SYDNEY: The Member for Davidson Jonathan O'Dea has spoken in NSW State Parliament about the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

His address followed the Armenian National Committee of Australia's poster exhibition in Parliament House last week, which was held days after the 18th anniversary of the Liberation of Shoushi, a victory which led Nagorno Karabakh on a path to freedom from a long-oppressive Azerbaijan.

O'Dea told the Legislative Assembly: "I attended an excellent exhibition in the Jubilee Room of the New South Wales Parliament on various aspects of Armenian life, culture and history. There I was introduced to the long and epic story of Nagorno Karabakh.

"The exhibition coincided with the eighteenth anniversary commemoration of what is known as the liberation of Shoushi, which came at the end of a battle that means much to the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and around the world, just as Gallipoli does to Australians."

O'Dea added: "Today, mindful of the principles outlined by Woodrow Wilson, I note my support for self-determination of all peoples, including Armenians.

"I honour those Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and others around the world who, in spite of continued threats and a commitment to fight for self-determination, ultimately seek peace."

ANC Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian thanked O'Dea for bringing light to such an important chapter in Armenia's history.

"It is our responsibility to inform our legislators on what is important to Armenian-Australians, and Nagorno Karabakh is very important to Armenians the world over," Meguerditchian said.

"We thank Mr. O'Dea for his address in Parliament and we expect this will go some way toward achieving formal universal recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh."

FULL ADDRESS OF JONATHAN O'DEA BELOW:

Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) [12.24 p.m.]: There are many people of Armenian descent in my electorate of Davidson, including executive members of the Armenian National Committee of Australia. On Tuesday this week, at the invitation of the Armenian National Committee, I attended an excellent exhibition in the Jubilee Room of the New South Wales Parliament on various aspects of Armenian life, culture and history. There I was introduced to the long and epic story of Nagorno Karabakh. The exhibition coincided with the eighteenth anniversary commemoration of what is known as the liberation of Shoushi, which came at the end of a battle that means much to the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and around the world, just as Gallipoli does to Australians. Today I will talk about the area of Nagorno Karabakh and how the liberation of Shoushi came to be.

Nagorno Karabakh is currently recognised as a de facto independent state with a population of 190,000, mainly ethnic Armenians, lying directly east of Armenia within the internationally recognised country of Azerbaijan. Historically, Nagorno Karabakh constituted a part of Greater Armenia from as early as 600BC, but subsequently fell under the rule of the Persians, Caucasian Albanians, Mongols, Seljuks and Ottomans, until it was finally conquered by the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century. Throughout this period Nagorno Karabakh remained a stronghold of Christendom, where Armenia's culture and civilization resisted the ruling alien pressures. Armenians have been living in this region since Roman times.

By 1920 the Soviet Red Army had occupied Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia; and while both the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic placed claims on Nagorno Karabakh, it was for a short time returned to Armenia. However, Joseph Stalin reversed this decision on 5 July 1921. He altered the boundaries so that Nagorno Karabakh was cut off from Armenia and was smaller in size, and the Armenian-populated region became an autonomous enclave of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic. During the next 70 years the majority of the Armenian population was persecuted by the ruling Azeris in an attempt to drive them from the region. This treatment intensified in the late 1980s and led to violent outbreaks against Armenians in Sumgait, Kirovabad-Gandja, Baku and Nagorno Karabakh proper, until finally the Azeris began an outright military assault on the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh.

The Azeris were met with fierce opposition from an ancient people in their historic homeland. In the early 1990s the native Armenians took up arms to defend their homes, their land, their ancient culture and their ideals of freedom. In the battles that followed it is reported that the native Armenians defended their homes and secured much of the current territory of Nagorno Karabakh. However, the historic capital of Karabakh, named Shoushi, which had been cleansed of its Armenian population, was still in Azeri control. Located on a mountaintop, Shoushi overlooks the highly populated capital of Stepanakert from an elevation of 600 metres. This geographical positioning made it a perfect location for Azerbaijani shelling of Armenian-populated Stepanakert. Armenian military commanders targeted the capture of this strategic city. On the evening of 8 May 1992, under bombardment and in thick fog, the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians began an assault up the difficult mountain, determined to capture Shoushi. They finally succeeded on 9 May 1992.

Victory at the battle of Shoushi marked a turning point in the war and started a series of military victories that eventually led to the declaration of Nagorno Karabakh's independence. Each year on 9 May Armenians throughout the world remember the liberation of Shoushi and honour those who paid the ultimate price in the hope of lasting peace. The Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, along with supporters around the world, honour those who lost their lives. They honour their courage, their bravery and their struggle for freedom. Today, mindful of the principles outlined by Woodrow Wilson, I note my support for self-determination of all peoples, including Armenians. I honour those Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and others around the world who, in spite of continued threats and a commitment to fight for self-determination, ultimately seek peace.