Canberra marks 111th anniversary of Sayfo Genocide, renewing calls for official recognition

07/07/2026

CANBERRA — The Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek communities in the Australian capital of Canberra commemorated the 111th anniversary of the Sayfo Genocide committed against the Syriac, Armenian, and Greek peoples under the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923. The official ceremony, held on Thursday, 2 July, brought together a broad range of diplomatic, political, and academic figures, alongside representatives of civil society organizations.

The event, hosted at the Hellenic Club of Canberra, was jointly organized by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) and the Canberra Association of Pontos “Trapezounta.” Participants honored the memory of more than 2.5 million victims who perished during the genocidal campaigns, emphasizing the importance of preserving historical memory, pursuing legislative recognition of these crimes, and preventing their recurrence.

Among those attending were Greek Ambassador to Australia Stavros Venizelos, Cyprus Deputy High Commissioner Nikos Varellas, and Australian Capital Territory Minister for Multicultural Affairs Michael Pettersson, as well as Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens Andrew Braddock. The event also drew members of the ACT Legislative Assembly, representatives of the Armenian, Syriac, Jewish, and Christian communities, and leaders of cultural organizations and associations from across Australia.

The program featured addresses by several scholars specializing in genocide studies, including Panayiotis Diamadis and Sam Topalidis. The keynote address was delivered by Deborah Mayersen, a Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies at the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Dr. Mayersen emphasized that the Armenian Genocide marked a pivotal moment in the development of international law concerning the crime of genocide, stressing that acknowledging and commemorating historical atrocities is an essential part of efforts to prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future.

The ceremony also featured a recorded testimony by Verjin Cholakian as part of an initiative aimed at preserving survivors’ testimonies in the collective memory. The initiative carries particular significance because there are no longer any living direct survivors of the Syriac, Armenian, or Greek genocides in Australia, while their children and grandchildren continue to pass on their stories to future generations.

Speakers focused on the resilience of the Syriac, Armenian, and Greek peoples in the face of the lasting consequences of genocide and forced displacement. They praised the efforts of subsequent generations to rebuild their communities and preserve their cultural and historical identities, while emphasizing the international community’s responsibility to safeguard historical truth and confront all forms of genocide denial.

At the conclusion of the event, organizers renewed their call on the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly to take legislative steps toward officially recognizing the genocides committed against the Syriac, Armenian, and Greek peoples. They stressed that recognition is not only a matter of justice for the victims and their descendants, but also a global message rejecting impunity and upholding the principles of justice and human rights.

The commemoration concluded with expressions of gratitude to the volunteers, institutions, and community organizations that continue to preserve the memory of the victims more than a century after one of the most devastating humanitarian tragedies of the twentieth century.