British-Turkish Dialogue Group Urge Belgium to Recognize Congo Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - The British-Turkish Committee for Dialogue (BTCD), a London-based non-governmental organization, has said that it supports the Early Day Motion tabled by British Labor Party deputy Andrew Dismore calling on the Belgian government to recognize the genocide it perpetuated in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dismore, a deputy from Hendon and chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights in the British Parliament, argues that the tragic incidents of 1884 and 1907 that resulted in the deaths of millions of ethnic Congolese under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium constituted genocide. The Early Day Motion calls on Belgium to recognize the Congolese genocide. The Congo incidents were brought to Dismore's attention by the BTCD at a public meeting in London in April. At the meeting Dismore said that Belgium had to officially recognize the events as genocide. After having had confirmation from the British Parliament's library that Belgium so far has not apologized for the incidents, Dismore tabled the motion at parliament.



In a press statement, BTCD said it thanks Dismore for the compassion he has shown for the victims of this tragedy. The Belgian parliament has passed resolutions calling on other nations, including Turkey, to reconsider their history and recognize that they had perpetuated genocide. Therefore, we call upon the Belgian parliament to face the dark pages of its history in the same way that it has suggested to other nations, by recognizing the tragedy Belgium caused during this period as genocide, the BTCD said. Dismore's motion was also signed by 12 other British deputies: 10 Labor, two Liberal Democrat and one Conservative, reported Turkish Daily News.