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ANCA ER: Maine State Legislature Commemorates Armenian Genocide

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  • ANCA ER: Maine State Legislature Commemorates Armenian Genocide

    Armenian National Committee of America
    Eastern Region
    80 Bigelow Avenue
    Watertown, MA 02472
    Tel: 617-923-1918
    Fax: 617-926-5525
    [email protected]
    www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    March 24, 2004

    Contact: Arin Gregorian
    617-923-1918; [email protected]


    MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE COMMEMORATES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

    -- In a Joint Order, State Senators and Representatives Join Armenian
    American Community of Maine in Marking 89th Anniversary of the Armenian
    Genocide

    AUGUSTA, ME--On Tuesday, March 23, the Maine State Legislature passed a
    joint order recognizing the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian
    National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern Region.

    "The Maine Armenian American community thanks the Legislature for
    commemorating this great crime against humanity," stated ANC activist Kathy
    Durgerian. "Over the course of the past couple of years, our great state has
    been a leading example in honoring the victims and survivors of the Armenian
    Genocide. We owe a great deal of gratitude to our elected officials on a
    local, state, and federal level," concluded Durgerian.

    The order, cosponsored by Portland's entire legislative delegation, reads
    "Expressions of Legislative Sentiment recognizing: the 89th Anniversary of
    the Armenian Genocide. On April 24, 1915, a campaign was launched by the
    Turkish regime of the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people, resulting
    in the death of more than 1.5 million Armenians. Some of the survivors
    settled in the State of Maine and their heirs have made significant
    contributions to the State. We join our citizens of Armenian heritage on
    April 24th in remembering this event, and we express our deepest sympathy
    for the families of those who perished."

    In 2000, Maine's Senate and House of Representatives concurrently adopted an
    Official Expression of Sentiment recognizing "the 85th Anniversary of the
    Armenian Genocide" noting that "on April 24, 1915, a campaign was launched
    against the Armenian people that resulted in the death of over 1.5 million
    Armenians."

    In addition, in June 2001, the Legislature passed a joint resolution
    "Honoring Armenian Americans and Commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915
    to 1923."

    On the federal level, Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME)
    as well as US Representative Thomas Allen (D-ME 1) are currently cosponsors
    of the Senate and House Genocide Resolutions, which commemorate the 15th
    anniversary of the US implementation of the UN Genocide Convention.
    H.Res.193 and S.Res.164 cite the importance of remembering past crimes
    against humanity, including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Cambodian and
    Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities.

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