UCLA’s undergraduate student government passed a divestment resolution against Israel two weeks ago, and now Armenian students are working on a resolution asking the UC system to divest from Turkey, the Daily Bruin reports:
From 1915 until 1923, Turkish authorities massacred about 1.5 million Armenians in the then-crumbling Ottoman Empire, leading to the seizure of Armenian land and forcing a diaspora of the Armenian people.
“This resolution is economic with a political end,” said Sevana Manukian, a fourth-year human biology and society student and a member of the Armenian Students’ Association. “We want (the Republic of Turkey) to recognize a historical tragedy.”
They say it’s not timed to build on the momentum from the Israel divestment vote:
The group decided to bring the resolution forward now because of the centennial anniversary of the genocide, said Natalie Kalbakian, a third-year political science student and external vice president of the Armenian Students’ Association.
In 2012, USAC passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide and condemning its denial. The Armenian Students’ Association’s resolution aims to take this motion a step further toward more assertive action against the Republic of Turkey.
The UC system’s retirement plan and general endowment pool have “a base market value totaling more than $65 million” in Turkish bonds, the Daily Bruin said.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council will hear from the Armenian group on Tuesday.
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