about AYF about AYF Juniors about AYF Alumni

AYF Action Alert: Support Mikakos


Dear friends of the AYF,

BACKGROUND

Victorian Member of Parliament, Ms Jenny Mikakos has come under heavy criticism for calling on the Turkish government to recognise the Genocide committed by their predecessors against the Pontian Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians.


The Armenian National Committee of Australia has reacted to newspaper reports calling the issues she brings forth an attempt to "revive old conflicts" by addressing a letter to The Age Editor.

The Armenian Youth Federation of Australia has written a letter to Ms Mikakos, supporting her efforts in bringing Turkey's attrocious human rights record to Victorian State Parliament, considering the 1.5million Armenian civilians who fell to the Ottoman Turkish sword in the first Genocide of the 20th Century.


ACTION

Please send Ms Mikakos an email at jenny.mikakos@parliament.vic.gov.au thanking her for supporting the recognition of the Armenian, Pontian Greek and Assyrian Genocides.

Send a copy (CC) of your email to The Age (letters@theage.com.au) and Herald Sun (hsletters@heraldsun.com.au) newspapers.


EXAMPLE

The following is AYF Australia's letter to Ms Jenny Mikakos:

To: jenny.mikakos@parliament.vic.gov.au
Cc: letters@theage.com.au; hsletters@heraldsun.com.au

Armenian Youth Federation of Australia
PO Box 238, Willoughby, NSW Australia 2068
publicaffairs@ayfaustralia.com
www.ayfaustralia.com


Dear Ms Jenny Mikakos,

As unwavering believers of human rights, the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia wishes to thank you for taking just action by bringing to the attention of the Victorian State Parliament the Genocide committed by Turkey against our Armenian ancestors, as well as those committed against the Assyrians and Pontian Greeks.

In 1997, your colleagues in the New South Wales State Parliament voted unanimously to declare April 24 day of remembrance for the victims of the Armenian Genocide. That same Labor government, again with bi-partisan support, also erected a monument in the State Parliament garden in memory of the 1.5million civilians slaughtered in the first Genocide of the 20th Century.

The negative press and comments you have received during and since making your speech have been unqualified, but typically consistent with the denialist Turkish government’s regime.

The evidence of the Armenian Genocide occurring is undeniable and impenetrable. The evidence is enough for countless governments and organisations from around the world to call on Turkey to accept the wrongdoings of its predecessors.

In 1998, the evidence was enough for over 150 distinguished international scholars (including genocide scholars) and writers such as Harold Pinter, Norman Mailer, Yehuda Bauer, John Updike and Arthur Miller, in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the U.N. Genocide Convention, to sign a open letter entitled "We Commemorate the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and Condemn the Turkish Government's Denial of this Crime Against Humanity".

Ms Mikakos, we support your fight for recognition. ‘A crime unpunished is a crime encouraged’, and your action in Parliament has gone some way to raising awareness to ensure the crimes against the Armenians, Assyrians and Pontian Greeks by the oppressive Ottoman Turkish government are punished, and for the good of humanity, never repeated.

Yours sincerely,

Haig Kayserian
Public Affairs Chairperson
Armenian Youth Federation of Australia
publicaffairs@ayfaustralia.com
www.ayfaustralia.com