Assyrian Leaders Meet with Minister of Immigration, Senator Chris Evans

image001.jpgSydney — The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA.) – Australian Chapter has determined that it must continue to do all that it can to make the Assyrian voice be heard by all democratic governments and international organizations. Since 2003, the AUA has managed to hold several meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Immigration to raise the situation facing the Assyrians in post Saddam Iraq.

We are pleased to announce that on Monday August 9, 2010, a closed meeting was organised by Mr. Chris Hayes MP, Federal member for Werriwa for the AUA to meet with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, The Hon. Senator Chris Evans at Mr Nick Lalich MP’s office in Cabramatta.

The delegation attending this meeting were:

1- His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia, Metropolitan of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East in Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon
2- Hermiz Shahen, Deputy Secretary General of the AUA and regional Secretary for Australia and New Zealand
3- David M. David, Vice President of the Assyrian Australian National Federation, Chairman of AUA Executive Committee in Sydney

During the meeting which lasted about an hour, the delegation briefed the Minister with the latest development in Iraq and the neglect of the Assyrian issue after the liberation, the wages of sectarian violence and systematic abuses by Islamic extremists against the entire Christian population. As a matter of urgency and importance, His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia called upon the Australian Government to take some immediate action and lasting measures to address the major humanitarian crisis suffered by the Assyrian refugees and requested emergency assistance for these displaced Iraqi Christians in order to improve their living conditions. At the conclusion of the meeting, the AUA handed an official letter to the Minister.

The AUA – Australian Chapter, wishes to thank Mr. Chris Hayes MP for his dedicated efforts to organise this meeting and for making many representation on behalf of the Assyrian community to the Australian Foreign Minister. Also we extend our thanks and appreciation to the Minister of Immigration for the opportunity to meet with him despite his very busy schedule.

We hope that this meeting achieves positive outcomes for the interest and needs of our Assyrian people in Iraq and the refugees in the surrounding countries.

Assyrian Universal Alliance- Australian Chapter
PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia. Fax: (02) 9610 2499.
E-mail: auaaustralia@optusnet.com.au

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