Denial is a continuation of genocide, and impunity yields new crimes

I am Hovhannés Virabyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Argentina, a descendant of people who miraculously survived the genocide. My maternal grandfather came from the historic province of Kars in Armenia and my maternal grandmother from Mush. Both cities, where there are no more Armenians, are located within the current territory of Turkey.

The families of my maternal grandparents were massacred; they were the only survivors. Surprisingly, when they were children they went to the territory of present-day Armenia and found refuge in local orphanages. I don’t need a committee of historians or academic discussions to know what happened to my ancestors, I know their stories. I don’t know from textbooks or the internet, but from personal testimonials.

All Armenians know this, as not a single Armenian family has not suffered losses during the Great Genocide of 1915, with 1,500,000 victims. All subject matter specialists and all men and women know this where human rights are important.

Raphael Lemkin knows this too. He coined the term “genocide” to describe those atrocities. Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden, Pope Francis and Alberto Fernández also knew this.

Argentina has not officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide as a decision imposed by the existence of the Armenian community in this country. This was done because Argentina has a tradition of respect for human rights, and memory, justice and truth are not just words, but fundamentally intended values.

On this basis, the National Congress approved Law 26199, enacted in 2007, which commenced on April 24 of each year as “Day of action for tolerance and respect for the people, in commemoration of the genocide in which the Armenian people .

By the way, and it is an undeniable fact, the existence of the Armenian community in Argentina was the result of that genocide and the resulting reality.

It is true that we must turn the painful pages of history and look to the future; but only after making a proper analysis and drawing a corresponding conclusion. Otherwise, crimes against humanity are likely to be repeated. We have seen attempts in this direction over the decades against the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the historic Armenian province of Artsakh, with the direct participation of Turkey and the execution in Azerbaijan.

The intense nationalist action declared by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Montevideo on April 23 in front of representatives of the local Armenian community was certainly not aimed at creating an atmosphere of understanding and dialogue between the two people. Denial is a continuation of genocide, and impunity yields new crimes.

I am sure that one day Turkey will officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and understand its own history.

Hovhannés Virabyan AMBASSADOR OF ARMENIA