More independent Aboriginal states in the pipeline

Goodooga, 20 May 2013 - - Aborigines who have just met for two days in Brisbane are looking to launching their own independent states, as the Murrawarri people have just done in northwest NSW and southwest Queensland.
“Clearly the people are now asking the pertinent questions relating to a process of asserting their continuing sovereignty as individual nations,” writes Michael Ghillar Anderson, Convenor of the Sovereign Union of First Nations and Peoples in Australia in a media release.
The last surviving 1972 founder of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra says the Brisbane treaty talks were “one of the best meetings that has been held on a single national issue, that I have attended for many years”.
Participants expressed great admiration for the steps taken by the Murrawarri Republic, Mr. Anderson writes, and they are now seeking further advice on processes they adopted for “this revolutionary action”. The participants would now make all efforts to follow the same or similar path.
“The participants of the conference and workshops know in their own hearts that this is what their Elders past have been seeking to achieve. Now the people are saying that now they need to make a greater effort to achieve what the Murrawarri have.”
There is to be another meeting in five weeks to further investigate domestic and legal positions for establishing “our own statehood under international law”. It would be open to all people considering these actions, including non-Aboriginal supporters.
Mr. Anderson points out that one thing holding people back from committing to the sovereignty movement is the question of citizenship rights and possible ramifications that may flow from it.
“One of the working points that was submitted in discussion was that, if post war immigrants are entitled to hold dual citizenship, which permits them to access all social benefits and then in retirement return to their own countries to live, such as Greece and Italy, and there continue to receive their social benefits, then so, too, can First Nations people within Australia have dual citizenship, that is they can be Anangu, Wokka Wokka etc and be Australians at the same time, thereby maintaining the benefits of that dual citizenship status.”
It was pointed out in a workshop that Aboriginal people seeking to declare their independence within their homelands need to return to Country. “Only those who live on Country are in a position make such a Declaration of Independence.”
But it was also important to understand, just as the Murrawarri Republic do, that they must also recognise the rights of their diaspora, that is, people who belong to that nation but choose to live outside of their Country, have the same rights as those living on Country, but are not immune from punishment for any offences committed against the law of the nation whose land they live on.

<STRONG>Mr. Anderson’s release in full:</STRONG>

Having attended a two-day Brisbane Treaty Talks conference and workshops on the continuing sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, I can say that the meeting is one of the best meetings that has been held on a single national issue, that I have attended for many years.
Clearly the people are now asking the pertinent questions relating to a process of asserting their continuing sovereignty as individual nations.
They expressed their great admiration for the steps taken by the Murrawarri Republic and are now seeking further advice in relation to the processes that were adopted by the Murrawarri People to have taken this revolutionary action. The participants have consented unanimously to investigating the processes adopted by the Murrawarri Republic and will now make all efforts to follow the same or similar path.
The participants of the conference and workshops know in their own hearts that this is what their Elders past have been seeking to achieve. Now the people are saying that now they need to make a greater effort to achieve what the Murrawarri have.
A number of considerations were made and there will be a further meeting in five weeks time where we will further investigate domestic and legal positions that establish the legal foundation to establish our own statehood under international law.
Again this meeting will be open to all people considering these actions including non-Aboriginal supporters. The suggested date and venue is:
22 – 23 June 2013
Murri School,
1277 Beaudesert Road,
Acacia Ridge, Brisbane
It must be pointed out, however, that one factor that does, in fact, hold the people back from committing to the sovereignty movement is the question of citizenship rights and the possible ramifications that may flow from it.
One of the working points that was submitted in discussion was that, if post war immigrants are entitled to hold dual citizenship, which permits them to access all social benefits and then in retirement return to their own countries to live, such as Greece and Italy, and there continue to receive their social benefits, then so, too, can First Nations people within Australia have dual citizenship, that is they can be Anangu, Wokka Wokka etc and be Australians at the same time, thereby maintaining the benefits of that dual citizenship status.
It was pointed out in the workshop that if Aboriginal people seek to declare their independence within their homelands, they need to return to Country. Only those who live on Country are in a position make such a Declaration of Independence.
It is also important to understand, just as the Murrawarri Republic do, they also recognise the rights of their diaspora, that is, people who belong to that nation, but who choose to live outside of their Country, have the same rights as those living on Country, but are not immune from punishment for any offences committed against the Nation’s Law whose land they live on.
An example of this is: if you are a Wokka Wokka citizen and you choose to live within the land of Jageara then you are subject to the Jagaera law if they have declared independence. If you are on land whose owners have not declared independence, then you are subject to the laws originating from Britain.
The next meeting agreed to by the participants will address three main topics:
<UL>
<LI>The declarations of independence themselves, models and processes</LI>
<LI>Governance</LI>
<LI>Transition times.</LI></UL>
The fundamental social factors, legal jurisdictions and methodologies for implementation each fit within the transitional process. The duration of the transitional process is not set, as there is a realisation that people are at different stages in their own understanding. But it was agreed at these treaty talks that information kits on sovereignty and independence be developed for circulation. It was requested that within this information kit a manifesto be created, pointing out all recent and past judgements in the law courts of the former British empire that go to recognising Aboriginal rights.
It was pointed out that we must be cautious about espousing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as this Declaration requires First Nations Peoples to recognise the territorial integrity of the invader state. Alternatively, the majority of the rights defined in that UN Declaration are already included in UN Covenants and are recognised in international law. This includes the right of self-determination, without having to recognise the territorial integrity of the dominant state.
Another relevant international law, by way of a resolution from the UN General Assembly, is the 1970 Declaration on Friendly Relations that established the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples:
Every State has the duty to refrain from forcible action which deprives peoples…of their right to self-determination and freedom and independence. In their actions against, and resistance to, such forcible action in pursuit of the exercise of their right to self-determination, such peoples are entitled to seek and receive support in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter.
[Detailed in Principles VII-IX of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541]
We look forward to the next meeting and hope we can see a greater number attend as this is a sovereignty movement that will not be stopped. (For those who were unable to attend, the treaty talks were webcast live.)
On the question of treaties, the participants agreed that the first step should be that those Aboriginal nations, who declare independence, should treaty with each other on each other’s recognition and commit to each to give support, if and when necessary in the formation of their state. No doubt future gatherings will locate other matters we each will treaty on.
In relation to treatying with the Commonwealth Government of Australia, it is not in our interest to treaty with Australia at this point as our people first need to be fully informed about <EM>all</EM> their rights as sovereign and independent peoples.
Michael Ghillar Anderson
Convenor,
Sovereign Union of First Nations and Peoples in Australia
0427 292 492 <A href="mailto:ghillar29@gmail.com">ghillar29@gmail.com</A>
<A href="http://www.sovereignunion.mobi/">www.sovereignunion.mobi</A> (or nationalunitygovernment.org)