Saturday August 29, 2009, 7:58 am
Professor James Anaya said the intervention breached basic human rights and was incompatible with international treaties ratified by Australia.

The intervention, launched by former conservative Prime Minister John Howard to combat appalling child abuse in remote settlements, suspended racial discrimination laws and placed wide powers in the hands of police and other agencies.

Now expanded to include such measures as control of family finances through conditions on welfare payments, the intervention has been continued by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Labor Government.

Last week, as Anaya toured Outback communities, representatives of the Alyawarre people in central Australia sought UN recognition as internally displaced refugees.

More than 300 people had earlier left the isolated Alyawarre community of Ampilatwatja, north of Alice Springs, in protest at the intervention and squalid living conditions.

"We have no say at all [in our own affairs]," spokesman Richard Downs told ABC radio after the request was handed to Anaya during his tour of Outback settlements. "We feel like an outcast in our community, refugees in our own country."

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Saturday August 29, 2009, 9:04 am
Thank you Karen.

Saturday August 29, 2009, 11:29 am
Thanks Karen. I do hope the proposals work out.

Saturday August 29, 2009, 3:54 pm
Same old story the Aboriginee People were living quite happily in their own environments - their own way - no squalor - then along came the white man taking over again enforcing the white man's laws bringing their bad habits - and ways with them and of course insisting that the Aboriginee needed to live their way - does this sound familiar??? Yes I agree something drastic has to be done to remedy all the damage that has been caused and the shocking treatment of the Aboriginee Population. Blessings.

Saturday August 29, 2009, 10:56 pm
People always treat other race groups in this way, as they have a deep seated fear of these people actually ruling over them in a governemnt situation.. It is something they do not want so they marginalise them...Fear is what motivates racial hatred and tension

Saturday August 29, 2009, 11:50 pm
TY, my dear friend. The same situation happens in every continent!

Sunday August 30, 2009, 7:44 am
Thanks all for commenting. Alejandra......sadly you are right. I see this happening in my own country too.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 10:00 am
but it is "native people" around the world and in all countries that continue to suffer. Nothing changes even when the governments and the UN keep passing resolutions it unfortunately continues the same way again. It is so sad that a resolution can not be found for high infant mortality, low age death rate, diseases,poor health care, alcoholism, under education, homelessness etc.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 1:44 pm
There is much to be said against "Government" handling of the Australian indigenous population. These are a beautiful people who have every "right" to call out for help. Some have taken things into their own hands and voice and have eventually WON for their cause.

Just over a week ago I was privileged to visit the Karralundi Education Establishment which is some 55 km north of Meekatharra in Western Australia. I understand that this is by far the best established Education Centre for Indigenous people in Australia. It is really a pristine environment. Do the kids have arguments? Of course, they are children. Do they have Alcohol on the establishment? Definitely NOT. Do they learn of their culture? Yes, as much as will fit them to live in this world as it is. Are the children 100% happy? Most are but when can one find a truly 100% agreement? No where.

Are the children taught to live in society? YES. Are there any children that are asked to leave the establishment? Yes! Those who refuse to abide by the School's rules. What opportunities do these children have? They are sought after because they are taught to be honest and to work for the benefit of the community.

Who controls the running of the establishment? Mostly the Indigenous people themselves with a few white folks that they have chosen to assist them.

Are the white folks colour prejudiced? When someone puts their life on hold to help others to a better standard of living and teaches the Children to walk tall and be proud of their Race and Heritage, can these people be prejudiced? Never.

When this School was originally started, it was run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. It was mostly financed by the Church folks with both time and money. It was started in about 1953 or 54 and the children were taught skills which gave them opportunities way beyond their normal chances. Some of them were sent on to college for higher education. It was a total successful "Christian" situation.

In 1971 Gough Whitlam came to power and within a couple of years had closed the establishment down simply because Alcohol and tobacco were NOT allowed on the establishment. Indigenous folks could camp on the Mission BUT they had to abide by this ruling. The government withdrew ANY assistance from the Mission unless the tobacco and alcohol ruling was removed and that left these children at tremendous disadvantage and the school was sadly closed.

After some twelve or so years, those children who had gone through the school realised that their children were being disadvantaged and NOT getting the same opportunities that they had had. They approached the Government of the day to help them reestablish the school. The Government was prepared to pour untold money into an "Indigenous" school UNTIL the Elders of the tribes stated emphatically that the School was to be operated with the assistance of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The Government immediately withdrew their offer of funds as they were not about to fund a "religious' school.

The elders of the Tribes involved went to great lengths to get funding for "Their" School. SDA teachers went to assist and had an uphill battle to get ANY help whatsoever. They put their lives on hold to help these people and after some years "proved" to the Government that they really meant business. The Indigenous people were fighting for their right to have the same quality of education that everyone else had access to AND they won their battle. Today, the Karralundi Aboriginal Education Centre is second to none and the product of the school in their children is something that they are very proud of.

Who says that these people do not know what is good for them. It is THEIR choice that Christianity is taught in the school, NOT the white man's. The white folks and other multicultural teachers are employed and work together for these people. The Aboriginal Elders run the school business with their appointed assistants.

A fabulous place to visit. Ernie Dingo has been there because I saw his photo with some of the children.

When rightly taught, these people learn that they are the architects of their future, NOT some Government handout. They learn how to be industrious and to govern their own families and establishments. they are a proud and industrious people when rightly and lovingly taught correctly. Their school proves it. There are further additions to their curriculum that will be even more advantageous for these people. These children will not be educated to live on the dole or handouts. they are and will be greater stalwarts for a better go for the Indigenous folks of this country. Why should these people be degraded by teaching them that they really can't look after themselves and have to have Government handouts all the time? They need to be taught to be citizens Not sponges on society. At Karralundi they are real people. They just needed the right education and now they have it.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 3:17 pm
It is so sad that in a country that we think of as developed that things like this are happening. All of the rest of the country has rights, why don't the aborigines have the same rights and even more since everything was stolen from them. The Australians settling there committed genocide just as the Europeans did in the US. It is appalling to think that the foundation of our societies (US, Australia, UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Portugal, etc)is built on murder, slavery and oppression. The very things everyone fought so hard to oppose. The UN is very good at writing resolutions that are basically worth the paper they are written on and that is about it. They can't even be used as toilet paper (something useful)because they are too rough. But then that is how you ensure job stability... look how the World Bank and IMF have been doing it for years. Their enormously overpaid staff are the most amazing at destroying local cultures and making countries even poorer. Only the people that are fed up with these ridiculopus institutions can make the world better. We can't rely on our own governments or the many Bretton Woods Institutions, we have to do it ourselves. I am glad that others are commenting on the apalling things that are happening to those that don't have a voice.

Monday August 31, 2009, 5:06 am
Two movies I saw, Rabbit Proof Fence and Australia say it all. I would have thought that after so many years of "progress" matters would have improved...So whether in America or in Australia, the indiginous people seem destined to have a hard time.