Students join advocacy efforts against Foreign Minister of Australia
Source: armenia.com.au | Saturday, 02 August 2014
SYDNEY: Armenian students, including year 11 students from Galstaun
College, have joined in the advocacy efforts of the Armenian National
Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) by criticizing the recent
remarks by Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, who explicitly
denied the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide.
In a letter addressed to the Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance,
Bishop extraordinarily denied the historical reality of the first
genocide of the 20th century by stating “we, do not however, recognise
these events as ‘genocide’.” This outright denial, according to the
Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia), “takes
Australia almost as far back as Turkey on this issue”.
In strongly worded letters penned by high school-aged students, a call
was made for the Foreign Minister to correct the Australian
government’s flawed position.
Galstaun College student, Shant Baghoomian, calls out the
contradiction made by the Foreign Minister.
He writes: “You claim that ‘the long standing and clear approach of
the Australian Government has been not to become involved in this
sensitive debate’. Clearly, your comments demonstrate a government
stance on the issue as you attempt to appease the Australian Turkish
Advocacy Alliance.”
Sarine Soghomonian reminds the Foreign Minister “The Armenian Genocide
isn’t a political bargaining chip Minister Bishop. It must be
recognised by the international community and must be condemned by the
world!”
Executive Director of the ANC Australia, Vache Kahramanian, thanked
students who took the time to write to the Foreign Minister. He
remarked: “I thank students who have joined in the community in
criticising the Australian government’s flawed position in denying the
Armenian Genocide.”
In addition to these letters, and others from constituents in Prime
Minister Tony Abbott’s electorate, an online letter drive initiated by
ANC Australia has attracted over 500 complaint emails to Bishop’s
inbox.
Copies of two of the student letters can be read below:
LETTER FROM 15-YEAR-OLD SARINE SOGHOMONIAN
Dear Minister Bishop,
My name is Sarine Soghomonian; I am 15 years old, and I’m a Year 9
student at Wenona School in North Sydney. I write to you in relation
to your misguided statement, explicitly denying the Armenian Genocide,
which is uncharacteristic of Australian governments, your global
allies and is deeply insulting and hurtful to the Armenian-Australian
community.
I am a proud second generation Australian/Armenian and my family and I
have been loyal Liberal supporters for the past 45 years and in those
45 years my grandparents, my parents and I have seen nothing more
appalling than what you have done; extraordinarily denying the
historical reality of the first genocide of the 20th century, the
Armenian genocide, by stating “we, do not however, recognise these
events as ‘genocide’.” Please explain to me Minister Bishop what you
recognise as genocide? Both I, and Dictionary.com define it as ‘the
deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a
particular nation or ethnic group’; and Ms Bishop, if the systematic
massacre of 1.5 million Christian Armenians stolen land and death
marches are not considered factors in which makes themselves
considered a ‘genocide’ then please tell me what does. The fact that
you repeatedly refer these murderous atrocities as the “Armenian Case”
is even more infuriating and offensive to the Australian-Armenian
community.
I have read report after report, thinking that a representative from
the government in which my family has entrusted our lives with could
not have been able to make such a comment like this. Australia does
have the capability and political stamina to define the systematic
massacre of 1.5 Armenians, but I do understand that you don’t want to
detriment your current political alliance with Turkey (just like other
nations) but in you denying us of our history is not the way to do so.
Minister Bishop you should not be speaking about such a controversial
matter when it seems as if you know nothing of the topic. The day will
come Minister Bishop, when the world’s ignorance and selfish desires
will end and we, the Armenian community will get the victory in which
is not a victory at all, as we are still the nation who suffered from
everything. We are not targeting ourselves, or the older generations
as victims, but rather we are the people who seek justice and when
that day comes, we will then be able to properly mourn the 1.5 million
lives that were lost from 1915-1917. If you are going to acknowledge
and put your opinion on any political event that occurred in the past,
you have to do it correctly or to not involve yourself at all
something in which I assume the Foreign Minister, being yourself would
understand completely.
The international community, including some of Australia’s closest
allies such as the United States, have never used such harsh language
or ever stated to this extent such explicit denial of the historical
reality of the Armenian Genocide. I acknowledge that some nations
don’t take positions on this topic at all, while others use euphemisms
in place of the word “genocide”, including your predecessors, but none
explicitly state their nation’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, which
according to the International Association of Genocide Scholars, is
equivalent to denying the Holocaust. I do not condone these other
euphemistic positions, but the position that you have stated is
intolerable to Armenian-Australians – most of whom are direct
descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. My great
grandparents were all victims from this horrible event that now seems
to be defining who Armenians are as a race, how can Australia’s moral
conscience become so corrupted and cold-hearted?
