As Australia considers the voice of its Indigenous peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, in the upcoming referendum, concerning constitutional recognition and establishing a Voice, another Indigenous people across the globe is having its voice silenced.
Artsakh also known as Nagorno-Karabagh, a small enclave located between Armenia and Azerbaijan with a population of 120,000 people, is an Armenian-populated area that remained autonomous during Soviet times, and is now faced annihilation of its existence.
A ceasefire signed in 2020, resulted in the enclave being completely closed off from neighbouring Armenia – through the imposition of a blockade by Azerbaijan on what is known as the Lachin corridor, the only connecting transport route between Armenia and Artsakh.
Since the beginning of this year, the enclave’s 120,000 Indigenous Armenians have been deprived access to food, medicine, fuel, electricity, and water in what is nothing less than genocide by attrition.
Australian-born barrister, Geoffrey Robertson has described the blockade as a crime against humanity and contradicts a number of international agreements.
Last month, the Australian government indicated it supported the provisional measures order issued by the International Court of Justice on February 22, 2023, which was reaffirmed by the Court on July 6, 2023. The Court ordered Azerbaijan to ‘take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions’.
It took a while, but Australia finally joined the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Parliament, and others in supporting the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures.
The need for humanitarian assistance is drawing global attention. Recently a French delegation led by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had organised ten trucks carrying humanitarian assistance to Artsakh from several regions of France, but the convoy was blocked, and City of Ryde Council in Sydney has already formed an appeal to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to the region, with delivery of supplies expected soon.
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has declared, ‘We employ every strategy at our disposal towards upholding human rights, consistent with our values and with our interests.’
And where dialogue does not progress, messages can be sent through autonomous sanctions. Australia has punished individuals and entities responsible for illegal and immoral invasions. Magnitsky-style amendments (which allows imposing targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against a person or entity) have been applied to our autonomous sanctions regime to hold human rights abusers to account. The Australian government now needs to be applied them in this instance.
Next week (September 13), will mark the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, what better time to send a message that Indigenous rights should not be abused?
Sassoon Grigorian is a public policy professional
