Bruce Reyburn, the author of the following article, writes frequently
about the aboriginal peoples of Australia, where he lives. Many of his
articles can be found in the NATIVE-L archives, by means of the database
retrieval facility provided by the LISTSERV software at the TAMVM1 site
in Texas. (Send a message containing only the text "get nn-intro archives
native-l" to the address "listserv@tamvm1.tamu.edu" for instructions on
how to retrieve articles from the archive - that's the numeral "1" in
"tamvm1" and the letter "l" in "native-l") --Gary (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ]
Fax of letter posted today (25 January)
PO Box 257
Thirroul NSW 2515
25 January 1994
Rt Hon B. Hayden
Governor-General
Commonwealth of Australia
Government House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Hayden,
Renouncement of citizenship - Commonwealth of Australia.
I enclose my certificate of citizenship in the Commonwealth of
Australia and hereby renounce my citizenship in the
Commonwealth of Australia.
This is not step I take lightly, and I outline my reasons.
Prior to becoming an Australian citizen in 1989, I was well
aware that the Commonwealth of Australia had an appalling
history of genocide against Australia's First Peoples and, on
a formal level, a racist Constitution constructed by men who
believed in a 'White Australia'. I was also aware that there
was no treaty between Anglo-Australia and the original
Australian peoples.
In 1988 I was present at Barunga, in the Northern Territory,
where I heard the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Hawke,
undertake that there would be a treaty with Australia's First
Peoples "in the lifetime of the present Parliament" as I
recall it.
I was subsequently moved by a spirit of reconciliation to join
in the process of finding a healing solution to the problems
which stem from European non-recognition of the human rights
of the original peoples in Australia. In this spirit, I
decided to become an Australian citizen and make my
contribution, such as it is, to the healing process.
The treaty promised by the then leader of the English speaking
Australians has not eventuated. While Mr Hawke is pilloried
for his slip of the tongue regarding there being no children
living in poverty by 1990, his words to the Aboriginal people
assembled at Barunga cannot be said to be a mere slip of the
tongue. He spoke with the full authority of his office, and
was soon out of that office.
Secondly, in 1992 the High Court of Australia (in Mabo Number
2) declared the doctrine of terra nullius to be dead. At the
same time, by four to three, the Justices found that Anglo-
Australian law did not include the principle that compensation
should be paid for the expropriation of living country from
First Peoples.
We are expected to accept a system of law, from the highest
court in the land, which validates as lawful the forced
transfer of life's resources without regard to the provision
of a fair and equitable counterpayment. This is not a system
of law, in my opinion, by which we can lead human lives.
Thirdly, in 1993 the Australian Parliament passed the Native
Title Act - legislation which unilaterally extinguished the
common law native title rights of First Peoples to land which
was under Crown freehold and Crown leasehold, irrespective of
the degree of inconsistency between the two titles.
I consider that this will continue the process of genocide and
ethnocide against Australia's First Peoples, in general, and
against people in the Northern Territory whose land is
presently under pastoral lease in particular. Having worked as
an anthropologist in that Territory, I know some of these
people and I know that their law continues to operate across
these lands. They will continue to suffer undue and
intolerable religious, social and physical hardships as a
result of the Native Title Act.
The Commonwealth Government had an excellent chance to
demonstrate its clear will towards First Peoples in its own
Territory. Instead of opting for co-existence of both sets of
rights, and a true marriage of interests, Prime Minister
Keating and the Parliament chose to extinguish the rights of
the Aboriginal peoples. The majority of Anglo-Australian
people have expressed their will, and I am in fundamental
disagreement with it.
These actions taken together effectively create a "White
Homelands" out of the proceeds of two hundred years of
genocide against the original peoples. It is spiritually
offensive.
I no longer believe that Anglo-Australia is capable of
reforming itself to reverse the habitual abuse of the people
whose lives truly represent this country. I do not believe
that the Commonwealth, as presently constituted, is genuine in
seeking bi-culturally balanced reconciliation.
The Nuremberg principles place all people under an obligation
to ensure that any State, seeking the benefits of being
regarded as exercising legitimate authority, maintains
adequate standards of moral behaviour. In my assessment, the
Commonwealth of Australia, in its treatment of First Peoples,
has not reached those standards. Accordingly, I renounce my
citizenship in the Commonwealth of Australia.
Yours truly,
(signed)
Bruce Reyburn
cc Mr P. Keating, Prime Minister.
(included with letter Certificate of Australian Citizenship No
DA8900882X ACS 0312049)