|
THE SÉVRES
CONGRESS OF 1986
This congress met at Sévres
on 7-13 July 1985 under the title "The Third International
Congress of Armenian Groups". Its aim was the discussion
and acceptance of the "Armenian Constitution". This
was to lead to work on the establishment of a "Union"
representing Armenians throughout the world.
The Armenian terrorist groups
did not participate in this congress. The question of Dashnak
representation gave rise to protracted disputes. ASALA was
not represented at this congress and was exposed to violent
criticism.
The following proposals were
put forward:
a. The slogan "One
Armenianism, one goal, one struggle and one voice" was
proposed and accepted.
b. It was proposed that
the Congress of Sevres was to be accepted as valid and the
Congress of Lausanne as invalid.
c. The proposal that no
support should be given to ASALA was accepted.
d. It was proposed and
accepted that the struggle against Turkey should be continued.
e. It was proposed and
accepted that support should be given to the struggle being
conducted by Greece and the Greek Cypriots against Turkish
expansionist policy.
f. It was proposed that
the Congress should bear a character similar to that of the
"Palestine National Congress in Exile", and this
was accepted on the basis of observation of the required developments.
The congress decisions are
as fallow:
a. The Congress
accepted the text of an "Armenian Constitution".
b. The Congress accepted
the application of a many-sided strategy for the achievement
of their aims.
aa. It was decided that
collaboration should be established between progressive and
revolutionary movements in Turkey and the Armenian nationalist
movement, as well as between the Armenians and the various
other peoples engaged in the struggle against Turkish oppression
and exploitation, and that recognition should be given to
the inevitably close links between the struggle of the Armenian
people and that of other oppressed peoples.
bb. The International Armenian
Congress decided that although it was in no way connected
with any state or power, it would accept aid and assistance
from any country that respected and supported the Armenian
cause.
c. It was decided to send
a note to the United Nations, the USA, the USSR, the Soviet
Socialist Republic of Armenia, the Council of Europe, the
unaligned states and all signatories of the Lausanne Agreement
bringing to their attention the fact that the Armenians were
the only people who had failed to profit from the abolition
of colonialism.
d. The Congress,
convinced that Turkey should be compelled to admit its involvement
in the genocide of 1915 and that such an admission would open
the way to the liberation of Armenian territory, decided to
disseminate information on this question and to have recourse
to the necessary quarters.
The USSR was praised for its
recognition of the genocide of 1915 and for the publication
of an article on this subject in Pravda in April 1985, while
at the same time criticism was levelled at the American administration
for having failed to ensure the passage through the US Congress
of a genocide bill.
|
