Meet The Last Victim Of The Armenian Genocide!

Ambassador John Evans, participates in building a better Armenia...

He is John Marshall Evans, the American Ambassador to Armenia. As described Harut Sassounian in his last week's column , saying :

"As Armenians are commemorating the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide this week, they should keep in mind that 91 years after the fact, a distinguished U.S. diplomat has become its latest victim!

John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, fortunately has not lost his life, but has sacrificed his diplomatic career for speaking out on the Armenian Genocide. He is being recalled by the State Department for publicly acknowledging the facts of the Genocide during his tour of the United States last year."

Ambassador Evans was officially recalled for publicly acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. First the U.S. State Department forced Evans to publicly retract his statements and apologize, then coerced the American Foreign Service Association into an unprecedented move of rescinding the prestigious “Constructive Dissent” award he was granted, and now subsequently, the Ambassador is being recalled from his post and forced into early “retirement”.

It's might be surprising to see such muzzling of free speech in one of the "Civilized" countries, but it's "Shocking" when such thing happens in the United States of America, "The Land Of Free," and by the government which made it's job to spread "Freedom & Democracy" all over the world!

To support Ambassador Evans & to protest against official denial of the Armenian Genocide, a group of American Armenians and friends organized the "Yellow Ribbon Campaign." In which hundreds of thousands of marchers on April 24, 2006 will participants by tying yellow ribbons on 100-meter long ropes stretched along the walking path leading to the Genocide Monument in Tsitsernakaberd Memorial . This campaign adopted Martin Luther King's quote when he said:

"At the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

For more clarifications and explanations about the Yellow Ribbon Campaign, I asked Harut Sassounian few questions, and he kindly answered as follows:


Armenian Affairs: Who are the organizers of this campaign, we know that they call themselves "Armenian Americans", what are their names?

Harut Sassounian: In terms of the organizers, they are a small group of Armenian Americans who live in Yerevan and their friends in Armenia.


AA: Was Ambassador Evans "Officially Recalled"?

Sassounian: Ambassador Evans was officially notified by the State Dept. that he is being recalled.


AA: What is going to happen next to Ambassador Evans? Will he be retired, or degraded?

Sassounian: Ambassador Evans is losing his job.


AA: How would the messages of Yellow Ribbons be communicated to US State Department? Is there a plan to photograph or video tape the action?

Sassounian: The Armenian press and TV will cover the yellow ribbon campaign on Monday, April 24.



AA: Do you expect a positive reaction from the State Dept. or this campaign is mainly about Solidarity and support to the brave stance of Ambassador Evans?

Sassounian: I do not expect a change of position from the State Dept. However, I believe that we need to put pressure on them so that they would think twice in the future before taking an anti-Armenian decision.



AA: Is there an organization in Armenia that will help in spreading the Ribbons?

Sassounian: The organizers and volunteers of the yellow ribbon campaign in Armenia will distribute the yellow ribbons at the Genocide Monument.



AA: Is there any significance for the "Yellow" color? Is it a symbol or a sign for something?

Sassounian: Yellow ribbon is a well known symbol in the United States. Every American, especially American officials at the State Dept. would understand very well the meaning of this yellow ribbon campaign. It is a tribute for a fallen soldier or missing person. It is a tribute and a silent protest on behalf of Ambassador Evans.

So dear friend, if you are going to march on Monday April 24, 2006... make sure you won't forget tying the Yellow Ribbon in Support of this campaign. Below is the Press-Release of the Campaign.

Press Release

Yellow Ribbon Campaign to Protest
Recall of Ambassador Evans and Genocide Denial


In the end, we will remember not the words
of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

19 April 2006
Yerevan, Armenia – In response to the imminent recall of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans for publicly acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, a “Yellow Ribbon Campaign” has been planned for April 24, 2006. The campaign is also in response to a number of recent instances in which high-ranking foreign diplomats in Armenia have denied the Armenian Genocide.

Organized by Armenian-Americans in Armenia and Friends, a newly created, ad-hoc group based in the Armenian Republic, the grassroots campaign will take place at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan. The monument is dedicated to the 1.5 million victims of the Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish Empire between 1915 and 1923.

On April 24, 2006, when hundreds of thousands of marchers will converge on the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in commemoration of the victims of the Genocide, the Yellow Ribbon Campaign will commence by participants tying yellow ribbons on 100-meter long ropes stretched along the walking path leading to the Genocide Monument.

“During the last number of years, we have witnessed public denials of the Armenian Genocide by several diplomats,” said Paula Devejian, a member of the group. “Such politically motivated actions are offensive and insulting. By attempting to dismiss the indisputable fact of the Armenian Genocide, those engaged in denial insult the memory of the victims, their descendents and the Armenian nation as a whole. In our present-day reality of a free and independent Armenian Republic, Armenians throughout the world feel the pain of denial even more when it’s perpetrated by representatives or leaders of countries that are otherwise acknowledged as friends and allies of Armenia.”

According to Devejian, the Yellow Ribbon Campaign was put into motion following what is widely regarded as the Bush Administration’s retribution against Ambassador Evans for publicly labeling the events in Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century as “genocide”. Soon after the Ambassador’s comments, (made in statements to Armenian-American leaders in February 2005), the U.S. State Department forced Evans to publicly retract his statements and apologize, then coerced the American Foreign Service Association into an unprecedented move of rescinding the prestigious “Constructive Dissent” award he was granted, and now subsequently, the Ambassador is being recalled from his post and forced into early “retirement”.

“It is difficult to see a great ally and friend of Armenia like the U.S. as an objective and unbiased mediator in the Nagorno-Karabagh peace process and Armenian-Turkish relations when our government is subject to Turkish pressure and blackmail, and resorts to censorship. We are amazed that the United States would allow a third country to affect the bilateral relations between itself and Armenia.” said Devejian.

“We believe that the American Government must be the standard bearer of free speech and human rights, and we are concerned that its actions against Ambassador Evans amount to less than an adequate commitment to these principles.”

The newly formed group also cited examples of foreign diplomats denying the Armenian Genocide while holding posts in Armenia, including Israeli Ambassador Rivka Cohen, who in 2002 dissociated the Armenian Genocide from the Jewish Holocaust, thereby questioning the fact of the Genocide; and U.K. Ambassador Thorda Abbott-Watt, who in 2004 denied the Genocide, causing outrage in Armenia and Armenian communities throughout the world.

“Such disrespectful acts against the Armenian people and nation will continue if we do not put an end to the complacent acceptance of such politically motivated diplomatic denial by these countries. States have an obligation to understand that the promotion of democratic values, principles and true freedom come through their own actions and examples,” Devejian explained. “The Yellow Ribbon Campaign is an _expression of protest against Genocide denial and punishment of free speech. It is an impassioned, peaceful call by Armenians from all walks of life for fairness and justice, in both political and humanitarian terms.”

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Armenian Americans in Armenia and Friends
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact e-mail: genocide_ribbon@yahoo.com