Toowoomba, 19 October 2012 - - Aboriginal Elder and activist Michael Ghillar Anderson says he’s incredibly disappointed that Australia has been successful in its bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Mr Anderson, the last surviving founder of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra and leader of the Euahlayi Nation, says he’s surprised that the UN’s member states have failed to see that Australia continues to be, under law, a colonial state of England.
And he argues that Australia has now placed itself in a very precarious situation in respect to ensuring that it has the potential maturity to deal with the true sovereign status of Aboriginal Nations and Peoples within its borders.
“While we understand that the UN’s Charter is not to intervene in domestic politics of its member states, it does, on the other hand, have an obligation to ensure its member states observe international norms established by international legal conventions and practices.
“As the Sovereign Union of First Nations in Australia, we will now drive a continuous campaign, during Australia’s presence on the Security Council, to have Australia revisit, compensate and make reparation for its gross violations of international legal conventions in respect to First Nations Peoples’ rights in this country.”
Mr Anderson says the Sovereign Union will be calling on Australia to uphold the 1952 UN General Assembly Resolution 637 (VII) The right of peoples and nations to self-determination:
… to ensure the direct participation of the indigenous populations in the legislative and executive organs of government of those Territories, and to prepare them for complete self-government or independence.
and lead the way in the internal decolonisation which is more than half a century overdue.
Michael Ghillar Anderson says Australia can show that it is maturing as a nation by building on the Fraser governments’ Treaty process that was stopped by the former Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.
“Australia has an obligation to revisit its NT military intervention, end its draconian laws and re-establish the human rights of Aboriginal peoples in the NT.
“If the government is really concerned for the welfare of Aboriginal children it will admit that an Emergency Response as broadly sweeping as the NT Intervention is not necessary.
“The Intervention clearly violates the civil rights of Aboriginal people, because it denies them natural justice, by denying them the right of appeal through any due legal complaints process.”
Mr Anderson says the government’s claimed objectives of improving the social and economic position of Aboriginal communities can be achieved through other, gentler and fairer means.
“Winning a temporary seat on the Security Council ups the ante for Australia to perform within its own borders and conform to the norms aspired to by the UN.”
For further information contact:
Michael Anderson
Phone: 0427 292 492
e-mail: ghillar29.gmail.com
Comments
Australia disqualified from anything to do with UN principles
by fire first
Australia's inclusion onto the UN "security council" makes a mockery of the organisation, confirming our fears of a long standing conspiracy between Australia and the UN. The disrespect and regular breaches of the convention laws, (peremptory norms of international customary law) disqualify Australia from anything to do with the stated principles of the UN.
Many are just surviving by the skin of their teeth
The government should focus on what to fix up here in their own backyard and stop gallivanting around the world like they have the moral highground to criticise other countries on their human rights record, it's just downright hypocrisy.I, for one was so disappointed and disgusted that they even got a seat, didn't deserve it whatsoever. For them to keep on saying we're the lucky country, we've never had it so good economically..blah,blah.. Call me cynical, pessimistic or whatever, there are a lot of people suffering in this country and government should practise what they preach. There's a song that sums it up well 'WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES' they should walk many to remind them that there are who are doing it everyday and just surviving by the skin of their teeth.