AUA Calls for International Intervention Following Latest Catastrophe

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Sydney – 6 March 2015
The Assyrian Universal Alliance – Australian Chapter (AUA) stepped up its advocacy efforts with urgent meetings conducted with the Australian government as well as members of the opposition in Canberra.
The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) Deputy Secretary General Mr Hermiz Shahen, together with the President of the Assyrian Australian National Federation (AANF) Mr David M. David , Mr Ninos Aaron, Chairman of The Young Assyrians of AUA (TYA) and Mr Aden Jacob member of TYA, met with the Hon Stuart Robert MP, Assistance Minister for Defence together with his Chief of Staff Mr Robert Mckellar.

The delegation also met with The Honourable Tanya Plibersek MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, in the presence of the Hon Chris Bowen MP, member for McMahon, Shadow Treasure , Mr Chris Hayes MP , Member for Fowler, Mr Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Member for Kingsford Smith, Mrs Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal member for Calwell, Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, and Mr Rob Mitchell MP, Member for McEwen.

Late afternoon the delegation also met with The Hon Steven Ciobo MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Trade and investment.

As a matter of utmost urgency the delegation presented the Australian officials letters together with other vital documents and briefed them about the hostile situation facing the Assyrians in Syria after the attacks by ISIS on 35 Assyrian villages stretching 80 kilometers west from Hassaka province to Ras al-Ain, on the Khabour River in northeastern Syria
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The Assyrian Universal Alliance called on the Australian government to help in efforts to release the Assyrian prisoners captured by ISIS and provide immediate humanitarian aid and protection to Assyrian refugees impacted by the current turmoil. In discussion was the feasibility to procure a resolution under UN Charter Chapter 7 to deploy international forces to secure our community in the Hassaka province in northeast Syria as well as the Nineveh Plains Iraq.

AUA strongly urged both Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence to support resolutely the Assyrian demands for the immediate intervention of the United Nations, the international community and the Australian Government to endorse and to assist in the establishment of an Assyrian safe haven in Northern Iraq as the ultimate solution in ending yet another genocide perpetrated against the Assyrian nation.

Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australian Chapter PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia.
E-mail: auaaustralia@bigpond.com