The California State Assembly, in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, on Thursday called for U.S. recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, marking a major milestone in the growing American movement supporting the national and democratic aspirations of the citizens of this independent and historically Armenian country, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR), according to Asbarez.
The historic vote specifically
voiced encouragement for Artsakh’s (Nagorno Karabagh) continuing efforts to
develop as a free and independent nation, and formally called upon the
President and Congress of the United States to support the self-determination
and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. AJR 32 was
adopted by a vote of 70 to 1, and will now move to the California State Senate
for consideration. Earlier this week, AJR 32 was adopted by the State Assembly
Rules Committee by a vote of 9-1.
.jpg)
“Today the people of California,
through a nearly unanimous vote by their elected representatives in the State
Assembly, stood on the side of freedom and independence for the people of
Artsakh. We were extremely proud and gratified to work so closely with Speaker
John A. Perez and Assemblymembers Mike Gatto, Katcho Achadjian, Adrin Nazarian,
and Scott Wilk in achieving this great victory, and we thank each and every one
of them for leading this effort. We look forward to a similar victory in the
State Senate, as the ANCA WR continues its day to day efforts in pursuit of
every aspect of the Armenian Cause,” stated ANCA WR Chair, Nora Hovsepian who
had provided compelling oral testimony during the committee hearing held on
Monday, May 5, 2014.
“Today’s overwhelming vote puts the
California State Assembly on record in support of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh and reaffirms our unwavering commitment to freedom and
self-determination for all peoples,” noted Assembly Speaker John A. Perez.
AJR 32 lead author, Assemblymember
Gatto introduced the resolution on the floor providing historical background;
noting the importance of supporting the self-determination and independence of
Artsakh. Co-Author Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian (R-CA), Assemblymembers Ian
Calderon (D-CA), Tom Daly (D-CA) Adrin Nazarian (D-CA), Scott Wilk (R-CA) and
Cheryl Brown (D-CA) joined Gatto in urging their colleagues to support the
resolution, each providing heavy.
“Just last month, we worked so hard
to make this resolution move forward, and we are so proud today that the
California State house stood with me in support of the people of Artsakh in their
ongoing quest for freedom, democracy and independence,” stated Assemblymember
Gatto.
California is home to tens of
thousands of Armenian-Americans who are refugees of pogroms against Armenians
in Sumgait (1988), Kirovabad (1988), and Baku (1990), and the ethnic-cleansing
of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan. Dozens of refugees from the region,
many from the Shahumian district of Artsakh, were present for the historic
vote.
Alena Nalbandyan, who lived in
Shahumian until the Azerbaijani military assault against Armenian civilians,
provided personal testimony during the hearing which resonated with the
committee members. “It was very gratifying to be able to share my experience
with the members of the State Legislature. Today’s vote represents a validation
of the demand for self-determination by all Armenians from Arstakh.”
“This resolution represents a major
step in the recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as an independent
nation. I would especially like to thank my colleague Assemblymember Gatto for
bringing this issue before the Assembly for debate. I am proud the state of
California has taken a stance to support NKR’s pursuit of liberty and freedom,”
stated Co-Author of AJR 32, Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian.
Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian said,
“Today’s historical vote on AJR 32 demonstrated the Legislature’s will to
accurately recognize truth in the face of false adversity. I commend my
colleagues for standing on the side of truth, freedom, and democracy. Their
solidarity with the people of Artsakh speaks volumes about the progress they
have made in their path for self-determination, and their goal for recognition
as an independent state.”
“It is a special day for Artsakh. As
we are preparing to celebrate a triple holiday in Artsakh – the liberation of
Shushi, formation of the NKR defense army and victory in WW2, we now have
another significant reason to celebrate, which is the support of Artsakh’s
freedom and sovereign democracy by one of the strongest states of the United
States,” commented Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the
United States Robert Avetisyan. “We want to thank the California State Assembly
for supporting us and our aspiration for freedom and everyone who made this day
possible.
This decision by the State Assembly of the State of California
reiterates that the human rights and liberties are the prevailing values in
this world and it only reinforces our determination to move forward and develop
as an open and democratic society,” added Avetisyan.
The Armenian National Committee of
America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) worked closely with Speaker Perez’s office
as well as the author, Assemblyman Mike Gatto, Co-Author Katcho Achadjian, and
Assemblymembers Adrin Nazarian and Scott Wilk to garner support for the resolution.
In weeks and days leading up to the vote, the ANCA WR also activated its
grassroots in sending letters and making calls to elected officials, urging
them to support AJR 32.
“California has always been at the
forefront of global human rights issues, leading America and the world on
everything from ending Apartheid to, now, supporting democracy and
self-determination for the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh,” states
ANCA-WR Executive Director, Elen Asatryan. “As Americans we cherish our own liberty
and support the right of all peoples to live in freedom and under governments
of their own choosing. The people of Nagorno Karabakh deserve nothing less, ”
added Asatryan.
Upon passage by the State Senate,
California will join Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Louisiana in
adopting legislation which supports the independence of Artsakh.
Source: Panorama.am
No comments:
Post a Comment