The Senate of Australia has passed a motion (author of the motion Senator Catryna Bilyk) to mark the beginning of the 85th anniversary commemorations of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-33.

Thus, the Australian Senate condemns the actions of the Stalinist regime aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious and democratic aspirations of Ukrainians and also recalls that up to seven million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Stalin’s policies in 1932 to 1933 alone.

In addition, the Senate recognizes the importance of remembering those terrible events to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated. The Senate of Australia calls for honouring the memory of those who lost their lives during Holodomor and also pays its respects to the Australian Ukrainians who lived through this tragedy. "The Senate joins the Ukrainian Australian community and the international community in commemorating this tragic milestone under the motto, Ukraine Remembers –The World Acknowledges," the document reads.