey
atone for this monumental crime against humanity.

“We call on Turkey to stop its shameful campaign of denial of the
Armenian Genocide, and we are proud that we are joined unanimously by
the entire government of the State of California,” expressed Dadaian.

After the signing ceremony with the Governor, Hovanes Boghossian stated
“In all my years in Sacramento I have never seen so many Armenians
so motivated as they were today.”

The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad
range of issues.

Editor’s note: Photo available upon request. Photo caption: from left
to right, Sen. Poochigian, Archbishops Mardirossian and Derderian,
Sen. Speier, and Assemblyman Aghazarian. Gov. Schwarzenegger in
foreground.

#####

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON TURKEY IN ISSUE TO ADMIT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
IS NOT ENOUGH, GERMAN SCIENTIST THINKS

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. The international pressure on Turkey in
the issue to admit the Armenian Genocide is not strong enough. Tessa
Hoffman, Professor of Berlin’s Freie University told ARMINFO.

According to her, no state, who has perpetrated a genocide, does
not confess to the crime until the international community applies
compulsory measures against it. Germany suffered just such a pressing,
when it admitted the Holocaust. Speaking of the draft resolution
on Armenian Genocide, which was recently discussed in Bundestag,
the scientist mentioned that the initiators of the draft resolution
do not aim to condemn Turkey. According to them, they use terms,
by which German diplomats – witnesses of the events of those times,
describes the Armenian Genocide. “But I’m not sure of the correctness
of selection of words, as German ambassadors and advisors used very
clear language, despite the fact that those times the term “genocide”
was not in use. They used the words and , whereas the draft resolution
speaks of and. The international community mist use exact language for
right qualification of the events. There is a big difference between
the words and. But it was genocide, and the German government is
informed of it rather well, and today the legislators are not in
debt to the Armenian diaspora, Turkish diaspora living in Germany,
as well as to Turkey”, the scientist mentioned.

According to Hoffman, it is not quite right to call on Turkey to
revise the facts of own historiography and try to make it to criticize
its past, avoiding clear definition of events. Germany and Turkey
had specially close allies relations during the World War I. In its
turn, Germany directly benefitted by the Armenian Genocide, using the
Armenian human potential as slave power for unskilled labour. “Armenian
people, including the children, bore the cargos of damaged railway
lines, which linked the main towns with the front during the war,
fulfilling the function of railway cars”, Hoffman stressed.

The scientist mentioned that the adoption of the draft resolution
does not mean yet Germany’s recognizing the Armenian Genocide. She
reminded that the initiative will be considered by the parliamentary
commission for foreign affairs, then will again be put on the agenda
of the sittings of the parliament and a final decision will be made
regarding that before the summer holiday.

JEWS MUST REVISE THEIR ATTITUDE TO TRAGEDIES AND GRIEF OF OTHER
PEOPLES, DEPUTY OF ISRAELI PARLIAMENT THINKS

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. Jews must revise their attitude to the
tragedies and grief of other peoples. Deputy of Israeli parliament Josi
Sarid stated during the international conference in Yerevan dedicated
to the 90th anniversary of Armenian genocide in Ottoman turkey in 1915.

According to the Israeli parliamentarian, he is along with Armenians
“both as a man, as a Jew, as Israeli and as a former minister of
education of Israel”. Every year all over the world, including in
Israel Armenians gather for to remember and remind the world about
the monstrous tragedy of the Armenian people at the beginning of the
20th century. The Genocide, perpetrated by Turkey against Armenia,
became one of the most grave crimes of the new time.

According to him, the Genocide is a crime against humanity. There
is nothing more horrible than the Genocide, that’s why the duty of
civilization and education is to inform the world about the innocent
victims of that crime.

LIBRARY OF ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY TO PRESENT PART OF ITS
NEW FUNDS UNDER HEADING “GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS” ON APRIL 22

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. The funds of the Library of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry under heading “Genocide and Human Rights” will be
presented on April 22 within the framework of measures of the National
Library Week and the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The State Commission for events dedicated to the 90th Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide informs ARMINFO that the funds of the
ministerial library have been replenished with new books, articles,
tapes and other materials published in Europe, the USA and Armenia.
Foreign diplomats, specialist in political study and scientists will
participate in the ceremonial presentation of the new library funds.
The library was founded in 1999 on the initiative of the Foreign
Ministry and due to the financial assistance of Davtyan Fund. The
latter has two thousands of books in various languages, as well as news
bulletins and 50 names of magazines published in Armenia ands abroad.

TURKEY HAS NOT MATURED FOR NEGOTIATION ON MEMBERSHIP TO EU,
VARDAN OSKANIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. The process of negotiations of Turkey
on accession to the European Union may result in the development of
Armenian-TUrkish relations. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Armenia Vardan Oskanian stated in the interview to German newspaper
“Die Welt”.

