PRESS RELEASE 29 July 1999

from:
UNWGIP
Palais de Nations
Geneva

Australian Government Report to UN Offends Human Rights Principles

The Australian Government is offending the Charter of the United Nations, the UN Charter of Human Rights and the various human rights treaties of the United Nations, said Les Malezer, spokesperson for the National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title (NIWG).

'The government's paper is critical of the human rights principles relating to the self determination of peoples, the concept of elimination of racial discrimination, and the exercise of the civil and political rights of the individual' he said.

'The government continues its contempt for the legitimate role of indigenous organisations and leaders, and the fundamental role of non-government organisations in maintaining a free and democratic society.

'The government still attempts to use misleading information about the extent of recognition of Aboriginal land ownership, which is a means to support the government's concept that Aboriginal people are getting too much.

This ignores information such as the the facts:

• that over 80% of the indigenous population are denied their land rights,
• that the areas where land ownership by indigenous peoples are restricted to the Northern Territory, mostly regarded as wastelands by the government and developers; and
• that the current government has sanctioned the wrongful extinguishment of native title over areas larger than the country of Belgium just in one of the States alone.

The government is continuing to attack the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) which is responsible for the implementation of the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

This is a dangerous move, which will only anger the United Nations and other governments.

If the government is so concerned the CERD Committee does not understand its policies on Indigenous Peoples, why doesn't the government give a clear statement of its policies, and why has the government failed to provide the two outstanding periodic reports due to the Committee for the period since 1994.

The government is in denial of its responsibilities, and is attacking the body responsible to the UN rather than facing its own racist views and actions' Les Malezer said.

The indigenous representatives at the UN meeting are yet to formalise an official response to the government's papers.

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Les Malezer
General Manager
FAIRA Aboriginal Corporation

Deputy Chairperson
National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title
NIWG

Attending:
Working Group on Indigenous Peoples
United Nations
Geneva

Mobile: 0419 710720

FAIRA Aboriginal Corporation
Phone +61 7 3391 4677 • Fax +61 7 3391 4551 • email letterbox@faira.org.au
Post Office Box 8402 Woolloongabba Q 4102 Australia
37 Balaclava Street Woolloongabba