CANBERRA: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has appealed to Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, calling on the Federal Government to unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s attacks against the internationally recognised sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
On Tuesday 12 September 2022 at 12:05am local time, Azerbaijan launched unprovoked and indiscriminate attacks against civilian settlements and civilian infrastructure inside the Republic of Armenia. Although the international community, including the United States of America and France, has stood up in defence of Armenia, the Australian Government remains silent and has failed to release a statement denouncing the illegal violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity.
For over a week, the Armenian-Australian community have mobilised, contacting the Foreign Affairs Minister’s office and reported to the ANC-AU that their appeals have been met with silence.
In their letter to Minister Wong, the ANC-AU urged her government to call on Azerbaijan to withdraw from Armenian territories, immediately cease its aggression and withdraw its forces to their original positions before the incursion.
This appeal also follows calls by
Senator Simon Birmingham, Australia’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, who joined colleagues in Federal, State and Local Government, by calling on Canberra to “signal clear and unambiguous support for the protection of Armenian civilians and civilian infrastructure" following Azerbaijan’s bombardment of villages inside Armenia’s sovereign borders.
The ANC-AU also highlighted to Minister Wong the extensive condemnation by allies in the international community who have outright recognised the only aggressor in this conflict as Azerbaijan, most recently from the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who called out Baku’s instigation of violence against Armenia’s sovereignty during her ongoing visit to Yerevan.
Significantly, the ANC-AU voiced concern regarding Azerbaijan’s act of barbarism and cruelty as footage released by members of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces depicts Armenian female military servicewomen being violated, dismembered and mutilated, a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
ANC-AU Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian said: “Australia’s silence is bordering on complicity in Azerbaijan’s violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity and human rights. This silence provides Azerbaijan with a green light to continue its barbaric invasion into the borders of Armenia, as they are recognised by the Commonwealth of Australia.”
“This new wave of aggression is not unprecedented. Time and again, we have seen the warmongering policies of dictator Ilham Aliyev on display, yet Australia seems to be selective in condemning military aggression and human right violations by certain regimes in certain parts of the world.”
“Our community demands the Australian Government immediately and unequivocally stands in solidarity with a country that is hailed as a beacon of democracy in the Caucasus region. It is time Australia names the aggressor,” added Kolokossian. “We cannot afford to be selective in denouncing military aggression. To appease one aggressor is to appease and encourage all aggressors''.
