One thousand Armenian-Australians and guests present at the 108th Anniversary National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide were left disappointed after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made major retreats in Canberra\u2019s position on the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whilst it was announced that both Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton failed to utilise the word genocide in their commemorative statements released on 24 April 2023, Mr Dutton maintained his party\u2019s consistency by describing the events that occurred in 1915, including the brutal barbarity of the deportations and murders of 1.5 million Armenians. Mr Albanese walked back his 2022 statement, which deliverd similar descriptions of 1915.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian, who delivered the community\u2019s Advocacy Address, criticised both major party leaders for failing to use the \u201cword that was coined to describe what happened to the Armenians\u201d, he voiced his community\u2019s core frustration at the Prime Minister\u2019s failure to deliver consistency with his own statement as Opposition Leader only one year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2022, as Opposition Leader, Mr Albanese\u2019s statement read, \u201cWe cannot forget the 107 years of suffering of the Armenian people \u2013 resulting from the deportation, massacre and death\u2026 We continue to encourage the Turkish Government to come to terms with the historical facts about the events of 1915.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, his statement for 2023 failed to even touch upon any description of the events that transpired between 1915-1923. This also walks back the last statement from a Prime Minister, when Scott Morrison went into great detail, with many believing use of the word genocide was forthcoming as a final step towards Australia\u2019s recognition of the Ottoman Empire\u2019s systematic attempt to wipe out he Armenian race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast to both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton, an unprecedented 27 Australian parliamentarians sent messages of support to the Armenian National Committee of Australia, accurately reflecting on the solemn anniversary for the Armenian-Australian community, with most calling on Canberra to stand with its allies and recognise the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides for what they were: genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time, statements were received from parliamentarians from six jurisdictions across the country, including the Federal Parliament, and the parliaments of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Statements of support and calls for recognition were received from several Federal Australian parliamentarians, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elected representatives from states and territory jurisdictions also provided messages of support, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ANC-AU Executive Director Michael Kolokossian said; \u201cThe will of elected representatives across Australia is clear – full, unequivocal and accurate recognition of the Armenian Genocide. It is time our country\u2019s leaders take notice and action based on those representing the Australian people that elect them, rather than a foreign dictatorship exporting their oppression by attempting to shape our country\u2019s foreign policy.\u201d
\u201cIt is disappointing that Australia stands opposite 34 of some of its closest allies, bowing to Turkish threats as the country\u2019s leaders fail to mention the word that was literally created to describe and criminalise the massacres of 1915, Genocide.\u201d
\u201cAfter four years of progress, defined by graduating euphemisms carefully crafted by speech writers and signed by Prime Ministers, as well as this Government\u2019s commitment to deliver Indigenous Australians their stolen voices, there was serious hope Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would take that final step forward. Instead he\u2019s opted for a slick moonwalk, which we will vociferously reject and demand correction,\u201d Kolokossian added.
The keynote speaker at the National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide was Dr Umit Kurt, a Turkey-born Middle East lecturer currently based at the University of Newcastle. He detailed the Ottoman Government\u2019s forced and illegal confiscation of Armenian-owned properties following the deportations of 1915, erasing any doubt of the coordinated nature of the Armenian Genocide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One thousand Armenian-Australians and guests present at the 108th Anniversary National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide were left disappointed after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made major retreats in Canberra\u2019s position on the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU). Whilst it was announced that both Mr Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[131,133,397,480],"class_list":["post-21147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-anc-australia","tag-anc-international","tag-397","tag-480"],"yoast_head":"\n