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SYDNEY: On Monday, 24th April 2023, over 800 Armenian-Australians gathered at the Chatswood Concourse for the Australian National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, joining Armenians from around the world in commemorating the 108th anniversary of the systematic attempt to rid the world of their race by the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Organised by the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, the event hosted a number of key dignitaries, including Kaylar Michaelian - Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh in Australia, Ioannis Mallikourits - Consul General of Greece and Federal parliamentarians Jerome Laxale MP - Member for Bennelong, Paul Fletcher MP - Member for Bradfield and Kylea Tink MP - Member for North Sydney.

From the parliament of Australia's largest state of New South Wales, representatives of the NSW Armenia-Australia Friendship Group were present, including Hugh McDermott MP - Member for Prospect and Tim James MP - Member for Willoughby.

They were joined by many first-time attendees at an Australian National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, including Member for Rockdale Steve Kamper MP - Minister for Small Business, Lands and Property, Multiculturalism and Sport; Mark Coure MP - Member for Oatley, along with newly elected Members of Parliament Jordan Lane MP - Member for Ryde, Matt Cross MP - Member for Davidson and Michael Regan MP - Member for Wakehurst.

Dignitaries also included a long list of Councillors from the City of Ryde, the City of Willoughby and Northern Beaches Council, as well as religious and community leaders from the Assyrian, Greek, Jewish, Hindu and Arab communities.

The audience, which was made up of descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, had the opportunity to hear from the Keynote Guest speaker, Dr Umit Kurt, a historian of the modern Middle East Studies with a special focus on the Armenian Genocide and dispossession of Ottoman Armenians at large.

The event was held under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, and the Armenian Evangelical Church.

The commemoration began with MCs Serly Boujikian and Arsho Abejian delivering powerful opening statements in English and Armenian, a flag ceremony conducted by the Homenetmen Australia Scouts and National Anthems of Australia, Armenia and Artsakh. Uncle Michael West from the NSW Local Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council delivered the Welcome to Country before formalities commenced.



Members of Parliament who joined the Armenian-Australian community to commemorate the solemn occasion delivered messages of solidarity throughout the night, each re-affirming their support for the Armenian-Australian community and accurate recognition of the Armenian Genocide.



Jerome Laxale MP  said: “I thank the Armenian National Committee and the Armenian community, particularly in Bennelong, for their continued advocacy. I will continue to support your efforts to bring justice to the victims and descendants of the Armenian Genocide.”

Paul Fletcher MP remarked: “In 2010, it was an honour to rise in the federal parliament to speak about Mr Arshag Badelian, who was one of the Armenian-Australian community’s last surviving survivors of the Armenian Genocide at that time. Tonight, I am again privileged to share this stage with your community and to pay tribute to Mr Badelian once again and each of the 1.5 million Armenian souls brutally massacred due to evil ideologies.”



Kylea Tink MP, who was attending her first National Armenian Genocide Commemoration, said: “The fact that 108 years on, our modern day government continues to fail to formally acknowledge the actions of that time as acts of genocides remains a source of disappointment for many, including myself. As the local member for North Sydney, I am incredibly proud of our local Armenian-Australian community, and I will absolutely continue to stand by you and tonight, I am proud to continue to the legacy forged by my predecessors who have represented the people of North Sydney calling on Turkey to come to terms with its own history and for Australia to recognise this crime for what it was, genocide.”

Throughout the night, attendees witnessed unique Armenian cultural acts, including songs, dances and poems, reflecting on the strength and determination of the Armenian people.



On behalf of the Premier of New South Wales, newly appointed Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said: “Tonight we come together to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and yes ladies and gentlemen, Genocide.

Kamper added, As the new Minister, I fully support the position taken by the NSW Parliament and its recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and as a Greek Australian, I am acutely aware of the significance of this tragedy.”



Mark Coure MP, speaking on behalf of the Opposition Leader Mark Speakman remarked: “The Armenian Genocide highlights the terrible consequences of letting tyranny remain unchecked and the passion and the power of the speakers here tonight highlights the ongoing intergenerational trauma that this genocide has had. I am proud to be a representative of the NSW Parliament, where we unanimously recognised the Armenian Genocide, and also the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.”



Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian delivered the annual Advocacy Address. In his speech, Kolokossian criticised both major party leaders for failing to use the “word that was coined to describe what happened to the Armenians”.

Kolokossian noted the Armenian-Australian community’s deep frustration over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s failure to deliver consistency with his own statement as Opposition Leader only one year ago.

He noted that whilst the Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton MP, maintained consistency with past statements from his party in Government and Opposition, the Armenian-Australian accepts only accurate characterisation of the Armenian Genocide.

Kolokossian said: “Statements without acknowledgement of genocide as genocide exercise the empty art of euphemism for truth, silence in place of recognition.”

“Friends, we don’t live in an era where we must continue to justify the historical reality of 1915. The question that does remain, is whether the pain of each of you, each of us, of the Armenian-Australian community, is convenient enough to recognise? And whether we can collectively counter diplomatic threats from Turkey by making it more inconvenient to deny than to recognise?”

The commemoration ended with a prayer and blessing from His Eminence Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand.

The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee was pleased to host the first in-person Australian National Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

The member organisations of the organising Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee are the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Hamazkaine, Nor Serount, Homenetmen, Tekeyan, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Missionary Association of Australia, Dkhrouni, AGBU Youth and the Armenian Youth Federation, in addition to Sahagian Sporting Club in Victoria and the Armenian National Committee of Australia Head Office and Branches in Melbourne, Perth and Canberra.