Armenian-Australian community appeals to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize the Armenian Genocide

As the 106th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide approaches, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has written an open letter on behalf of Armenian-Australians calling on Prime Mաinister Scott Morrison to recognise the systematic persecution of 1.5 million Armenians, as well as over 1 million Assyrians and Greeks, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

In the letter, the 50,000 strong community urges the Prime Minister to uphold his own beliefs articulated in his speech to Parliament on 26th May 2011, when he said: "Today, as a member of this House, I join others in this place, and in parliaments around the world, to place on record that I believe the Armenian Genocide was one of the greatest crimes against humanity… it is important that we recognise the Armenian genocide for what it was."

We believe that becoming Prime Minister shouldn’t compromise your own values and opinion and it shouldn’t compromise our Australian values standing up for human rights and standing on the right side of history.

The steps taken in the United States of America further demonstrate this shift in Armenian Genocide policy internationally. In 2019 the US House of Representatives and Senate adopted landmark resolutions, affirming the Armenian Genocide and defining Armenian Genocide policy.

This year, President Biden has reaffirmed his commitment to acknowledging the actions of the Ottoman Empire as Genocide. This was not only evident in his campaign promises during the 2020 election but also made clear by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House officials that President Biden will become the first US president to recognise the Armenian Genocide.

We believe that now is the time given that you are not alone. We believe it is essential that the Prime Minister's statement reflects the will of our elected representatives in the Australian Parliament. Like countless nations around the world it is time we reject foreign threats and gag orders imposed by an authoritarian regime.

On behalf of the 50,000 Armenian-Australian's, we urge you to officially characterise the events of 1915 by their true name - Genocide.

Thank you in advance for your consideration, and we look forward to receiving your statement on the occasion of the 106th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.