BRUSSELS — On January 24 Armenia’s Ambassador Tigran Balayan participated in the solemn commemoration ceremony at the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, marking the remembrance of genocide victims. The event follows the resolution adopted by the Chamber in December 2020, which established a national day of remembrance for officially recognized genocides.
Belgium officially recognizes five genocides: the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the genocide in Cambodia, the Srebrenica massacre and the Rwandan genocide.
The ceremony featured addresses by Peter De Roover, President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and Michel De Maegd, Member of the Chamber and lead author of the 2020 resolution. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and the North Sea, Paul Van Tigchelt, was also in attendance. Both speakers highlighted the importance of remembrance, vigilance, and global cooperation in preventing future genocides.
Journalists and genocide scholars addressed topics such as “How to Interrupt the Cycle of Violence?” and “The Duty of Vigilance in the Face of Genocide: Detecting Warning Signs”․
The event underscored the ongoing commitment to remembering genocide victims and strengthening international efforts to combat impunity and prevent future atrocities.
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So the Belgian Chamber of Representatives does not “recognize” the millions who died in Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908 under the absolute rule of Leopold II, “King of the Belgians,” as a genocide? Adam Hochschild has estimated that that death toll was 10 million. If so, then why should Armenians feel proud to have been represented at this “solemn commemoration ceremony”?