06 06 05 - The Majority of Welsh Members of the UK Parliament Recognise the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide

Jean Eckian / www.inhomage.com
Relayed from Wales-Armenia Solidarity
June 5, 2006 c/o Temple of Peace, Cathays Park Cardiff Wales
The Majority of Welsh Members of the UK Parliament Recognise the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide Following intensive lobbying from the above organisation,over half the eligible Welsh Representatives of the UK Parliament have signed a motion recognising the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide of 1915.
The Motion is called "Early Day Motion number 1454" and the Welsh Members of the London parliament, in doing this, follow the example of
1 the majority of National Assembly of Wales Members who did the same on 30th october 2002. and also
2 Gwynedd County Council, North West Wales who did so in March 2004(The first municipality in the UK to do so) and
3 Cardiff City Council which did so in September 2004
"This is a historic day for Wales" said a spokesman for Wales-Armenia Solidarity. "There can no longer be any doubt that Wales has recognised the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides. For seven hundred years during the period of English rule,, our voice was silenced on international issues.We have now a consensus on a serious international issue that differs signifigantly from UK government policy We accuse Britain of the betrayal Armenia for its own self-interest ever since the nineteenth century.
Britain's four betrayals of Armenia are spread over a century.
1 British Foreign policy in the nineteenth century,expressed through the The Anglo-Turkish Convention and The Berlin Treaty in the 1 870's, (depriving Armenia of its protection by Russia), which led to Armenia being totally exposed to the massacres of 1894-96, and
eventually the Genocide of 1915
2 The refusal to take up the mandate for an independent Armenia following the Treaty of Sevres, allowing Armenia to be overrun in 1920-23. Lloyd George's promises of an independent Armenia, made
during the war ( to aid the war effort) were not honoured.
3 The refusal to countenance the return of Kars and Ardahan to Soviet Armenia from Turkey in 1945-46
4 Today's shameful denial of the historical reality of the 1915 Genocide We will continue to expose this shameful government denial of the genocide in order to protect British investment in Turkey and to
further Britain's strategic interests in the region.
Our priority will be to put the issue of restitution and reparations for the genocide on the political agenda.The reunification of Armenia must no longer be a taboo suibject during Turkey's accesion talks.
We in Wales can raise our voice to insist that Turkey should yeild back land to the Armenian nation if she is to acceed to the European Union.

V.V