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Issue of Armenian Genocide in British Parliament
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics22267.html
Published: 15:01:03 - 18/06/2011
On 16th June 2011 a Debate took place in the Chamber of the House of
Lords ( British Parliament) initiated by the Oral Question entitled '
what is the timetable for the ( British ) Government for recognising
the Armenian genocide ' and presented by Baroness Flather.
The Chamber was at full capacity and, responding on behalf of the
British Government was Lord Howell of Guilford, Minister of State,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Baroness Flather said 'I have just returned from Armenia where I have
visited the Armenian genocide museum which, compared to the Holocaust
Museum , was no less upsetting , shocking and dreadful' and concluded
by saying: ' the time is now for us to recognise this crime against
humanity.'
Supporting Baroness Flather's Question were : the Lord Avebury: 'Would
it not help Turkey's application to join the European Union if Turkish
politicians acknowledged the crimes of their ancestors?', the Rt Rev
Dr Peter Foster PhD Lord Bishop of Chester: `There is no doubt that
genocide took place .... what is the official guidance on
representation at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day, as there has
been some reluctance of Ministers and others to attend the
commemoration' and Baroness Cox: ... there is a serious risk in
Turkey of prosecution for journalists and writers who use the term
'Armenian genocide' .. much educational material for schools has been
produced by Turkey denying the Armenian genocide .. is such censorship
acceptable for a nation that hopes to join the European Union'.
As expected, Lord Howell's answer was a slightly modified replica of
all the misleading , denialistic, unacceptable and biased responses to
the same question that have been given by all consecutive FCO
Ministers during the past 20 years: initially they said 'there was NO
genocide' , then the wording was changed to: 'these were deplorable
massacres and Armenians have our sympathy', a year later their
response was: 'we cannot find the unequivocal proof of that genocide
- in one word - show us the smoking gun', soon this was followed by:
'our advise is that two neighbour countries must find ways to come to
terms with their past and communicate with each other' and now: ' we
must not intervene in the affairs of two neighbour countries and must
not comment on the detailed internal affairs between them. The best
way forward is for Turkey and Armenia, which have initialled detailed
protocols, to work to sort this out.'
How great are the British Government's interests in Turkey for British
Parliamentarians to sign a Petition for recognition of the Armenian
genocide one day, then as soon as they receive a Ministerial Post -
engaged to follow the Government's guideline - to refute and deny
their own signatures next day? How many tanks, aeroplanes and weapons
of mass killings have to be purchased from Britain by Turkey to
validate the denial of what had been declared real and true? How can
British Dignitaries who have seen and read the huge documentation on
the Armenian Genocide - made available to them - and know the exact
TRUTH , hide behind a false, pathetic and shaky argument which is
neither related to the truth nor acceptable in a Court of Justice if
there was one overseeing those proceedings.
Last week I attended a conference where Lord Prescott replied to the
question : 'why the Council of Europe is not penalising Turkey for its
infamous Penal Code 301 which prosecutes any Turkish national who
would mention the Armenian Genocide?' with another question: 'has
anyone lodged a complaint on that issue to the Council of Europe?',
... 'then if you want a judgement, you must lodge a complaint'.
Three years ago, Geoffrey Robertson QC, presenting his findings about
the Armenian Genocide, labelled it 'How British Ministers,
Parliamentarians and People have been misled by the British Government
' and said that 'there was a case for prosecution'.
Lately, in the 'civilised (sic) world' we have witnessed the grotesque
disfiguration of the word 'genocide' by many Heads of States and
Spiritual Leaders who have been hiding cowardly behind a smoke-screen
of misrepresentation, denial, double standards, hypocrisy and greed
for lucrative deals with Turkey and have - for the time being -
successfully distorted the truth.
Is'nt it time that we Armenians create - at last - a united Armenian
Front, gather in one place all the documentation available, follow
Lord Prescott's advise, lodge a formal complaint to the European
Courts of Justice for Violation of Human Rights by Turkey and ask
Justice for a most foul and horrific act of genocide?
