12-R278
2012 -- H 8180
Enacted 05/17/12
H O U S E R E S
O L U T I O N
SUPPORTING THE
FREE AND
INDEPENDENT NATION
Introduced By: Representatives Fox, Mattiello, Corvese, McNamara, and Bennett
Date Introduced: May 17, 2012
WHEREAS, The Region of Artsakh, also known as Mountainous Karabagh,
is located in
the Transcaucasus and has
historically been Armenian territory, populated by an overwhelming
majority of Armenians; and
WHEREAS, In 1923, the communist dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, in
violation of the
national, territorial, and human rights of the Armenian
people, annexed part of the region of
Artsakh which was composed of a 95 percent Armenian
population, and joined it with the region
of Soviet
WHEREAS, For decades, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh,
having arbitrarily been
severed from
demonstrated for national independence and individual freedom and
against Soviet Azerbaijani
repression and discrimination; and
WHEREAS, In the years immediately preceding the
declaration of independence, these peaceful demonstrations were
met with acts of violent
repression by Soviet Azerbaijani forces who refused to allow the
reestablishment of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s national independence; and
WHEREAS, During the repressive and violent events leading to the
birth of the Nagorno-
(November, 1988), and
Armenians were forcibly deported from
WHEREAS, In July of
1988, within months of the
Senate unanimously passed Amendment 2690 to the Fiscal
Year 1989 Foreign Operations
Appropriations bill (H.R. 4782), concerning the Karabakh conflict and calling on the Soviet
government to "respect the legitimate aspirations of the
Armenian people ..." and noted that
"dozens of Armenians
have been killed and hundreds injured during the recent unrests ..."; and
WHEREAS, The Armenians
of Nagorno-Karabakh would not be deterred and would
not
allow their dream of national independence, and their
inherent desire for individual freedom, to
be destroyed by violence and repression; and
WHEREAS, On December
10th of 1991, despite continued violence against the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a popular referendum proclaiming the republic took
place in Nagorno-
Karabakh during the process of the
WHEREAS, Under the watchful eye of more than 50 international
observers and in full
compliance with international standards for free and fair
elections, more than 80 percent of the
eligible voters in Nagorno-Karabakh
cast a ballot. Ninety-eight percent of those casting ballots
overwhelmingly chose national independence and individual freedom,
thereby choosing the path
of democracy after decades of communist control; and
WHEREAS, The population of Nagorno-Karabakh
then held free, democratic, and direct
elections for its parliament; and
WHEREAS, On January 6th
of 1992, the first-ever freely elected Parliament of Nagorno-
Karabakh adopted a Declaration of Independence of the
WHEREAS, From the earliest days of its formation, the Republic’s
freely elected
governmental bodies have continuously striven to build an open and
democratic society through
free and transparent elections, affirmed by international
observers; and
WHEREAS, Since signing a cease-fire agreement with
years of armed conflict, the
war humanitarian and economic development; and
WHEREAS, Despite the
1994 cease-fire agreement, the
security and sovereignty continue to be threatened by regional
tension and hostile acts; now,
therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That this House of Representatives of the State of
Providence Plantations
hereby encourages the
to develop as a free and independent nation in order to
guarantee its citizens those rights inherent
in a free and independent society; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby supports the
continued constructive involvement with the international
community and its efforts to reach a
lasting solution to the existing regional problems, and to
establish peace and stability in the
strategically important region of
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby respectfully urges the President
and Congress of
the
and to encourage nations neighboring the Republic to
foster and maintain peaceful relations with
the people of the
continue promoting humanitarian and economic rehabilitation of
the
and to fully support its continuing development of a free
and democratic society, with all the
social, economic, and political advantages that such a free
and democratic society brings to its
citizens; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby memorializes the
support strengthening and solidifying our country’s
relationship with the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic and its citizens,
both culturally and economically, to insure the continued survival of
this nation’s burgeoning growth of freedom and democracy;
and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is
authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the
President of the
Island’s Congressional
Delegation.
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LC02637
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