ARMENIA: Armenians anticipate French vote to criminalise denial of Armenian genocide
Record ID:
327741
ARMENIA: Armenians anticipate French vote to criminalise denial of Armenian genocide
- Title: ARMENIA: Armenians anticipate French vote to criminalise denial of Armenian genocide
- Date: 24th January 2012
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE REGIONAL STUDIES CENTER (RSC) RICHARD GIRAGOSIYAN, SAYING: "It's more about domestic French politics and re-election of President (Nicolas) Sarkozy of France and the 500,000 (NOTE: Giragosiyan meant thousand and not million) Armenian voters within France. In this context, it's much less about the genocide; it's much less about Armenia. It's much more about France and France's role on the world stage." BOOKS ON DESK (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE REGIONAL STUDIES CENTER (RSC RICHARD GIRAGOSIYAN, SAYING: "First and foremost, genocide recognition has to be by Turks within Turkey. And in this sense, what's more important than even the French vote is the Apr. 24 genocide commemorations. For the past two years the most important commemoration was not in New York or Yerevan, the most important was in Turkey." YEREVAN, ARMENIA (JANUARY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) STREET SCENE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) YEREVAN RESIDENT JAZMINA GEVONDIAN, SAYING: "Turkey must realise at last that the denial of the (Armenian) genocide means its approval, in other words it (Turkey) would be capable of repeating the similar brutality in future". PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) STUDENT KHACHATUR MARTIROSYAN, SAYING: "The fact that France is going to pass the bill is their internal business. And of course Armenians are pleased with this fact, but I would like to say it again and again that the country which was responsible for this wrong-doing should understand the importance of this act. Because if Turkey embarked on the path to democracy and it plans to become a part of the civilised world, then it should accept it and put up with its own past." VIEW OF CITY CENTRE
- Embargoed: 8th February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Armenia, Armenia
- Country: Armenia
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEKBG22Q1671FC3Y8MMUPIBVST
- Story Text: Armenians react to scheduled vote on bill in French senate that would criminalise denial of the Armenian genocide.
Views differ in Armenia's capital Yerevan as French legislators could make on Monday (January 23) illegal the denial that the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide .
The Genocide Museum, a memorial monument which overlooks Yerevan, is the place where tens of thousands Armenians gather on April 24 every year. The crowds commemorate about 1.5 million Christian Armenians killed in what is now eastern Turkey during the World War One in what many historians say was a deliberate policy of genocide.
Muslim Turkey accepts many Armenians died as well as the Turks in partisan fighting which began in 1915, but Turkey questions the figure and therefore argues it does not amount to genocide.
It is hard to find an Armenian, living either in his native country or abroad, who is insensitive to the events of WWI. The 400,000-strong Armenian diaspora in France is not an exception.
But the proposed law has critics in France and in Turkey saying, if passed, the law would worsen the already damaged relations between the two countries while President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is expected to stand for re-election in three months time, is just trying to get the vote of numerous Armenian community.
Political analyst Richard Giragosiyan, who is the director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC) in Yerevan, is one of those who thinks that new bill means much more for France and Turkey than for Armenians in the country for several reasons.
"This issue is much bigger outside Armenia than it is within Armenia, in terms of political or geopolitical contest, because for the Armenian government this is an important issue, but this is an initiative much more at the behest and the initiative of the Armenian diasporas," Richard Giragosiyan told Reuters before the debates over the legislation started in Frances' Senate.
"It's more about domestic French politics and re-election of President (Nicolas) Sarkozy of France and the 500,000 (NOTE: Giragosiyan meant thousand and not million) Armenian voters within France. In this context, it's much less about the genocide; it's much less about Armenia. It's much more about France and France's role on the world stage," Giragosiyan said, joining his voice to those who thinks President Sarkozy was playing his game.
Some Armenians are convinced that the outlawing of genocide denial is the only correct and fair move, but Richard Giragosiyan said the changes in the attitude towards genocide acceptance in Turkey is more important than the French vote.
"First and foremost, genocide recognition has to be by Turks within Turkey. And in this sense, what's more important than even the French vote is the Apr. 24 genocide commemorations. For the past two years the most important commemoration was not in New York or Yerevan, the most important was in Turkey," Giragosiyan said.
Residents of the Armenian capital when approached by Reuters praised France for support. Many of them said the bill would push Turkey towards the recognition of its past.
"Turkey must realise at last that the denial of the (Armenian) genocide means its approval, in other words it (Turkey) would be capable of repeating the similar brutality in future," Yerevan resident Jazmina Gevondian said.
"The fact that France is going to pass the bill is their internal business. And of course Armenians are pleased with this fact, but I would like to say it again and again that the country which was responsible for this wrong-doing should understand the importance of this act. Because if Turkey embarked on the path to democracy and it plans to become a part of the civilised world, then it should accept it and put up with its own past," student Khachatur Martirosyan said.
The French Senate is expected to vote on the bill on Monday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None