Saturday, 30 May 2009

[Aboriginal News]

As a rule, by my own choice to avoid racism, I do not read The Australian newspaper. However occasionally along comes a story which grabs my attention.

Today I saw the caption that the government's intervention in the town camps 'has the support of many indigenous groups'.

The evidence before me is the opposite of that 'fact', so I read the article. It turns out that the only person quoted in the article is Darryl Pearce who has a real estate vision for Aboriginal people to own housing in Alice Springs. I support that initiative. There was no evidence that any indigenous groups supported the government, other than the fact that Darryl is chief executive of the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation, the company that is developing the real estate interest.

Did I just say I supported Darryl's ideas. I take that back. I support Aboriginal home ownership. I do not support the concept that our cultural values should be abandoned for the pursuit of wealth, exploitation and consumerism. If Darryl drives a Porsche in Alice Springs he is not demonstrating success, he is demonstrating he has a different culture. A porsche is, after all, a status symbol and not well suited to those central Australian roads. It probably won't be Aboriginal people who damage it. We already have enough avenues to jail.

Of most interest to me is that the article does not even attempt to present any position that the intervention has the support of any indigenous groups, assuming Darryl is expressing the views of the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation (which the article does not assert), that alone 'many'.

Once again, or still, the mainstream, racist white media - The Australian, I mean particularly - is brainwashing Australian society into genocide policies. These are strong words but I remain absolutely assured that The Australian has the access to law and means to take me to court. I would welcome that action.

Unfortunately we do not have such privilege to defend our rights as Aboriginal people. In this instance I refer to the specific breaches by the government and by the newspaper in the Alice Springs situation of our rights under Articles 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 32, 33, 34, 35, 39, 40, of the Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. I have listed more information about these rights and the breaches below.

The text in The Australian online website to which I am referring can be found at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/index/0,25201,5013172,00.html "

Own home truths; Paul Toohey - JENNY Macklin's move to acquire town camps around Alice Springs has the support of many indigenous groups."

Les Malezer
Chairperson, FAIRA

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Rights identified in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which are attacked or denied by The Australian and the intervention:

Article 7- Indigenous Peoples shall not be subject to any act of genocide

Article 8- Indigenous Peoples shall not be subject to forced assimilation or destruction of culture

Article 9- Indigenous Peoples have the right to belong to an indigenous community without discrimination

Article 15 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to dignity, reflected in public information

Article 16 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to access media without discrimination

Article 18 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to decision-making through their own representatives

Article 19 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to free, prior and informed consent re administrative measures affecting them

Article 21 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to improvement of their housing without discrimination

Article 23 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to develop and determine their housing

Article 26 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to develop the lands they have acquired

Article 28 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to redress for lands taken without their consent

Article 32 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to determine priorities and use of their lands

Article 33 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to determine their identity in accordance with their customs

Article 34 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to develop and maintain their institutional structures

Article 35 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to determine the responsibilities of individuals to their communities

Article 39 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to financial and technical assistance from governments for enjoyment of rights

Article 40 - Indigenous Peoples have the right to just and fair procedures for resolution of conflicts with government