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US Reps Royce, Sherman, Cardenas, Eshoo, Clark commemorate Sumgait a

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  • US Reps Royce, Sherman, Cardenas, Eshoo, Clark commemorate Sumgait a

    U.S. Representatives Royce, Sherman, Cardenas, Eshoo, Clark
    commemorate Sumgait and Baku massacres

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/03/01/u-s-representatives-royce-sherman-cardenas-eshoo-clark-commemorate-sumgait-and-baku-massacres/
    12:46 01.03.2014


    House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) was joined by
    fellow Committee colleague Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Representatives
    Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) in
    commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Azerbaijani pogroms against
    the Armenian population of the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait, and
    condemning the ongoing violence and intimidation fostered by the
    government of President Ilham Aliyev, reported the Armenian National
    Committee of America (ANCA).

    "Twenty-six years ago, violent mobs surrounded the sea-side village in
    Sumgait, Soviet Azerbaijan and terrorized its inhabitants through a
    violent and brutal pogrom. In the following days, these roving bands
    systematically targeted ethnic Armenians on the streets and in their
    homes, viciously attacking and killing hundreds," stated Chairman
    Royce. "On this tragic anniversary, when we mourn the loss of those
    innocent lives, we are mindful of the ongoing conflict in
    Nagorno-Karabakh and recurrent incidents of inciting rhetoric by Azeri
    political leaders and continued military clashes along the border. It
    is critical that Azerbaijan's leaders refrain from provocative
    statements and commit to fruitful negotiations for a lasting peace in
    Nagorno-Karabakh."

    Rep. Sherman explained the imperative of commemorating the pogroms in
    Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku, stating, "If we hope to stop future
    massacres, we must acknowledge these horrific events and ensure they
    do not happen again." Rep. Sherman went on to note, that "Recognizing
    the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenians from Azerbaijan is an important
    step. However, we need to do more-we need to demonstrate to Azerbaijan
    that the United States is committed to peace and to the protection of
    Artsakh from coercion."

    Rep. Cardenas noted that "the failure to act by the Azerbaijani
    authorities and our failure to compel action has resulted in a tidal
    wave of animosity towards the Armenians, which manifests itself in
    several ways. Azerbaijani forces east of Karabagh continue to
    disregard the ceasefire established after the Karabagh war in 1994.
    Ramil Safarov, who decapitated an Armenian Lieutenant while he slept
    during a NATO-sponsored training program in 2004, returned home as a
    hero and was held up as 'an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani
    youth' by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, Elmira
    Suleymanova. All the while, Ilham Aliyev continues his brazen
    rhetoric; consistently declaring Armenians as the national enemy in an
    effort to unite the Azeri public."

    Rep. Eshoo explained that "without our recognition and our forceful
    condemnation, the cycle of violence will continue. Even today,
    Christians and other minority groups are being driven from Syria by
    extremists, and the once large and diverse ethnic mosaic there is all
    but eradicated. Without our attention and action by the world
    community, there will be no end in sight."

    Rep. Clark noted that "like the persecution of too many peoples before
    it, the lessons of Sumgait must not be forgotten. As diverse families
    of the Commonwealth, and as Americans, we have a moral obligation to
    promote tolerance and justice, and we have a duty to recognize the
    atrocities that have kept us from our common goal."

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