AUSTRALIA: More senators come to the support of recognition of Sayfo Genocide of 1915

SYDNEY, Australia – Australian senators Larissa Waters and Pat Dodson expressed their support for recognition of the Genocide in 1915 against Armenians, Syriacs and Greeks. Australian Greens senator for Queensland Larissa Waters put her signature to the Joint Justice Initiative in which the Australian government is asked to recognize the Genocide on the three peoples in the Ottoman Empire. Aboriginal leader Senator Pat Dodson also signed the Affirmation of Support backing the Joint Justice Initiative.

In February this year, the Armenian National Committee of Australia, the Assyrian Universal Alliance and Australian Hellenic Council launched the Joint Justice Initiative in the Australian Parliament with a Memorandum of Understanding with the goal of collecting signatures for recognition of the genocide that the Ottoman Empire executed against Syriacs, Armenians and Greeks during the First World War.

The Joint Justice Initiative has so far got the the support of Australian senators Andrew Bragg, Larissa Waters and Senator Pat Dodson, and Members of Parliament Jason Falinski, Josh Burns, John Alexander and Bob Katter. More senators and MPs are expected to sign Affirmation of Support.

Syriacs (Chaldeans-Arameans-Assyrians) call the Genocide of 1915 in Syriac “Sayfo” or “Year of the Sword”.