CANBERRA: Federal Senator for South Australia, Sarah Hanson-Young has joined calls from the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities for national recognition of the 1915 Genocide committed against their ancestors by the Ottoman Empire, by signing an Affirmation of Support backing the Joint Justice Initiative.
The
February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia's Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia's recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.
Hanson-Young, who in 2008 became the youngest woman elected to Federal Parliament at 25, chairs the Senate References Committee on Environment and Communications, and has been a prominent campaigner for refugees throughout her career in public life.
Her Australian Greens has a party position calling for for Federal Australian recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and Hanson-Young's addition to the Joint Justice Initiative continues the development of a growing bipartisan caucus across both Houses of Australia's Parliament in support of truth and justice on the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides.
"We Armenian-Australians, Assyrian-Australians and Greek-Australians thank Senator Sarah Hanson-Young for adding her significant voice to Australian recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides," said Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.
"It is time Australia joins the righteous nations in standing for truth and justice on this issue, and Senator Hanson-Young's advocacy will add to our hopes of achieving that goal."
The Joint Justice Initiative has so far announced the support of Hanson-Young,
Senator Hollie Hughes,
Senator Rex Patrick,
Mike Freelander MP,
Senator Eric Abetz,
Senator Larissa Waters,
Senator Pat Dodson,
Jason Falinski MP,
Josh Burns MP,
John Alexander MP,
Senator Andrew Bragg and
Bob Katter MP, with a promise of more announcements to come.
On 25th February 2020, over 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognise the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
More information here.
