April 24, 2006

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State of New Mexico EXECUTIVE OFFICE Santa Fe, New Mexico

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide led to the death of 1.5 million Armenians as a result of a campaign of ethnic cleansing waged by the Ottoman Empire from 1912 to 1923; and

WHEREAS, 500,000 Armenian citizens were deported from their country, forced to leave their homes and worldly possessions behind in a bid to survive; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide has been recognized by a number of deliberative international bodies, such as the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, a United Nations Sub-Commission, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the Permanent People’s Tribunal, and the International Center for Transitional Justice; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide was cited during the Nuremberg trials as the basis for the emergence of the Nuremberg law on Crimes against Humanity; and

WHEREAS, the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and their descendants strive to educate the world about the terrible consequences of bigotry and racism so that other ethnic groups will not suffer as they did;

NOW, THEREFORE I, Bill Richardson, Governor of the State of New Mexico, do hereby proclaim April 24th, 2006 as:

"Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day"

throughout the State of New Mexico and urge New Mexicans to honor the memory of those victims and to teach future generations of the horrors of genocide so that it may be prevented.

Attest:

Done at the Executive Office this 24th day of April, 2006.

[signed]
Rebecca Vigil-Giron
Secretary of State

Witness my hand and the Great Seal of the Great State of New Mexico

[signed]
Bill Richardson
Governor