This letter was to not to critique your work as I am sure it can be a
burden a lot of the time, but I could not continue to idly sit by and
watch conflict constantly arise; I wanted to write to you, letting you
know the perspective of an Armenian Australian fifteen year old
female, who’s family was directly affected by the massacre of our
people. The attempt to wipe-out this dark chapter in history is
inexcusable and once again demonstrates that Australia’s foreign
policy is being silenced by our nation’s ally, Turkey. Your statement
goes far beyond the norm of the international community in dealing
with this issue.
Your actions represent both a grave offence to Armenian-Australians,
and a disservice to all Australians, who expect that our nation’s
leadership, when confronting genocide, should never have been reduced
to a political issue that can be traded away, retreated from due to
pressure, or be used to advance a political agenda, of any kind.
Australia’s stand against all instances of genocide should be
unconditional.
The Armenian Genocide isn’t a political bargaining chip Minister
Bishop it must be recognised by the international community and must
be condemned by the world! What universe do we live in where murder is
acceptable.
In conclusion, I beg you to reconsider and to be a bit more remorseful
when you’re dealing with a sensitive topic such as this; you are in
your elected position to represent the Australian people and in my
opinion and in the opinion of the Australian-Armenian community, you
are at the moment not doing a very good job at it. I also pray that
you have it in your heart to apologise to the Armenian community in
not only Australia, but globally as well.
Regards,
Sarine Soghomonian
LETTER FROM YEAR 11 STUDENT, SHANT BAGHOOMIAN
Dear Julie Bishop,
I would like to express my strong dissatisfaction and disappointment
in the views you expressed in your letter to the Australian Turkish
Advocacy Alliance where you deny recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
As a young Australian and proud Armenian, I find your comments
unacceptable and implore you to rethink your decision and statement in
not defining the Armenian case as genocide. Your stance should
represent the realities of history and should not be based on lies,
deceit and political opportunism. At a time where countries such as
Australia should be recognising the genocide, your recent policy
change contradicts history and fails to comply with nations such as
Canada, France, Germany and Italy who have recognised the Armenian
Genocide despite pressure from the Turkish government. With the
Parliament of New South Wales and South Australia passing a motion in
condemning the genocide the expectation was that the Federal
Government would follow suit. Your stance regarding the Genocide is
surprising and disappointing and reverses the hard work of your fellow
parliamentarians who have pursued justice by recognising the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.
In your maiden speech to parliament, you make reference to the
increasing sense of disillusionment Australians have with their
politicians and an increasing level of mistrust of government. Your
actions as Foreign Minister in denying the Armenian Genocide reinforce
this disillusionment as you turn a blind eye to the Turkish injustices
of the past. As Foreign Minister, you have a responsibility to ensure
that Australia continues its tradition of being an advocate for human
rights and justice. Sadly, your comments undermine the work of your
predecessors and disrespect the one and a half million Armenians who
were brutally murdered. As Foreign Minister, you must understand that
our nation’s ideals and values are not for sale and as Foreign
Minister you must understand the responsibility you have in ensuring
that Australia recognises the Genocide.
By commenting on the Armenian Genocide, you contradict the statement
that you made in your letter to Mr Ozen where you claim that ‘the long
standing and clear approach of the Australian Government has been not
to become involved in this sensitive debate’. Clearly, your comments
demonstrate a government stance on the issue as you attempt to appease
the Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance. The use of legal loopholes
by such organisations in attempting to achieve public advocacy is one
which the Turkish government and its associated organisations have
based on self-interest, fear and denial of what is just.
Both the Turkish and Australian governments have forged a strong
relationship through their shared history of Gallipoli. While I
appreciate the deep bond this has created between the two nations, it
is paramount that this relationship not dictate the actions of our
politicians who are concerned that any recognition of the Armenian
Genocide will threaten the Anzac ceremony at Gallipoli. With the
centenary commemoration of Gallipoli approaching next year, it is
important that we embrace the Anzac Legend and the sacrifices of
Australian soldiers which laid the foundations of our national
identity. However, this should not come at the cost of our values,
beliefs and ideals.
Next year not only represents the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign,
but also marks the centenary of the Armenian Genocide and the loss of
one and a half million Armenians. On the eve of the centenary, your
comments demonstrate a complete lack of respect as you fail to
recognise and honour the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Reports
from Anzac soldiers regarding Turkish atrocities should only help
reinforce Australia’s position in recognising such crimes against
humanity. As the centenary of the genocide approaches, Armenians
around the world continue to mourn and suffer from the actions of the
Turkish government.
I ask that you immediately reverse your stance on the Armenian
Genocide which is based on political gain and not historical truth.
This unacceptable position must be corrected and I hope you have the
decency to acknowledge your wrong doing and recognise and honour the
victims of the Armenian Genocide.
Regards,
Shant Baghoomian
Galstaun College
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