A shameful response from the Prime Minister office
As a signee of a petition to British PM to recognise the Armenian Genocide of 1915 (petition was signed by 1 136 British residents), I just received a response from the 10 Downing Street:
"You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "Recognise the Armenian Genocide of 1915."
The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here: http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13999.asp
Prime Minister's Office
Petition information - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/armeniangenocide/"
Here is British Government's response in full. It is Denial without boarders... and without shame. A pure disgrace!
"The British Government acknowledges and regrets the terrible events that afflicted the Ottoman Armenian population at the beginning of the last century, when over a million ethnic Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire were killed. Many were massacred; some were victims of civil strife, starvation and disease, which ravaged the whole population of Eastern Anatolia during the First World War.
The massacres were an appalling tragedy, which the British Government of the day condemned. We fully endorse that view. However, neither this Government nor previous British Governments have judged that the evidence is sufficiently unequivocal to persuade us that these events should be categorised as genocide as defined by the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide, a convention which is, in any event, not retrospective in application.
The British Government believes that the focus should be on ensuring a progressive approach; to improve the chances for reconciliation between Armenian and Turkish people and to achieve a peaceful and secure future for everyone living in the region. To this end we encourage the Governments of Armenia and Turkey to improve co-operation, economic development and understanding between their countries.
In preparing for EU accession, Turkey must demonstrate its commitment to good neighbourly relations and must have undertaken to resolve outstanding border disputes. The advancement of accession negotiations will be guided by progress made in these, and other areas."
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2 comments:
I've already published this post and then noticed that my blogging friend Rhiannon commented on another entry in my blog about British Government response. She also signed the petition and received reply from the 10 Downing street. I thought I would instead publish her reaction here (hope you do not mind, Rhiannon):
What a cop-out!!! :(
Rhiannon.
Ok then! :) i sent my comment because i didn't know if you had received it or not. Now i see that you did.
i think its ridiculous of them to say it's more PROGRESSIVE to continue to deny the genocide...there is no way there can be real progress while Turkey still refuses to admit to it and still puts people in prison for mentioning the word.
Rhiannon.
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