Victorian lawmakers call for recognition of 1915 Sayfo Genocide

MELBOURNE — For the first time in 18 years, lawmakers in the Australian state of Victoria have formally raised the issue of the 1915 genocide against Christians in the Ottoman Empire, calling for official recognition of what the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community call the Sayfo.

According to media reports, three members of the Victorian Parliament, all part of the “Friends of Armenia” parliamentary group, brought forward a motion acknowledging the mass killings of Armenians, Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), and Greeks more than a century ago. The initiative aligns with the Australian Green Party’s broader efforts to push for genocide recognition, first introduced in their 2022 policy agenda.

Last November, the Victorian government received 35 official letters from various community groups urging recognition of the Sayfo genocide. Among the petitioners were representatives of the Armenian, Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), Greek, Kurdish, Cypriot, Tamil, Tigrayan, Lebanese, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities.

On 2 April, Hermanz, the chair of the Friends of Armenia parliamentary group, delivered a statement inside the Victorian Parliament, marking the 110th anniversary of the massacres. “The genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire led to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians, 500,000 Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), and 350,000 Greeks between 1915 and 1924,” he said. “After 110 years, it is crucial to commemorate these atrocities and combat efforts to deny them.”

The following day, on 3 April, Kim Wells, a member of the Friends of Armenia group, formally introduced a motion calling for official recognition of the Sayfo genocide during a parliamentary session.

The renewed push for recognition follows a similar effort in 2006, when Jenny Mikakos, then a Labor Party lawmaker, raised the issue in Parliament.

In response to the motion, Peter Stefanidis, president of the Australian Greek Council in Victoria, and Michael Kolokossian, chair of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, expressed their support. Both leaders commended the Friends of Armenia for their dedication, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging historical injustices.

While Australia has yet to officially recognize the Sayfo massacres as genocide, the move by Victorian lawmakers underscores growing momentum for historical recognition in the country’s political landscape.