SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has welcomed a unanimous decision by the Willoughby City Council to pass a motion that properly recognises the Republic of Artsakh, condemns Azerbaijan and Turkey for their aggression, and calls on the "Australian Government to recognise the Republic of Artsakh and its people's rights to self-determination".
The motion, moved by Councillor Stuart Coppock and seconded by Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney, was voted in favour by all councillors of the City of Willoughby, which is home to a large number of Armenian-Australians.
"I moved the motion to express my deep concern and sorrow at current events in Artsakh," Councillor Coppock told ANC-AU following the historic Council meeting, which ensured Willoughby joins
Ryde City Council and the
New South Wales State Legislative Assembly as Australian legislatures who have passed similar motions since the start of Azerbaijan's Turkey-supported and terrorist-fuelled attacks.
ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian thanked the Willoughby councillors for their leadership on this important issue.
"This is a time where the Armenian homeland is facing an existential threat against genocidal dictators openly threatening ethnic cleansing," Kayserian said.
"It is not a time for 'fair weather' friends, and this is why we thank Councillor Coppock, Mayor Giles-Gidney and all Willoughby City councillors who have ensured this motion is passed and our community's call against Australia's silence is heard loud and clear in Canberra," he added.
That Willoughby City Council:
1. Acknowledge its long connection with the Armenian-Australian community and following the resumption of hostilities in the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh and:
a) Condemns the military aggression launched on 27 September 2020 by Azerbaijan and Turkey against the right to self-determination of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh, who have lived on those highlands for millennia;
b) Condemns the indiscriminate shelling and missile attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure of Artsakh in complete violation of international law;
c) Calls on the Australian Government unequivocally to condemn Azerbaijan and Turkey for their aggression;
d) Calls on the Federal Government to request an immediate ceasefire and end to the hostilities;
e) Calls on Azerbaijan and Turkey to respect the OSCE Minsk Group peace process for the Karabakh/Artsakh conflict, in particular the non-use of force and the right to self-determination;
f) Calls on the Australian Government to recognise the Republic of Artsakh;
g) Notes that the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh and its population's right to self-determination is the only permanent solution to the conflict, to avoid further attempts of such military aggression.
2. Hold a minute's silence in honour of those who have lost their lives in the conflict.
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Background on Australian Support
The largest legislative chamber of Australia's largest state, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly recognised the Republic of Artsakh, while condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan's attacks on the country's indigenous population.
While the Australian Government has so far played a bystander's role, public support for Armenia and Artsakh has been offered by Australian politicians at all levels of government and public figures, including parliamentary statements by Trent Zimmerman MP, John Alexander MP and Minister Paul Fletcher MP, along with the co-convenors of the Federal Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union, Federal parliamentarians Senator Kristina Keneally, Tim Wilson MP, Josh Burns MP, Jason Falinski MP and John Alexander MP, as well as New South Wales Member for Prospect Hugh McDermott MP, who wrote a scathing letter to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Australia. NSW Legislative Assembly Speaker Jonathan O'Dea MP expressed his solidarity with the Republic of Artsakh and Northern Beaches Councillor Vincent De Luca and media broadcaster Jon Dee did the same.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade later admitted to Turkey's material support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under Senate Estimates questioning, while the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies called on the Federal Government to take obligatory action as a "signatory to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide", especially after "admitting it is aware of material support from Turkey to Azerbaijan".
The Australian Greens political party released a statement calling out Azerbaijan and Turkey for their aggression, while the The NSW Young Liberals passed a motion reflecting a similar sentiment. Ryde City Council and Willoughby City Council passed motions reaffirming the status of the Republic of Artsakh and condemning Azerbaijan and Turkey for their aggression, while the Greek-Australian, Assyrian-Australian, Pontian-Australian and Kurdish-Australian communities were strong in their public support for Armenia and Artsakh. Another strong statement statement of support has been issued by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
The New South Wales Ecumenical Council, which comprises of 16 churches in the state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, has released a statement calling out Azerbaijan's Turkey-backed attacks on Armenia and Artsakh while calling for diplomatic intervention by the Australian Government.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia have petitioned SBS and petitioned Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as lobbied the ABC and other networks for their unbalanced coverage of the attacks, as well as advocated for support from Government Ministers, including for an investigation into Australian flights made by a cargo airline owned by the family of Azerbaijan's dictatorship, which has past links to transporting arms and support to terrorist mercenaries in the Middle East.
On Saturday 24 October 2020, a Covid-compliant March for Armenians received end-to-end media coverage as Armenian-Australians were joined by various communities to paint Sydney City red, blue and orange while calling for an end to Australia's silence on Azerbaijan's Turkey-backed attacks against the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh.
