Australian State MP Hugh McDermott introduces motion in NSW Parliament condemning Azerbaijan and pan-Turkism

Dr. Hugh McDermott MP has introduced a motion in the Parliament of Australia’s largest state of New South Wales, condemning Azerbaijan’s provocative attacks against Armenia’s border and calling on the Federal Government of Australia to do the same, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

The Member for Prospect, who is a high-profile member of the NSW Armenia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, requested the NSW Legislative Assembly resolves that Azerbaijan’s actions against Armenia proves “their blatant disregard of international law by breaking their ceasefire agreement”.

McDermott, who visited the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh as part of ANC-AU’s Federal-led delegation in 2019, noted Armenian-Australian community concerns of Azerbaijan’s “attacks on Armenia’s border town of Tavush and threatened attacks on the nuclear power plant at Metzamor”, adding condemnation of “the actions of President Erdogan of Turkey and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan in their pursuit of a policy of Pan-Turkish nationalism which has previously led to genocide”.

McDermott’s motion concluded with a call “on the Federal Government to condemn these attacks and advocate their support for the safety and security of Armenia”.

The motion will be debated at a future parliamentary sitting date, to be determined.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) thanked McDermott for taking this “significant step” to ensure the “chorus of condemnation” of Azerbaijan’s provocations by Australian politicians continues to grow.

“Dr. McDermott is a champion of human rights causes and never afraid to call out an aggressor,” said ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian. “We are grateful he has done this again by singling out both Baku and Ankara for their actions and threats against Armenia and Artsakh,” said Kayserian.

On 12 July 2020, the Azerbaijani military began attacks on the Republic of Armenia’s sovereign borders, targeting the town of Tavush and its surrounding villages. With the current death toll at 16 (and possibly higher due to Azerbaijan’s notorious lack of free press and transparency), Azerbaijan has effectively sparked the biggest ceasefire breach between the countries since the 2016 Four Day War, which was also initiated by Azerbaijan as an attempted failed blitzkrieg.

With complete disregard for the United Nations Secretary General’s plea for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic, Azerbaijani leadership over the past ten days have continued their aggressive ‘attack, blame, repeat’ modus operandi, using attack drones, tanks and artillery to target and fire upon civilian targets, endangering Armenian men, women and children in the process of striking a PPE manufacturing factory and kindergarten.

Before McDermott’s motion in NSW Parliament, Federal Australian parliamentarians Tim Wilson MP, Jason Falinski MP and Senator Kristina Keneally, as well as Trent Zimmerman MP and Joel Fitzgibbon MP – the co-convenors of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union (Friendship Group) and Jonathan O’Dea MP and Walt Secord MLC – the chair and vice-chair of the NSW Armenia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, all publicly condemned Baku’s aggression and declaring solidarity with Yerevan.

The Armenian-Australian community held a protest at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Canberra on Friday, demanding Australian and international condemnation of Azerbaijan’s aggression.

The ANC-AU has also written to the Australian Government requesting their outright condemnation of Azerbaijan’s threat against Armenia’s nuclear power plant and their provocative military attacks under the cover of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.