By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier Last week, we reported in this column the announcement of the British Ambassador to Armenia, Thorda Abbott-Watt, that she would be absent from Yerevan on April 24, while Armenians are commemorating the 89th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. She said in an e-mail that she would return to Armenia on April 26. We attributed her absence to her possible intent to avoid joining the diplomatic corps in Armenia on April 24 in laying a wreath in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Genocide Memorial Monument in Yerevan. At the last minute, however, Amb. Abbott-Watt changed her plans. She returned to Yerevan earlier than scheduled and managed to place a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Monument on April 24. Regardless of what prompted her to return to Armenia earlier than planned, we are pleased that she had an opportunity to place a wreath at the Genocide Monument with the following inscription: "We Will Remember Them - British Embassy." In an e-mail she sent on April 26, she explained her actions as follows: "Successive British Ambassadors have accepted the Armenian Government's annual invitation to lay a wreath at the memorial in Yerevan on 24 April. Whatever our differences on terminology, we have all felt a deep sympathy with the Armenian people on this sad day, and chosen to be there in person if we are in the country." Even though she still refers to the Genocide Monument as just "the memorial," we view her presence there on April 24 as an implied acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. We also noted among others the presence of U.S. Ambassador John Ordway at the Genocide Monument in Yerevan. He kindly paid his respects on April 24 to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, even though his government, just like Britain's, refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide! The kind gestures of these two Ambassadors re-confirm our initial position that our quarrel is not with these diplomats who are doing their job to the best of their abilities. Their presence at the Genocide Monument reflects their personal sympathy for the plight of the Armenians despite the denialist positions of their own governments.

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