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Canada Armenians go on hunger strike to boost Genocide awareness
June 12, 2011 - 16:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of 8 Canadian-Armenians have begun a 72 hour
hunger strike in downtown Toronto as of Friday, June 10 at 6:00pm,
organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada. In light of the
upcoming general elections in Turkey, the demonstrators are protesting
the ongoing human rights abuses carried out by the Government of
Turkey, including: the denial of the Armenian Genocide; the stifling
of freedom of speech, and press; oppression of Kurdish and Christian
minorities who are treated as second class citizens and whose
political parties are banned, leaders imprisoned and Patriarchate's
shut down.
One of the participants, AYF member Mark Piliguian explains that the
reason the group decided to hold a hunger strike was to show the
Canadian public, and the world at large, the type of suffering the
Armenian people endured during the first genocide of the twentieth
century. `We are here, depriving ourselves of food for seventy-two
hours, to share a very small amount of the suffering of our ancestors
went through. Although ninety-six years have passed, the world cannot
forget the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish government must acknowledge
and come to terms with its history so that the crime of genocide does
not repeat itself'.
The hunger strike will culminate with an official demonstration, which
will be held Monday, June 13, 2011 at 2:00pm in front of the Turkish
Consulate in Toronto at (Queens Quay and Lower Spadina - 10 Lower
Spadina Avenue).
The demonstrators will send a strong message to the newly elected
officials in Turkey that Canadians and the international community at
large will not stand as silent bystanders as the Turkish government
deprives its citizens of their basic human rights and denies the
Armenian Genocide.
At the same time protestors will urge the Canadian Government to take
action with regard to Turkey's dismal human rights record, as part of
Canada's foreign policy agenda. As a model democracy, a leader in
peace-building, partnership, reconciliation and fair and honest
dialogue, Canada must recognize the role it can play in helping Turkey
become a legitimate democracy. Our government must urge the Turkish
government to cease its oppression of minorities by extending support
to Christian Patriarchates and repealing Article 301 of its Penal
Code, AYF Canada reported.
June 12, 2011 - 16:39 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of 8 Canadian-Armenians have begun a 72 hour
hunger strike in downtown Toronto as of Friday, June 10 at 6:00pm,
organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada. In light of the
upcoming general elections in Turkey, the demonstrators are protesting
the ongoing human rights abuses carried out by the Government of
Turkey, including: the denial of the Armenian Genocide; the stifling
of freedom of speech, and press; oppression of Kurdish and Christian
minorities who are treated as second class citizens and whose
political parties are banned, leaders imprisoned and Patriarchate's
shut down.
One of the participants, AYF member Mark Piliguian explains that the
reason the group decided to hold a hunger strike was to show the
Canadian public, and the world at large, the type of suffering the
Armenian people endured during the first genocide of the twentieth
century. `We are here, depriving ourselves of food for seventy-two
hours, to share a very small amount of the suffering of our ancestors
went through. Although ninety-six years have passed, the world cannot
forget the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish government must acknowledge
and come to terms with its history so that the crime of genocide does
not repeat itself'.
The hunger strike will culminate with an official demonstration, which
will be held Monday, June 13, 2011 at 2:00pm in front of the Turkish
Consulate in Toronto at (Queens Quay and Lower Spadina - 10 Lower
Spadina Avenue).
The demonstrators will send a strong message to the newly elected
officials in Turkey that Canadians and the international community at
large will not stand as silent bystanders as the Turkish government
deprives its citizens of their basic human rights and denies the
Armenian Genocide.
At the same time protestors will urge the Canadian Government to take
action with regard to Turkey's dismal human rights record, as part of
Canada's foreign policy agenda. As a model democracy, a leader in
peace-building, partnership, reconciliation and fair and honest
dialogue, Canada must recognize the role it can play in helping Turkey
become a legitimate democracy. Our government must urge the Turkish
government to cease its oppression of minorities by extending support
to Christian Patriarchates and repealing Article 301 of its Penal
Code, AYF Canada reported.