Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the thousands of Armenian Americans in my congressional district, I rise to remember the evening of February 27, 1988, when a three-day rampage began against Christian…
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the thousands of Armenian Americans in my congressional district, I rise to remember the evening of February 27, 1988, when a three-day rampage began against Christian Armenian civilians living in Sumgait, Soviet Azerbaijan. Armenian civilians were at the mercy of
Azerbaijani rioters, who murdered, raped, and maimed Armenians, throwing women and children from windows and burning victims alive. Soviet authorities, who had prohibited journalists from entering the area and had instituted a press blackout, estimated over 30 individuals had been killed and over 200 injured, but others estimated hundreds were murdered.
In the days before the massacre, Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh had been peacefully demonstrating against decades of Soviet Azerbaijani repression and discrimination. Many believed the resulting massacres were officially sanctioned to send a message to Armenians to stop challenging Soviet Azerbaijani authorities.
Within months of the Sumgait massacres, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Amendment 2690 to the FY 1989 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (H.R. 4782) in July 1988, concerning the Karabakh conflict and calling on the Soviet government to ``respect the legitimate aspirations of the Armenian people.'' The amendment also noted that ``dozens of Armenians have been killed and hundreds injured during the recent unrests.''
The anniversary of this horrifying instance of violence serves as a reminder that the United States must stand with those around the globe engaged in peaceful demonstrations against repression and human rights abuses.
