Growing Momentum for Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Genocide Recognition Vote in Victoria, Australia

A wave of over 35 letters from Armenian, Assyrian, Greek, Kurdish, Cypriot, Tamil, Tigray, Lebanese, Indian Hindu, Christian and Islamic community leaders have been addressed to the Premier and Members of Parliament supporting a future motion to recognize the 1915 Genocides, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

The letter from the Victorian Council of Churches President, Rev. Deacon Dr Joseph Leach and Executive Officer, Rev Dr Sandy Boyce called on members of parliament to take a “principled stance” on this issue.

The letter reads: “Recognition of these Genocides is not only important to affirm history but also serves as a means to reconcile the past and provide a sense of closure to the descendants of genocide survivors. In a broader sense, recognition also plays an integral part in preventing future genocides – a view that genocide scholars widely support.”

Armenian National Committee of Australia Michael Kolokossian said, “We are confident that such a motion has overwhelming support in both houses from all sides of politics and that the motion’s passage is simply a matter of time.”

Australian Hellenic Council – Victoria President Peter Stefanidis said: “We know the Victorian Parliament stands for truth and justice and promotes tolerance through banning the use of Nazi insignia and fostering an environment of reconciliation for Indigenous Australians. However, there are certain forces pushing it is a parliament of Genocide denial. It can not be both.’’

Kos Samaras, former assistant state secretary of the Victorian Labor Party has come out in defence of the motion slamming attacks against the Victorian Greens from ‘certain sections’ of the community.

Chris Crewther, the Member for Mornington has also publicly written on X to highlight the broad support for the motion and said, “There are times in politics and life, that one has to have the moral courage to do the right thing, regardless of political considerations or self-interest. That’s why Parliament needs to support the upcoming motion to recognise the genocide of Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians.”

The Joint Justice Initiative spearheading a future motion was launched in February 2020 at Australia’s Parliament House and featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian National Council – Australia (ANC) 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.

Support for the initiative has been expressed through formal letters from:

• Anglican Diocese of Melbourne

• Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia

• Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU)

• Australian Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Advocacy Network

• Assyrian Australian Social Development Club

• Assyrian Church of the East Australia

• Assyrian Democratic Movement

• Assyrian Democratic Organisation

• Assyrian National Council – Australia

• Australian Assyrian Arts and Literature Foundation

• Australian Hellenic Council

• Australian Tigray Alliance

• Beth Nahrain Assyria Association

• Cypriot Community of  Melbourne and Victoria

• Darebin Ethnic Communities Council

• Educational Institution Hellenism of Anatolia

• Federation of Pontian Associations Australia

• Federation of Greek Elderly Citizens

• Food For Thought Network

• Greek Australian Cultural League of Melbourne

• Hellenic Writers Association

• Jewish Hellenic Association of Victoria

• Maronite Eparchy of Australia New Zealand and Oceania

• Pan Australian Justice For Cyprus

• Pansamian Brotherhood of Melbourne Pythagoras

• Pan Macedonian Association of Melbourne and Victoria

• Phoenix the New Generation

• Pontic Educational and Cultural Association of Melbourne Victoria “Akrites Tou Pontou”

• The Australian Federation of Pontian Associations

• The Greek community of Victoria

• The Pan-Epirotic Federation of Australia

• The United Australian Lebanese Movement

• The Young Assyrians

• Return to Anatolia

• Victorian Council of Churches