Justice for Aboriginal Australians
Campaign for justice for indigenous
Australians
By Nigel D'Souza - reposted - an article by Nigel posted
onto the Net - from the Green Left magazine
MELBOURNE - The election of the Howard
government has had an inauspicious start for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
The recent attacks against Aboriginal
organisations under the rubric of ``accountability'' have a great
deal more to do with the ideological motivation of this government
than with the proper expenditure of funds in Aboriginal
affairs.
After a period of relative advancement in
indigenous rights in this country, we are seeing the early signs of a
government undoing these, based on an apparent erosion in support for
indigenous rights.
The Howard government has another agenda
behind its ostensible concern for the ``accountability of taxpayers'
funds'', one that is closely linked with its aim of retracting native
title gains, land rights and other indigenous rights. It may also be
associated with its policy of abandoning restrictions on uranium
mining.
Attacks on a group of its own citizens by
the federal government is an extraordinary event that should be a
serious concern for all fair-minded Australians.
Justice For Indigenous Australians is a
group that has been formed to defend gains in indigenous rights,
support the advancement of indigenous people through organising
public events such as meetings, and produce and distribute
educational information that counters the negative publicity that has
been generated about indigenous people. It plans, for example, to
produce a booklet and pamphlets that debunk some of the myths about
the ``privileged status'' of indigenous people and the supposed
corruption in their organisations.
Justice For Indigenous Australians will be
launched on June 3 - the fourth anniversary of the High Court's
native title judgment, also known as ``Mabo Day'' - at 1pm at the
Uniting Church Building, 130 Little Collins St, Melbourne. Regular
organising committee meetings will be held every Thursday at 7.30pm
at 171 Smith St, Fitzroy. For further information phone 9417 6744 or
9489 2543.
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