SYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) has received a response to their Open Letter to Federal Member for Bennelong, the Hon. Maxine McKew MP regarding her failure as yet to honour her pre-election pledge to "unequivocally and publically" advocate for Armenian Genocide recognition.

ANC Australia had written to Ms McKew on 18 November, citing her address in Parliament last month where she referred to the Armenian Genocide with euphemisms such as "mass killings", "tragedy", "misery" and "deportations".

Ms McKew wrote to ANC Australia (letter published below) on 24 November, stating she was the "subject of a public campaign of misinformation". She further objected that her constituency address in Parliament (click here to read) last month was not published in its entirety, and therefore omitted from it was her "specific mention of 'mass killings and deportation'".

ANC Australia, in their latest response (published below) on 26 November, has sought to clarify their position.

The letter reads: "...our objection is in relation to your avoidance of the use of the term 'genocide' in describing the Armenian Genocide.

"Instead, as you rightly point out in your response, you have utilised euphemisms such as 'mass killings', 'tragedy', 'misery' and 'deportations'.

"...these euphemisms and their intent in avoiding the use of the term ‘genocide' are offensive to your constituents."

The letter continues: "Our community remains unconvinced that you are fulfilling your election promise to 'unequivocally and publically' advocate for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia, when you have neither called for recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Parliament or at an ‘Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening' in the two years since you have been elected.

"Thus our request remains consistent with your pre-election promise, your moral conviction and the collective will of your community. Our expectation is, as the elected Federal Member for Bennelong, you unequivocally and publically affirm the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide by referring to it as the Armenian Genocide."

ANC Australia President, Mr. Varant Meguerditchian said he looks forward to meeting again with Ms McKew to clarify the issue.

He said: "Ms McKew has either misunderstood the issue at hand or misinterpreted the sensitivities this subject has on her constituent community."

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ANC Australia response - 26 November, 2009

The Hon. Maxine McKew MP
Member for Bennelong
Level 3, 230 Victoria Road
Gladesville NSW 2111

RE: RESPONSE TO OUR OPEN LETTER

Dear Ms McKew,

Thank you for your response and for affirming that our meeting was cordial. We expect that all meetings, held between ANC Australia members and elected members of Parliament, are cordial.

Further, we thank you for acknowledging that both representatives of our delegation expressed concerns about the Armenia-Turkey Protocols and the joint commission suggested within. We will also be pleased to publish your statement in its entirety.

Our objection is not in relation to those parts of the statement which focus on reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey. Rather, our objection is in relation to your avoidance of the use of the term ‘genocide' in describing the Armenian Genocide.

Instead, as you rightly point out in your response, you have utilised euphemisms such as "mass killings", "tragedy", "misery" and "deportations".

This falls well short of your 2007 Election pledge to "unequivocally and publically" advocate for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia.

In fact, the use of these euphemisms in describing what the International Association of Genocide Scholars has declared a foremost example of ‘genocide' is viewed by our community as a deliberate action of issue-avoidance. Moreover, these euphemisms and their intent in avoiding the use of the term ‘genocide' are offensive to your constituents.

Our community remains unconvinced that you are fulfilling your election promise to "unequivocally and publically" advocate for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia, when you have neither called for recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Parliament or at an ‘Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening' in the two years since you have been elected.

Thus our request remains consistent with your pre-election promise, your moral conviction and the collective will of your community. Our expectation is, as the elected Federal Member for Bennelong, you unequivocally and publically affirm the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide by referring to it as the Armenian Genocide.

It seems your suggestion that we are leading a "public campaign of misinformation" is either the result of a misunderstanding of the issue at hand, or a misinterpretation of the sensitivities this subject has on your constituent community.

We are happy to clarify these issues, as we have in the past, by meeting with you at your electorate office.

Sincerely,

[Signed]

Varant Meguerditchian
President

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The Hon. Maxine McKew's response - 24 November, 2009

Mr Varant Meguerditchian - President
Armenian National Committee of Australia Inc.
PO Box 768 Willoughby NSW 2068

24 November 2009

RESPONSE TO OPEN LETTER FROM ANC AUSTRALIA INC.

Dear Mr Meguerditchian,

I wish to strongly rebut a number of claims you have made in your open letter of the 18th of November on behalf of the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

I have and continue to advocate strongly on behalf of Armenian-Australians in my electorate.

