US senator supports recognition of Khojaly and Srebrenica massacres

Tue 07 August 2012 04:17 GMT | 09:17 Local Time

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Kay Hagan

Senator Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina) has sent a supportive response to the Pax Turcica action. The action is endorsed by ASA, AAC, ATAA and FTAA, calling for the recognition of the Khojaly and Srebrenica Massacres.

Interestingly, Senator Hagan notes that the Khojaly Massacre is described as a genocide by some.

The response letter says:

"Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting my office concerning the 1992 Khojaly Massacre and your support of Congressional recognition for this tragedy as genocide. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this important issue.

As you are aware, a massive assault against the Azerbaijani civilians in the town of Khojaly, Azerbaijan, took place during the night of February 25 to February 26, 1992. This mass murder has come to be known as the Khojaly Massacre, and even the Khojaly genocide by some. On that tragic evening, many civilians died. My thoughts go out to those that lost loved ones and those who may still be grieving as Azerbaijani-Americans marked the 20th Anniversary of this horrific event in February.

I believe that it is important that the U.S. develop a "whole of government" approach to the prevention of mass atrocities against civilians. On August 5, 2010, S. Con. Res. 71 was introduced in the U.S. Senate. This legislation reaffirms our national interest in helping to prevent and mitigate genocide and other mass atrocities against civilians, and urges the Obama administration to take action to achieve these goals. This resolution was agreed to in the Senate on December 22, 2010.

While there is no pending legislation before the Senate specific to the Khojaly Massacre and requiring Armenia authorities to take responsibility of this tragedy and other acts of violence during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, S. Con. Res 71 is an important step towards condemning acts of genocide and other mass atrocities and recommits to honor the memory of the victims of all past genocides and mass atrocities.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns. If you would like to stay informed on my work in the Senate, you can sign up for my e-newsletter, follow me on Twitter at @SenatorHagan, or visit my. "Facebook page."

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