Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijani forces conducted an unprovoked military assault on Artsakh. This attack precipitated a crisis and the forcible displacement of an estimated 100,000 indigenous Armenians from their ancestral homeland. Prior to this September assault, Azerbaijani forces blocked the highway connecting the republic of Artsakh and Armenia. This deliberate action left 120,000 people trapped without secure access to essential supplies, including food, energy and medical resources. The tactics employed by Azerbaijani authorities in implementing and maintaining this blockade created untenable living circumstances for months. This blockade was deliberate, and then it created a crisis—a crisis that lasted for 281 days leading to Azerbaijan's two-day offensive.

Despite a clear violation of the 2020 ceasefire agreement between both countries, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh. Azerbaijan claimed its operations were not targeting civilian positions, but witnesses painted a different picture. Strikes were reported close to large cities and densely populated areas, raising significant concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the civilian population. By the end of those two fateful days, Artsakh reported that 27 people had lost their lives and more than 200 individuals were injured. This conflict led to further turmoil, as authorities evacuated over 7,000 people from settlements.

When fighting ended, Azerbaijan opened the border for the first time in months, and in fear of retribution at the hands of aggressors an estimated 100,000 indigenous Armenians fled. They had no option but to leave and were forced to flee their homes for fear of death. As thousands fled Artsakh to escape the threats a catastrophic explosion at a fuel storage facility resulted in the loss of at least 170 lives, with more than 290 people injured.

The Armenian people have endured so much. The blockade followed by the assault have deeply concerned human rights organisations and experts in genocide prevention. Alarming alerts have been issued, indicating that the ethnic Armenian population in Artsakh is at significant risk of genocide. These risks cannot be ignored by the world, because Armenia has been through this before. For many Armenians, witnessing the unrest in the Artsakh region has brought home horrendous memories, reopening deep wounds and igniting a sense of collective trauma that has persisted since the Armenian genocide of April 1915.

There are around 50,000 Australian Armenians, most of whom live in my electorate of Bennelong. Our Armenian Australian community makes Bennelong a better place to live. I'm proud to have a strong history of standing beside them in their ongoing fight for recognition and justice. In my former role as councillor and mayor of the City of Ryde and now as a chair of the parliamentary friends of Armenia group, I've actively worked alongside the Armenian National Committee and local Australian Armenians to ensure that their plight is recognised and addressed. I have called for government recognition of the genocide in the past and will continue to do so.

In the wake of the recent crisis, I've been one of many from all sides of politics to have raised the blockade and the two-day assault with government. In response, the government have condemned the brutal assault on Artsakh by Azerbaijan and, in recognising the severe humanitarian crisis resulting from this aggression, have taken concrete steps to provide immediate assistance and support to those affected. Bipartisan calls for allocating humanitarian aid were heard, and in response the government allocated half a million dollars in humanitarian aid to the UNHCR. This funding has supported emergency relief efforts by providing essential supplies to the displaced Armenian population.

There's a lot going on in the world right now. As the representative of the largest Armenian Australian community in Australia, it's important that their voices remain heard and that these issues remain well known to the government. I see that as my most important role, and I'll continue to raise the ongoing situation in Artsakh and Nagorno-Karabakh within government for as long as is needed.

The actions of Azerbaijan are ongoing, senseless and unprovoked. They have caused and continue to cause immense suffering and displacement. They need to know that the world is watching. Political prisoners need to be released, internationally recognised borders must be respected and ancient cultural sites must be preserved. These are not unreasonable asks.

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