As you are aware I met with Ara Papian and Vicken Kalloghlian at Parliament House in Canberra last Tuesday the 17th of November.

It was a cordial meeting in which both members of the delegation thanked me for my support and my constituency statement in Parliament on Thursday the 29th of October.

We spoke extensively about the historic accord signed last month between Turkey and Armenia to establish diplomatic ties and re-open borders. Both gentlemen voiced their concerns about the adequacy of the protocols and the joint commission to examine the historical relationship between Turkey and Armenia.

Neither Mr Papian nor Mr Kalloghlian raised any objections, either about what I had said in my constituency statement or about my overall advocacy for Armenian-Australians.

In addition to our discussion about the situation in Armenia, we also had a positive discussion about the education needs of Armenian-Australian constituents in northern Sydney that the Rudd Labor Government is supporting through its Building the Education Revolution program.

I was therefore very surprised to receive your open letter, and to find myself the subject of a public campaign of misinformation.

In particular, I object to the selective and therefore misleading quoting of the constituency statement that I made in Parliament.

You omit in your letter and on your website my specific mention of "mass killings and deportation."

I am attaching the full text of the statement for your members to read for themselves. I suggest you publish it on your website. Any considered reading of this will be seen by fair-minded individuals as a plea for justice for Armenians and for reconciliation.

In relation to my endorsement of the Armenia-Turkey protocols I again cite my specific words, which recognise the ambivalence that your representatives expressed in our meeting.

"I welcome this first step in what has been a long history of tragedy and hostility. I say that, but at the same time I recognise there has not been any universal welcome for this protocol. I recognise and deeply respect the concerns of many Armenians and Turks-both here in Australia and overseas-about the signing of this agreement. The events of 1915 cannot be erased."

I find it extraordinary therefore that you have launched a public campaign against me, before I had replied to your initial letter.

Your words and actions are at odds with the members of your own delegation.

I urge your organisation to correct the record immediately and to desist from this ill-conceived campaign.

I will continue to advocate strongly for positive moves towards reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey over their present and historical differences.

As for honouring my election pledges, I am fully aware of my commitments to all my constituents and of course will adhere to them.

Sincerely yours,

[Signed]

Maxine McKew MP
Member for Bennelong

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Initial ANC Australia letter - 18 November, 2009

The Hon. Maxine McKew MP
Member for Bennelong
Level 3, 230 Victoria Road
Gladesville NSW 2111

Dear Ms McKew,

We write to you in relation to a matter of fundamental importance to the Armenian-Australian community and the wider Australian public.

During your 2007 Federal Election campaign for the seat of Bennelong, we, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia), met with you to discuss issues of concern to the Armenian-Australian constituents in your electorate. During this meeting, you expressed your detailed knowledge of the Armenian Genocide, and affirmed that if elected, you would continue to "unequivocally and publically" support the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia.

Your statement was made public with your consent prior to the Federal Election in 2007, and lead to a large number of Bennelong Armenians, for whom this issue is of decisive importance, cast their vote for you.

Since that time, we have met with you on six separate occasions where you have again expressed your will to publically advocate for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia.

However, we are two years into your term and you have failed to honour this pledge.

Instead, you recently made a speech in Parliament, where you spoke about Armenia-Turkey relations and referred to the "tragedy and misery faced by millions of Armenians". The use of euphemisms to describe the Armenian Genocide is an insult to the victims of this crime against humanity and falls well short of your campaign promise to represent your electorate.

Further, in this same speech, you endorsed the Armenia-Turkey protocols and welcomed the creation of a historical commission by the governments of Turkey and Armenia to "investigate the tragic events of World War I". The protocols and this commission have been denounced by over 100,000 protesters in Armenia and around the world, including 600 Bennelong Armenians in your electorate. It has also been denounced by the International Association of Genocide Scholars, who claim that such a historical commission would create debate, undermine existing academic research and cast doubt over the reality of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian-Australian community expects that as the representative for the Federal seat of Bennelong, you will honour your moral conviction and campaign pledge to publically advocate for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Federal Government of Australia.

We thank you in anticipation of an affirmative response.

Sincerely,

[Signed]

Varant Meguerditchian
President

Armenian National Committee of Australia

Cc: Foreign Affairs Minister, The Hon. Stephen Smith MP
Cc: Prime Minister, The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP