Australian-Armenian community to hold marches for justice on Genocide Remembrance Day
09:36,
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian community in Australia will hold a march for justice on April 24 – the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, in the Sydney and Melbourne Squares. The marches will be held jointly with the representatives of the Greek and Assyrian communities.
Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia Hayk Gayserian told Armenpress that the purpose of the upcoming march is to urge the Australian authorities to recognize the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks perpetrated by Turkey.
“Our goal is to deliver to the Australian authorities that recognizing the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, perpetrated by Turkey in 1915, is an important and strong necessity for our communities. Like more than 30 countries, international organizations, the different states of Australia have also recognized the Armenian Genocide, and the government of Australia should also do that”, Hayk Gayserian said.
He informed that this year’s April 24th march will also touch upon the current situation in Artsakh. It will be presented in a context that the actions of Aliyev’s administration against the people of Artsakh are the continuation of the same genocide.
“Those actions have been done against Armenians because Turkey’s crimes are still left unpunished. We consider this impunity the main reason that countries like Azerbaijan and Turkey are trying to carry out such actions against Armenians”, the ANC Australia Executive Director said.
The commemoration events will continue also on April 26. A commemoration event is scheduled that day, during which members of the Parliament of Australia will deliver speeches. There will be representatives from the two major political parties of the country. They will call on their government to recognize the 1915 genocide. The event will be held online. Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan will also deliver a speech on the impunity of the genocide which affected the people of Artsakh.
Asked what is the probability that the government of Australia will recognize the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians, Hayk Gayserian said there is progress and they will continue the works on this direction. At this stage the situation is that the Parliament of Australia adopted a resolution, calling on the government to recognize the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks. The Australian Parliament had its say on the issue of the Genocide.
“The Parliament represents the whole society, therefore we can state that the people are ready for the recognition, it remains for the executive power to do that. It either should follow the call of its people and recognize the Genocide or become the subject of the dictatorial leadership of Turkey, which is exerting external pressure on the Australian government”, he said, recalling the 2021 April 24th speech of the Australian PM where he talked about the 1915 events, the deportation of Armenians without using the term genocide. According to Gayserian, it’s the time for the next step.
Hayk Gayserian said Australia is on the eve of new elections. The elections of the Federal Parliament will be held on May 21, the incumbent PM tends to be re-elected. According to him, the elections are an occasion to touch upon the issue of the Genocide, although there could be reasons between the leadership and the opposition.
“Of course, our call must be to use the term genocide in the commemoration speeches. If the April 24th speeches do not address the Genocide as we expect, we will clarify the positions of the two parties on this matter from April 24 up to the May 21st elections. Armenians will vote in favor of those who are ready to recognize the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians”, Hayk Gayserian said.
Interview by Anna Gziryan