AZG DAILY #15, 30-01-2010

FIRST MINISTER OF WALES RECOGNIZES THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY, CARDIFF

By Jean Eckian / Paris: Jan 28, 2010

Yesterday, exactly two years after the desecration of our Armenian Genocide Monument, was an historic day for the Welsh and Armenian nations. The road to Genocide recognition, which began on 24th April 2001, when Rhodri Morgan, (then First Minister), laid flowers in memory of the 1915 Genocide Victims, was completed in Cardiff with an explicit recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the new First Minister.

The National Holocaust Day event was supported by the government of Wales (Welsh Assembly Government) and Cardiff City Council, the municipality of Wales' capital. The Genocide was also recognized at the event by guest speaker Rabbi Aron Hier from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Los Angeles. The sharp diplomacy of Mr. John Torosyan, the moving spirit of the Welsh Armenian community was an important factor in this historic achievement.

Later Armenians, Welsh people and Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriacs from the Iraqi Christian Association of Wales laid flowers at the beautifully-restored Armenian Genocide Monument behind the Temple of Peace. One of the bouquets read "In memory of the Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac Victims of the 1915 Genocide, of the1933 Simel Massacres and of the 2003-2010 ethnic cleansing in Iraq". Fr. Shnork Baghdassaryan prayed at the Khatchkar, and also took part at the Holocaust ceremony earlier.

Carwyn Jones belongs to the Labour Party, as does Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the UK who will now be under huge pressure following this crack in the UK Labour ranks. This recognition will also send shock waves through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, which has been the architect of the Labour Party policy of supporting the Turkish denialist position at all costs.

It is noticeable that while parliaments throughout the World have passed resolutions recognizing the Genocide, this recognition is of more significance as it comes from the government of Wales (in addition to the past recognition by the National Assembly of Wales (2002) and the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly (2007)

This is the first policy on an international issue created by the 10-year-old Welsh government. It is supported by the quasi-totality of Welsh Members of the UK parliament. This issue has been resolved even though the size of the Welsh-Armenian community is under 40 people.

There is a history of pro-Armenian sentiment in Wales since the 1894-96 Massacres, when there was widespread outrage, public meetings and collections for the Victims across Wales.

It is regrettable, though, that the Armenian government has still not recognized Wales' national status by the appointment of an Honorary Council, or in some other way. It is also noted that Armenians in England could play a more active role in the cause of UK Genocide recognition, and are warmly invited to contact us. We also thank all those Armenians world-wide for their expressions of solidarity when the monument was desecrated in 2007.