DESIGNATING APRIL 24, 2001 AS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY.

WHEREAS, beginning in 1915, the Ottoman empire killed one and one-half million Armenians and forcibly deported

five hundred thousand Armenians during an eight-year reign of terror; and

WHEREAS, Armenians were deprived of their homes, their dignity and ultimately their lives; and

WHEREAS, the United States has not made an official statement regarding the Armenian genocide; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian genocide has been acknowledged by countries and international bodies such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the council of Europe, Cyprus, the European parliament, France, Great Britain, Greece, Lebanon, Russia, the United Nations and Uruguay; and

WHEREAS, it is critically important for our nation to acknowledge what happened and to teach present and future generations of the history of genocide in order to prevent future genocides;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that April 24, 2001 be designated "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day" in honor of the millions of innocent Armenians brutally murdered, in order to teach the horrors of genocide so that it may be eliminated from the human condition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation, the United Nations and the Armenian assembly of America.