- Home
- Sovereignty
- Sovereignty docs Challenge
- Aboriginals need Sovereignty
- Terra Nullius Facts
- Challenging land title issues
- Sovereignty - Aunty Peta
- Black GST / Camp Sovereignty
- Compensate or leave
- Sovereignty voice speach
- Pay up or Leave
- Aboriginal Restitution
- Peter Adam: Lecture Notes
- Hunting increases biodiversity
- Pay the Rent
- TS: Keep sovereignty sacred
- Pemulwuy: war of two laws - 1
- Pemulwuy: war of two laws - 2
- Sir Harry Gibbs Letter
- ... Search 'sovereignty'
- .
- Genocide
- Genocide - UN resolution
- NT Intervention - Invasion
- Indigenous Remains Returned
- Fight Against Genocide
- Genocidal Atrocities Overview
- Leader Lashes Assimilation
- Stolen Generation claims
- Genocide - Holocaust Denial
- Aboriginal assimilation
- Woureddy & Truganini busts
- Apology - Nothing Changed
- Genocide & Censorship
- Indigenous Custody figures
- NT In(ter)vasion
- Ongoing Genocide In Australia
- The Genocide continues
- The Windschuttle Denial
- A Lethal weapon - Smallpox
- Genocide by Smallpox
- Holocaust ignoring worst
- ... Search 'genocide'
- .
- Treaty
- Occupy Melbourne treaty call
- Treaty - External Links
- Indigenous rights declaration?
- Entrenched denial
- First Nation Rights
- Is Canadian Treaty acceptable?
- Redfern speech elevated
- SA Treaty Proposal
- The Keeting Redfern Address
- Treaty Makarrata - Reflection
- Treaty and Health
- UN says negotiate treaty
- Bob Hawke's Draft Treaty
- The Barunga Statement
- Treaties & indigenous peoples
- ... Search 'treaty'
- .
- Land Rights
- There is no Land Rights
- Trad. Owner Settlement Bill
- Homelands & underfunding
- Relationship to Land
- Black GST & Camp Sovereignty
- Critical time for Royalties
- Oz dirty little colonial wars
- Indig ppl seek refugee status
- Homelands distruction
- Fortescue Metals Tactics
- Garrett's Uranium Sell-Out
- Climate change outrage
- No consult on nuclear waste
- Uranium Mining in Country
- 18th Anniversary of the Mabo
- Hunting increases biodiversity
- Murray River Country
- Nth Aust Indig Water Rights
- Uranium mine risks too great
- Walk-Off March 2009
- Decision breaks roadblock
- Coranderrk Station
- Native title onus unjust: Keating
- Land Rights vs Native Title
- Wave Hill Strike - 45 Years
- No-one feels at home
- Pilbara vs Fortescue
- ... Search 'land rights'
- .
- Black GST
- Pay the Rent
UN 'concerned' over suspension of Racial Discrimination Act
The Australian March 19, 2009 - By Paul Maley
The UN has written to the Rudd Government expressing "concern" over the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act, a move taken as part of the intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities.
Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination chairman Fatimata-Binta Victoire Dah has written a two-page letter to the Government requesting a progress report on Kevin Rudd's promise to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act, which was suspended by the Howard government.
The letter was written in response to a complaint made to the UN last month by a collection of Aboriginal communities. It refers to allegations of "serious discrimination" against Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory and affected by the intervention.
"The committee notes with concern that the Racial Discrimination Act was suspended as a necessity to enact the measures contained in the NTER," it states.
"However, the committee ... observes that the current Government ... is in the process of redesigning key NTER measures in order to guarantee their consistency with the (RDA)."
The UN acknowledges there has been "constructive dialogue" with the Government. It goes on to request the Government provide details on its plans to lift the suspension of the act by July 31.
Yesterday, one of the complainants, Sunrise Health Services chief executive Irene Fisher, expressed regret the matter had escalated to this point.
"As an Australian citizen, I'm really disappointed that we had to take this to the UN," she said. Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine described both the complaint and those making it as a "joke". "If people are accusing Rudd and (Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny) Macklin of being racist ... it's laughable," he said.
He said said the real human rights violations were being perpetrated against Aborigines living in sub-standard conditions in the Territory.
A spokeswoman for Ms Macklin said the Government welcomed the letter. "We will be providing the information as requested," the spokeswoman said. "In October, the minister announced that the Australian Government would lift the former government's Racial Discrimination Act suspension and design a compulsory income management policy which does not require the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act. We will introduce legislation in the spring session of parliament."
University of NSW law professor George Williams said Australia was a signatory to the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racism, the convention the committee was set up to enforce.
He said Australia appeared to be in clear breach of its obligations under the treaty and predicted the complaint would be upheld.
"The committee's findings are not enforceable under Australian law," he said. "The main sanction is international shaming and the impact on Australia's reputation."
Story
The letter was written in response to a complaint made to the UN last month by a collection of Aboriginal communities. It refers to allegations of "serious discrimination" against Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory and affected by the intervention.
"The committee notes with concern that the Racial Discrimination Act was suspended as a necessity to enact the measures contained in the NTER," it states.
Source: The Australian 19th March 2009 - See Complete Article
Image source: crikey.com.au - Crikey NT Intervention Articles
