Independent Member of Clark
Deputy Speaker,
I rise on behalf of the Kurdish society of Tasmania to table a petition that has been considered by the petitions committee and found to be in order.
Deputy Speaker,
The petition calls on the Australian government to support the self-determination of the Kurdish people and to embrace the establishment of an independent Kurdistan, which is critical for the economic and social aspirations of the Kurdish people and the preservation of Kurdish national identity.
Deputy Speaker,
The Kurds have been fighting for statehood for over a century, and their collective struggle for sovereignty has been marked by persecution, suffering, and violence, and any move towards independence has been destroyed time and time again. This petition asked the house to recognize that the Kurdish people deserve the homeland they were promised by the colonial powers after world war one.
Deputy Speaker,
The right to exercise self-determination is enshrined within international law. Indeed, it’s a fundamental principle of the international system and one that ensures people have the right to form a sovereign government and freely decide their fate without interference. The Kurdish people should have this right.
I presented this petition to the house and call on the Australian government to publicly support the Kurdish people’s right to self-determination.
Thank you, Deputy Speaker.