BILL ANALYSIS �
AJR 2
Page
1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR 2 (Portantino and Achadjian)
As Amended March 21, 2011
Majority vote
RULES 9-0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Silva, Alejo, Butler, | | |
| |Davis, Donnelly, Hagman, | | |
| |Mendoza, Knight, Williams | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Designates April 24, 2011, as "California Day of Remembrance
for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923;" commends educators who teach
about human rights and genocide; memorializes the Congress and the
President of the United States to act likewise to recognize and
reaffirm that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people
constituted genocide; and calls upon the Republic of Turkey to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and work toward a just resolution.
Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)The Armenian Genocide began with the arrest, exile, and murder of
hundreds of Armenian intellectuals; including political, religious,
and business leaders, starting on April 24, 1915.
2)While there were some Turks and others who jeopardized their safety
in order to protect Armenians from the crimes perpetrated by the
Young Turk regime, the genocide of the Armenian people constituted
one of the most egregious violations of human rights in the history
of the world.
3)In 2008, the United States, acknowledged and reaffirmed the
historical record of the Armenian Genocide by stating, the
"administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing,
and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians
were conducted by the Ottoman Empire."
4)Unlike other governments that have denounced the crimes of
predecessor regimes, the Republic of Turkey has adamantly denied the
occurrence of crimes against humanity; and, there have been
concerted efforts to revise history which requires an effort to
solidify recognition of reaffirmation of historical truth.
AJR 2
Page
2
5)By honoring the survivors and consistently remembering and
condemning the atrocities committed against the Armenian people, as
well as the persecution of the Assyrian and Greek populations of the
Ottoman Empire, we guard against repetition of the crime of
genocide.
EXISTING LAW : Annually designates April 24 as the "California Day of
Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923."
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : According to the author, the resolution is intended as a
reminder of the atrocities of genocide and to guard against the
repetition of this crime.
Opponents have expressed concern that the resolution presents a biased
and untrue view of the conflict between the Turks and Armenians and
continues to fuel racial animosity.
Analysis Prepared by : Anna McCabe / RLS. / (916) 319-2800 FN:
0000156