<< back to archive index Other Speeches Date: 24th April Subject: Armenian Genocide Speech to Armenian Genocide Commemoration Written and delivered by Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans M.B.,B.S., F.R.C.S. (Eng.), M.Appl.Sci (OHS), M.L.C., Leader Australian Democrats New South Wales, Parliament On behalf of the Australian Democrats in NSW, I would like to thank the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I am deeply honoured to be here and commemorate the horrific events between 1915 and 1923 that constituted the first genocide of the 20th century. Beginning on 24th April, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began a centrally planned and systematically executed campaign to annihilate the Armenian people from their ancient homeland. By 1923 over 1.5 million Armenians were killed and hundreds of thousands deported. The legacy of this genocide still lingers on. For the Armenian Diaspora, although becoming respected members of their adopted communities, recognition of the genocide by the international community still evades the families of those who perished almost 90 years ago. Recognition of this brutality and the establishment of a path towards re-conciliation will heal the wounds. Additional progress could be made by deliberately tackling shallow and short-term political "sensitivities" and self-interest. Unfortunately, Australia's own history of white settlement and annexation of the continent with the displacement and even mass murder of Australian Aborigines are tantamount to genocide. These are hard truths, but truths-never-the-less, we must face and apologise, as Turkey must accept and apologise. Australians want be fair and equal. The horrific "ethnic cleansing" of the Balkan conflict in early 1990's" and the International Community's reluctance to intervene was not fair. Thousands of Hutus machetted hundreds of thousands and Tutsi to death in Rwanda, which is a low point of humanity that nobody should ever have to endure again and the world did little. It is unfair that famine and civil war plagues the Sudan and it is not fair that the Australian government stands by and let Indonesia take West Papua's natural resources, terrorising the indigenous population, and expropriate the best land for Javanese settlers. Either we are in the post-colonial era or we are not! Like ANZAC Day, we gather to commemorate and reflect upon the folly and the cruelty man can at times inflict upon his fellow man. Awareness of the Armenian Genocide is growing with among the younger generation, interestingly enough, through a very popular Heavy metal band called 'System Of A Down'. The four members of Los Angeles based Grammy Award-winning band System of a Down, are all of Armenian decent and all personally lost family members and family history to the Armenian Genocide. In an recent interview on the bands website, band member Doran Malakian said "Because so much of my family history was lost in the Armenian Genocide. My grandfather, who was very young at the time, doesn't know his true age. How many people can say they don't know how old they are?" They have established to Gomidas Institute committed to raising awareness of the events of 1915 under the Ottoman Turkey and persuading governments to recognise those events as genocide. The System of A Down website links millions of fans world wide to organisations such as to the Armenian National Committee of America, the Gomidas Institute (UK), and even the AYAS nautical research club, a historical association established for Armenian ship building and navigation. The vocalist Serj Tankian believes that "It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide. Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against Humanity as it was, Hitler might not have thought he could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle." Truer words could not have been said. Beginning today, the Armenian National Committee of America will start a three-day campaign in Washington DC to urge Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and other Congressional leaders to end their complicity in Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide. So tonight I ask that we all reflect upon the circumstances leading up to genocides. Genocides are directed at internal minorities. Religious, racial and ethnic groups are targeted, and there is a process of scapegoating and depersonalising the target. And I urge you that we all have to remain vigilant and make sure it never happens again! West Papua might be a good place to start. We must take a strong line to stop another East Timor type massacre."

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