Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard, (leader of the National-Liberal
Part Coalition) will be arriving in the United States later this month to
visit the President, Bill Clinton.
His government is presently in the process of introducing legislation
which will further erode the native title rights of Australia's surviving
First Peoples in favour of promoting the interests of pastoralists (cattle
ranchers) and graziers (sheep farmers).
The legislation is known as Howard's 10 Point Plan. Howard's Wrongheaded
plan is part of a long historical process which systematically crushes
First Peoples and props up Anglo-Australian interests. The wealth
expropriated from Australia's First Peoples is still in the hands of the
heirs of a particularly nasty genocidal process. (see below)
While there is a growing number of people within Australia who are
mobilising in opposition to the Howard government's plans, help is also
required from human rights groups and concerned individuals overseas.
AUSTRALIA IN BREACH OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
A recent report in The Australian newspaper (by Fiona Kennedy,
June 18, 1997) states:
John Howard's planned changes to the native title act would
infringe upon three international conventions signed by
Australia, providing a basis for "political embarrassment",
an authority on indigenous law said yesterday.
Garth Nettheim, A NSW University visiting professor, said
aspects of the 10-point plan and amendments drafted last
year would breach agreements on racial bias, civil rights
and cultural rights.
Plans to eliminate the right of native title claimants to
negotiate over developments also ran counter to a draff
settlement on indigenous rights and an International Labour
Organisation convention which "had not yet been ratified by
Australia", Professor Nettheim told a native tittle
conference in Brisbane.
Treaties that had been backed by Australian governments but
would be breached were: the International Convention on the
Eliminate of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.
...Professor Nettheim is chair of the Australian Human
Rights Information Centre.
TRADE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
In particular, at this time, help is required to ensure that the
media in the United States inquire after the well-being of
Australia's First Peoples when he passes through.
John Howard and his government are primarily about ensuring
Anglo-Australia's "trade" is not affected by human rights issues.
The line they promote is that trade is separate from such
concerns. This is the embodiment of Wrongheadedness.
The benefits of such trade flow, in the first instance, to forces
opposed to the recognition of the rights of First Peoples.
Beef, wool, mutton, wheat, flour, cotton, cheese, dairy and other
agricultural products are produced on lands which we taken,
without consent or compensation, from First Peoples. The
mountains of iron ore and other minerals which are shipped
overseas are in a similar position.
Australia recently refused to sign a standard European Union
trade treaty because it linked trade and human rights.
Bruce Reyburn
19 June 1997