Odette Bazil, 'Upper Haik', Hammersley Lane Tylers Green BUCKS HP13 7BY
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics22267.html
Published: 15:01:03 - 18/06/2011
On 16th June 2011 a Debate took place in the Chamber of the House of
Lords ( British Parliament) initiated by the Oral Question entitled '
what is the timetable for the ( British ) Government for recognising
the Armenian genocide ' and presented by Baroness Flather.
The Chamber was at full capacity and, responding on behalf of the
British Government was Lord Howell of Guilford, Minister of State,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Baroness Flather said 'I have just returned from Armenia where I have
visited the Armenian genocide museum which, compared to the Holocaust
Museum , was no less upsetting , shocking and dreadful' and concluded
by saying: ' the time is now for us to recognise this crime against
humanity.'
Supporting Baroness Flather's Question were : the Lord Avebury: 'Would
it not help Turkey's application to join the European Union if Turkish
politicians acknowledged the crimes of their ancestors?', the Rt Rev
Dr Peter Foster PhD Lord Bishop of Chester: `There is no doubt that
genocide took place .... what is the official guidance on
representation at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day, as there has
been some reluctance of Ministers and others to attend the
commemoration' and Baroness Cox: ... there is a serious risk in
Turkey of prosecution for journalists and writers who use the term
'Armenian genocide' .. much educational material for schools has been
produced by Turkey denying the Armenian genocide .. is such censorship
acceptable for a nation that hopes to join the European Union'.
As expected, Lord Howell's answer was a slightly modified replica of
all the misleading , denialistic, unacceptable and biased responses to
the same question that have been given by all consecutive FCO
Ministers during the past 20 years: initially they said 'there was NO
genocide' , then the wording was changed to: 'these were deplorable
massacres and Armenians have our sympathy', a year later their
response was: 'we cannot find the unequivocal proof of that genocide
- in one word - show us the smoking gun', soon this was followed by:
'our advise is that two neighbour countries must find ways to come to
terms with their past and communicate with each other' and now: ' we
must not intervene in the affairs of two neighbour countries and must
not comment on the detailed internal affairs between them. The best
way forward is for Turkey and Armenia, which have initialled detailed
protocols, to work to sort this out.'
How great are the British Government's interests in Turkey for British
Parliamentarians to sign a Petition for recognition of the Armenian
genocide one day, then as soon as they receive a Ministerial Post -
engaged to follow the Government's guideline - to refute and deny
their own signatures next day? How many tanks, aeroplanes and weapons
of mass killings have to be purchased from Britain by Turkey to
validate the denial of what had been declared real and true? How can
British Dignitaries who have seen and read the huge documentation on
the Armenian Genocide - made available to them - and know the exact
TRUTH , hide behind a false, pathetic and shaky argument which is
neither related to the truth nor acceptable in a Court of Justice if
there was one overseeing those proceedings.
Last week I attended a conference where Lord Prescott replied to the
question : 'why the Council of Europe is not penalising Turkey for its
infamous Penal Code 301 which prosecutes any Turkish national who
would mention the Armenian Genocide?' with another question: 'has
anyone lodged a complaint on that issue to the Council of Europe?',
... 'then if you want a judgement, you must lodge a complaint'.
Three years ago, Geoffrey Robertson QC, presenting his findings about
the Armenian Genocide, labelled it 'How British Ministers,
Parliamentarians and People have been misled by the British Government
' and said that 'there was a case for prosecution'.
Lately, in the 'civilised (sic) world' we have witnessed the grotesque
disfiguration of the word 'genocide' by many Heads of States and
Spiritual Leaders who have been hiding cowardly behind a smoke-screen
of misrepresentation, denial, double standards, hypocrisy and greed
for lucrative deals with Turkey and have - for the time being -
successfully distorted the truth.
Is'nt it time that we Armenians create - at last - a united Armenian
Front, gather in one place all the documentation available, follow
Lord Prescott's advise, lodge a formal complaint to the European
Courts of Justice for Violation of Human Rights by Turkey and ask
Justice for a most foul and horrific act of genocide?
Odette Bazil, 'Upper Haik', Hammersley Lane Tylers Green BUCKS HP13 7BY