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PRESS RELEASE The Australian Government must repeal the Native Title Amendment Act passed last year or suffer wide criticism during the Olympic Games, says Les Malezer, Deputy Chair of the National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title (NIWG). Les Malezer is attending the meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Geneva. In a paper he presented today on behalf of the NIWG, Les Malezer said that governments must decide whether to support a country which so recently introduced racist laws and which refuses to repeal them. "While the Australian Government is spending many thousands of taxpayers dollars to campaign its way out of criticism by the relevant international authorities, it is certain that the Native Title laws are going to be extensively 'outlawed' by governments and human rights agencies" said Les Malezer. "The government has spurned the opportunity to negotiate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and it is now preparing to fight the United Nations standards on Human Rights" he said. "There is no chance of the government convincing the other governments to ignore the racist laws. "The other countries will be able to ignore the racism only for so long before they will be forced to act by their own citizens. "Already in Europe there is growing public discomfort with the treatment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. "There may not be an outright boycott of the Olympic Games - that remains to be seen - but the governments will have to distance themselves from the Australian Government's treatment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" Les Malezer said. Les Malezer believes that the credibility of the Australian Government is very low within the United Nations, and that the human rights agencies recognise and are well experienced in understanding the government's tactics to defend its racism. The National Indigenous Working Group will continue to seek negotiations with the Australian Government, he said, even though the Prime Minister has not accepted an formal offer of cooperation. "But the NIWG will only accept negotiations which are extensive, and which can truly seek the free and informed consent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" Les Malezer said. [The full text of today's statement (28 July 1999) made by Les Malezer at the meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples is attached.] ___________________________________ Les
Malezer Deputy
Chairperson Attending: Mobile: 0419 710720 |
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FAIRA
Aboriginal Corporation |
