SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has welcomed an overwhelming 405-11 vote by the U.S. House of Representatives, which ensured passage of House Resolution 296 (H.Res.296) recognising the Armenian Genocide while delivering a sizeable blow to Turkey’s century-old denial of the Ottoman Empire’s systematic attempt to eliminate its Armenian, Greek and Assyrian population during WWI.
The bipartisan resolution, introduced by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), affirms the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide, establishes as a matter of U.S. policy:
- commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance,
- the rejection of Armenian Genocide denial,
- ongoing official U.S. government recognition and remembrance of this crime, and
- support for education about the Armenian Genocide in order to help prevent modern-day atrocities.
Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) are spearheading an identical measure in the U.S. Senate (S.Res.150).
The Armenian National Committee of Australia