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Armenian National Committee of America-Orange County Chapter
5035 West McFadden Avenue
Santa Ana, California 92704
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 5, 2010
Contact: Razmig Khayalian
NORTH ORANGE COUNTY, CA ANCA ACTIVISTS MEET WITH CONGRESSMAN GARY MILLER
BREA, CA---Local ANCA activists met with US Representative Gary Miller
(CA-42-R) this past Tuesday in his Brea, CA district office. Leading the
meeting were Razmig Khayalian, a board member with the ANCA Orange County
Chapter as well as Mr. Serouj Aprahamian and Mr. John Havoonjian,
constituents of the Congressman. Joining them for the meeting were Jennifer
Movsessian and Haig Hovsepian from the Armenian National Committee of
America-Western Region office.
Aprahamian and his fellow north county activists covered a range of issues
including US-Armenia relations, recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, and US recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Aprahamian reminded the Congressman of Nagorno Karabakh's continued fight
for self-determination and strong democratic credentials. He also noted
that the Azerbaijani government continued its threats of war and recently
launched a military attack against Nagorno Karabakh which was rebuffed. The
Azeri war mongering comes in spite of international calls for and Nagorno
Karabakh's steadfast commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The meeting attendees also discussed the destruction of the medieval
Armenian cemetery in Julfa. The cemetery was home to over a thousand
intricately carved stone crosses and is considered a cultural landmark.
Azerbaijani troops were filmed destroying and removing the pieces of the
crosses on flatbed transports starting in the late 1980s and culminating in
2006. To date, Azerbaijan has denied the existence of the cemetery or that
there was ever an Armenian presence in the area. The government of
Azerbaijan refuses to let the European Parliament inspect the site.
The issue remains a sticking point and is one of many actions highlighting
Azerbaijan's ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse its Armenian population
and cultural heritage. The Julfa cemetery issue was also recently the
subject of Senate hearing questions posed to Matthew Bryza, the nominee to
serve as the next US Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
Khayalian noted Armenia's continued support of coalition efforts including
its deployment of troops to peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Iraq, and
Afghanistan. He and Havoonjian also called on the Congressman to urge
members of his own party, especially its leadership to stand strong for US
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
"It was great meeting with Congressman Miller and his District Director, Mr.
Thornton to update him on Armenian American issues," noted Aprahamian. "It
was important that we had this opportunity to remind him that his
constituents look to him to continue to be at the forefront of issues of
concern to the community."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Orange County Chapter is a
grassroots, advocacy organization advancing issues of concern to the area's
Armenian American community as well as promoting the community's civic
engagement at the local, state, and federal level
From: A. Papazian
5035 West McFadden Avenue
Santa Ana, California 92704
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 5, 2010
Contact: Razmig Khayalian
NORTH ORANGE COUNTY, CA ANCA ACTIVISTS MEET WITH CONGRESSMAN GARY MILLER
BREA, CA---Local ANCA activists met with US Representative Gary Miller
(CA-42-R) this past Tuesday in his Brea, CA district office. Leading the
meeting were Razmig Khayalian, a board member with the ANCA Orange County
Chapter as well as Mr. Serouj Aprahamian and Mr. John Havoonjian,
constituents of the Congressman. Joining them for the meeting were Jennifer
Movsessian and Haig Hovsepian from the Armenian National Committee of
America-Western Region office.
Aprahamian and his fellow north county activists covered a range of issues
including US-Armenia relations, recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, and US recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Aprahamian reminded the Congressman of Nagorno Karabakh's continued fight
for self-determination and strong democratic credentials. He also noted
that the Azerbaijani government continued its threats of war and recently
launched a military attack against Nagorno Karabakh which was rebuffed. The
Azeri war mongering comes in spite of international calls for and Nagorno
Karabakh's steadfast commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The meeting attendees also discussed the destruction of the medieval
Armenian cemetery in Julfa. The cemetery was home to over a thousand
intricately carved stone crosses and is considered a cultural landmark.
Azerbaijani troops were filmed destroying and removing the pieces of the
crosses on flatbed transports starting in the late 1980s and culminating in
2006. To date, Azerbaijan has denied the existence of the cemetery or that
there was ever an Armenian presence in the area. The government of
Azerbaijan refuses to let the European Parliament inspect the site.
The issue remains a sticking point and is one of many actions highlighting
Azerbaijan's ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse its Armenian population
and cultural heritage. The Julfa cemetery issue was also recently the
subject of Senate hearing questions posed to Matthew Bryza, the nominee to
serve as the next US Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
Khayalian noted Armenia's continued support of coalition efforts including
its deployment of troops to peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Iraq, and
Afghanistan. He and Havoonjian also called on the Congressman to urge
members of his own party, especially its leadership to stand strong for US
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
"It was great meeting with Congressman Miller and his District Director, Mr.
Thornton to update him on Armenian American issues," noted Aprahamian. "It
was important that we had this opportunity to remind him that his
constituents look to him to continue to be at the forefront of issues of
concern to the community."
The Armenian National Committee of America-Orange County Chapter is a
grassroots, advocacy organization advancing issues of concern to the area's
Armenian American community as well as promoting the community's civic
engagement at the local, state, and federal level
From: A. Papazian