01 05 2009 -Sydney’s Armenian Community

Commemorates the Armenian Genocide
Armenians all around the world, both in Armenia and the Diaspora, commemorate the death of 1.5 million Armenians exterminated during the first genocide of the 20th century by Ottoman Turkey.
This year, the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide has particularly significant meaning because it coincides with the 100th Anniversary of Adana massacres where an estimated 30,000 Armenians in the province were killed in events that coincided with the April 1909 counter-revolution stages by supporters of Sultan Abdul Hamid II who had been forced to restore the Ottoman Constitution as a result of the 1908 Young Turk revolution.
The Sydney Armenian community came together on Sunday 19th of April 2009 for the annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. The annual commemoration is organised by the Armenian Democratic Liberal Organisation, the Hunchak Social Democratic Organisation and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and is supported by Sydney based Armenian religious, cultural,benevolent, educational, media, and sporting organisations.
The key note speaker at this year’s commemoration was Melbourne-based scholar, Dr. Paul Bartrop who joined political figures, representatives and members of Sydney’s Armenian community in commemorating the 94th Anniversary of the Turkish campaign to annihilate the entire Armenian nation.
Represented at the commemoration were the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, as well as the Leader of the Federal Opposition, the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull MP. Also represented at the commemoration were the Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales, Mr. Barry O’Farrell MP and the New South Wales Greens Party.
Both the statement sent by Prime Minister Rudd and the address made on behalf of Mr. Turnbull referred to what took place in 1915 as “tragic events” and expressed their solidarity and support to the Australian Armenian community Dr. Paul Bartrop told the gathered audience that the lack of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide in 1915 laid the platform for other genocides to take place throughout the 20th century and even today. According to the guest speaker, Genocides occurred throughout history because “the determination of evil to do evil was always much stronger than good to do good”. In the end, he called on Mr. Rudd and the Australian Federal Government to follow the state governments of NSW and South Australia in recognising the Armenian Genocide While welcoming the South Australian Parliament's Legislative Council recent recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the growing number of countries who have officially acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, Archbishop Aghan
Baliozian expressed his concern in relation to some politicians’ statements questioning the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide. His Eminence criticised some factions within the community who have accepted Senator Alan Ferguson’s qualified apology in a futile attempt to claim so called wins. He then added that as a leader of the Armenian community in Australia, His Eminence unequivocally refuses to accept the Senator’s apology drawing a thunderous applause from the attendees.
The Armenian Rights Council of Australia joins Archbishop Baliozian in rejecting hollow and insincere apologies and on this day of mourning and reflection, as we pay our respects to history and look to the future for healing, let us demand justice with one voice and a common understanding that such a page in history should never be forgotten nor allowed to repeat itself.
Armenian Rights Council
Sydney Australia
PO BOX 462, Ryde NSW, 2112 Australia, Tel & Fax (02) 98097290
Email:ARCAustralia@hotmail.com
24 April 2009
PRESS RELEASE

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