Law 'singles out' blacks
by Deborah Cornwall
Aborigines were imprisoned 27 times more frequently than other
ethnic groups in Australia and were often held in custody under
cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions, an Amnesty International
study has found.
The findings are the result of a nationwide fact-finding tour by
three Amnesty investigators who visited police stations, prisons
and detention centres in four States and territories last April.
Although acknowledging the "serious commitment" reflected in
government responses since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal
Deaths in Custody, Amnesty said the Australian criminal justice
system appeared weighted against Aborigines.
It found that despite the multi-million-dollar commission,
Aborigines were still being denied the right "to be treated with
humanity and with respect".
The report also highlighted the failure of any State Government so
far to take any legal action against any prison or police
officials involved in the 99 Aboriginal deaths which were
investigated by the commission.
The report found laws relating to public behaviour invariably
singles out Aborigines. It attacked the NSW Summary Offences Act
of 1988 which bans offensive language near schools or in public.
This legislation, the report claimed, was "used arbitrarily to
imprison Aboriginal people".
A spokesperson for the Minister for aboriginal Affairs, Mr
Tickner, said the report high-lighted the critical responsibility
of State and territory governments in reforming the criminal
justice system, police and prison practices.
ends.
And a glimpse from the Federal government's Cabinet Room -
Note also report of conversation on page 15 of same paper between
Mr Tickner and W.A. Green Senator Ms Christobel Chamarette
concerning the failure of the Minister to place an Aboriginal
heritage order on Goonininup, a Rainbow Serpent place under threat
from further development.
Asked by Senator Chamarette why he could not act to protect the
site, Mr Tickner replied "I can't act without the approval of
Cabinet" Senator Chamarette "Yes you can. You're the minister." Mr
Tickner: "You get 100 percent for law and zero for politics."
ends
So, the question of the day, reading both stories together, what
exactly does lie in the hearts of Anglo-Australians towards the
First People whose well-being represents that of the living
country?