Armenian Assembly of America commemorated 40,000 Tamils killed in May 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net - Members of the Armenian Assembly's Northern California Regional Council (NCRC) joined the Tamil community along with members of the Genocide Recognition Committee, the Rwandan Genocide Committee and Amnesty International in commemorating the deaths of over 40,000 Tamils killed in May 2009 by Sri Lankan military forces, the Assembly said in a press release.

The event served as poignant reminder about the need to confront man's inhumanity to man and the importance of speaking out against genocide no matter when or where it occurs.

"The stories recounted at the commemoration were striking, especially with respect to their similarity to the Armenian Genocide in terms of the loss of innocent life and the unimaginable impact on the lives of the survivors and their communities," said NCRC Member Peter Federico.

"These communities dealing with their own genocides get inspiration and validation from looking at the Armenian community. Partnering with these groups who are facing what we have already been through strengthens their causes, our cause and the universal goal of preventing future genocides," added Federico. "In order to prevent future genocides, we must join together with others and actively promote genocide education, awareness and affirmation."

Since its inception, the Armenian Assembly (Assembly) has partnered with like-minded organizations and individuals who share our goals with respect to genocide affirmation and prevention. For example, the Assembly actively supported Senator William Proxmire's unremitting campaign to persuade the U.S. Senate to approve legislation enabling the adoption of the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and was part of the coalition of organizations headed by the American Bar Association advocating for its adoption. More recently, the Assembly joined the Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network, American Jewish World Service, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Alliance for Justice, Refugees International, ENOUGH, and others in endorsing the Genocide Accountability Act.