According to him, in particular, it concerns the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border and recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey. But in fact the EU intends to conduct negotiations
on the membership with a state, which for over ten years blockades
the border with Armenia and lays unacceptable conditions for its
releasing. “Compared with other candidates for accession to EU, Turkey
has not matured for these negotiations”, Oskanian said. Nevertheless,
the minister expressed anxiety that in the case with Turkey EU may pass
a political resolution. Speaking of the expectations of Armenia from
official Brussels, Vardan Oskanian stated: “We hope that the European
will inform Turkey of the necessity of that the first genocide of
the 20th century must be admitted officially”.

Estimating the readiness of Turkey to admit the Armenian genocide,
Oskanian mentioned that the matter concerns the factor of the Turkish
internal policy. The first sign of the public estimation of Armenian
Genocide is that the Turkish intellectuals publicly speak of it and
call on the whole Turkish society, as well as call on the authorities
of their country to undertake the responsibility for this crime. “I
respect the courage of these people, who examine the documents and try
to find a way of reconciliation between the two states”, Oskanian said.

OCCURRENCES OF BEGINNING OF XX CENTURY IN OTTOMAN TURKEY
CORRESPOND FULLY TO UN CONVENTION ON GENOCIDE: TURKISH SCIENTIST

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. What happened with Armenians in the
beginning of the 20th century in Ottoman Turkey, correspond fully
to the UN Convention on Genocide, Professor of Istanbul University
Murat Belge stated in an interview to Armenian journalists.

He noted that a word “genocide” is a juridical term, therefore its use
often causes contradictory reactions. Speaking about contradictious
position of Ankara in the issue of recognizing Armenian Genocide,
Belge stated that one of its main reasons is that Turkey avoids
territorial claims which Armenia could make in case of recognition
of Genocide. If Armenia states clearly that it has no territorial
claims to Turkey, the possibility of recognizing Genocide by Ankara
will be greatly increased, Belge stressed.

He also stressed that entrance of Turkey into the EU will make much
more easier to solve problems between Yerevan and Ankara. “Armenians
strive for accent the attention of international community to
occurrences in Ottoman Turkey in 1915, but Turks want to discuss a
situation preceded these occurrences. And exactly this difference
in positions of the two countries prevents the establishment of
Armenian-Turkish dialogue”, Belge noted.

The other Turkish historian Kemal Chichek expressed a cardinally
opposite position. He stated that occurrences of early XX century
do not correspond to the UN Convention on Genocide. In his words,
Turkey does not know what term to use qualifying occurrences of
early XX century – “mass massacres” or “Genocide”. “Ankara offers to
create an Armenian-Turkish scientific commission to study historical
facts of early XX”, Chichek noted. At the same time, he stressed that
these occurrences cannot be qualified as Genocide as Genocide is the
crime fulfilled by the order of authorities of one or another country.
However, there is no proofs that they were fulfilled by the authorities
of Ottoman Turkey. Moreover, there are evidences that Turkish powers
tried to prevent Armenians’ massacres and even

Armenian president sings anti-terrorist law

Arminfo
20 Apr 05

Yerevan, 20 April: The Armenian president signed the law on the fight
against terrorism on 19 April, the presidential press service has
told Arminfo new agency.

We should note that this document establishes a legal and organized
basis for the fight against terrorism and puts in order the
principles and issues of coordinating the fight.

[Passage omitted: Reported details of the law]

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: GENOCIDE HAS NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION AND THOSE GUILTY IN IT WILL BE PUNISHED

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. Genocide has no statute of limitation
and those guilty in it will be punished. Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan made this statement an a two-day international conference
“Genocide and Human Rights” opened in Yerevan today. The event is
dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey in 1915.

In his speech, President Kocharyan notes that marking the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide “we pay homage to the innocent
victims of that crime.” Armenia does it with pain as the fight for
international recognition of Genocide is still continued. The World
War I with its goals of dividing the world and the hard confrontation
of ideologies it resulted in have become the main obstacles in the
way to recognition of the Armenian people’s rights. These rights were
first to fall victim to the Cold War, although it was not Armenia that
had started it. When the program of extermination of Armenians was
implemented, humanity was not aware of the world “genocide.” There were
no international structures which could become an area for discussions
of how to counteract the genocide. The world has changed since then and
it took long time the international community to regard genocide as a
crime against humanity with all the consequences proceeding. It also
took super powers time not to sacrifice the basic humanitarian values
for their geopolitical interests and morality became a slogan of the
foreign policy of the civilized world. The way passed to understand
the aforementioned was tragic for many peoples. The cost of that way
for Armenians is 1.5 million human lives. Today it is already clear
that the Armenian Cause is released from the position of a hostage of
geopolitical interests step by step. The existence of the Republic
of Armenia is the best guarantee for Armenia’s success in further
protection of its rights, Robert Kocharyan says.

To note, participating in the conference were also Prime Minister
of Armenia Andranik Margaryan, All Armenian Catholicos His Hollines
Karekin II, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan and Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan, as well as some 50 first-rate native and international
experts for genocide study from 20 countries. Foreign Minister Oskanyan
delivered a welcoming speech to the conference participants.