Newsletter No 16

Second Reading of Armenian Genocide Bill Scheduled

in UK House of Commons

Dear Members of the Armenian community in the United Kingdom,

Thank you for your continued support of ANC UK in our efforts to convince the UK government that Armenian Genocide recognition is an essential step towards realising both British and Armenian values. Over the past weeks, we have worked with various Parliamentarians to advance our shared interests. We are delighted to announce that the UK might be a step closer to Armenian Genocide recognition with John Spellar MP’s Armenian Genocide recognition bill scheduled for its second reading next week.

We will continue to represent the interests of the Armenian community in the UK political arena, ensuring the voice of Armenians in the UK remains influential. This newsletter provides a brief update on current important parliamentary proceedings, whilst affording our readership an insight into ANC UK’s upcoming campaigns.

UK might be a step closer to Armenian Genocide recognition as John Spellar MP’s Armenian Genocide Recognition Bill is scheduled for its Second reading in Parliament

Labour MP John Spellar first introduced the Private Members’ Bill for the Armenian Genocide recognition to Parliament on Monday 21st June 2021. The Bill has now moved to its next stage, the Second reading, which is scheduled for Friday 10th December 2021.  At this stage, MPs are given an opportunity to debate the main principles of the Bill in more detail.

ANC UK is working to get as many MPs as possible to support Armenian Genocide recognition in Parliament, but we can’t do it alone: we ask for your help to gather the necessary support for this Bill!

You can help by getting involved in this campaign directly by contacting and lobbying your MP to vote positively. Write to your MP using a personal message, with a compelling story of why the issue of the Armenian Genocide matters to you, asking them for a meeting. If you secure a meeting, ANC UK will be happy to brief you ahead of this and provide you with any necessary materials.

Please write to your MP asking to support John Spellar’s Armenian Genocide recognition Bill by following this link:
https://ancuk.org.uk/take-action/write-to-your-mp/?fbclid=IwAR1XdwfMgpa1bFWQTpVzCRSxb9SU23KL0TQ7AQl8qt2tAWOAYtUJwyryVD0.

The full text of the Bill can be found here:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-02/0090/210090.pdf

Election of Officers for All Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia

On Wednesday November 24th 2021, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia (APPG for Armenia) held its Annual General Meeting. APPGs are informal cross-party groups consisting of members of the House of Commons and Lords, and ANC UK works very closely with the APPG for Armenia. During the meeting new officers were elected and Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan addressed the meeting. Ambassador Nersesyan thanked the MPs in the UK Parliament for their support to Armenia and Artsakh, especially over this difficult period, and for consistently raising Armenia related issues. The Ambassador addressed current security issues in the region caused by the aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia.

We express our sincerest gratitude to all the members of the group for their vital support in encouraging links between the UK Parliament and Armenia, increasing awareness of issues surrounding Armenia’s future, promoting security in the region and acting as influential advocates for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United Kingdom.

We are very happy to announce that the following officers were elected during the Annual General Meeting:

Tim Loughton (Chairman)
Baroness Cox (Vice Chair)
Feryal Clark (Vice Chair)
Andrew Rosindell (Vice Chair)
John Spellar (Vice Chair)
James Murray (Treasurer)
John Whittingdale (Secretary)
Annette Moskofian Group Secretariat

ANC UK Organised an Armenian Wine and Brandy Tasting Event in Parliament

Following the AGM of the APPG for Armenian on 24 of November ANC UK organised an Armenian wine and brandy tasting event in the House of Commons for the Parliamentarians. ANC UK would like to thank Charles Masraff of Armenian Wines Importers LTD for providing an array of delicious Armenian wine, Granatus for providing high quality Arcolad chocolates and the Embassy of Armenia in the United Kingdom.

ANC UK’s Letter to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office following Azerbaijan’s military attack

ANC UK wrote an official letter to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on 17 November 2021 following Azerbaijan’s illegal armed attack against Armenia along its eastern border in the southern Syunik province. ANC UK’s letter highlights the not unprecedented nature of Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attack on sovereign territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan’s use of a large-scale disinformation campaign and Azerbaijan’s blatant violation of the trilateral statement signed on November 9 2020 and chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter. With Azerbaijani forces occupying over 41 square kilometres of Armenian sovereign territory since 12 May 2021, ANC UK urges the UK Government to condemn Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attacks and to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan over serious violations of the UN Charter for threatening peace, as well as for a gross violation of human rights of those living in the territory.

Armenian Genocide cited in the House of Lords

On Thursday 25th November 2021, Lord Alton cited the Armenian Genocide in a House of Lords debate pertaining to the foreign office’s use of the word ‘genocide’ in relation to the Uyghur population of China. He mentioned the Armenian Genocide in the context of the Chinese government’s brutal treatment of Uyghurs, stating:

“Today’s debate on genocide has deep roots, stretching back to the still unrecognised genocide of 1915 against the Armenians.”

Indeed, the Armenian Genocide is unfortunately still unrecognised in the UK. Lord Alton’s citation of the Genocide in the House of Lords only further highlights the importance of UK’s formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide and acknowledgement of this dark chapter in human history. ANC UK continues its hard work towards securing recognition of the Armenian Genocide within the UK.

Australian Parliament urges the government to recognise the Armenian Genocide

On Monday 29th November 2021, the House of Representatives of Australia’s Federal Parliament, being the largest and most representative legislative chamber of the country, unanimously spoke in favour of a motion which calls on the government to recognise the Armenian Genocide, along with the Assyrian and Greek Genocides.

All six speakers have unanimously debated in favour of the first-ever motion to make the Australian Parliament’s agenda, calling for the Prime Minister and his government to stand with the representatives of parliament and finally “call a genocide a genocide” (Haig Kayserian, Executive Director the ANC Australia).

Meeting with representatives from ally communitiesThe National Federation of Cypriots in the UK organised a meeting inviting representatives from ANC UK, the Kurdish People’s Assembly, and the Egyptian Council in the UK. We had a productive and wide ranging discussion on diaspora issues and building people to people connections.

 
Armenian National Committees Meet in Armenia and Artsakh

More than 20 ANC committees met in Yerevan for the ANC worldwide conference from 29 November to 3 December. The conference was held in Yerevan, Goris and then ended in the parliament of the Artsakh republic.

Please give today to help our campaigns

ANC UK has so far worked in volunteering capacity, campaigning on behalf of the Armenian community, continuously pushing the UK government on the issues of Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide, helping remove pro-Azeri propaganda in London, and providing direct assistance to the officers and members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Armenia.

As we move into the next phase of our campaigning, we need our community’s help to ensure we can gain the support of more parliamentarians. This means supporting the campaign by contacting your MPs and donating to ANC UK to help us hire a much-needed permanent staff member.

With everything that we’ve all been through and all that lies ahead, we need your faith, your friendship, and financial generosity more than ever before

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