[Fwd] Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation update 7 (5 July 1999)
Folks: this should be a mercifully short update, and will cover the
following topics:
1) ERA stopping work
2) World Heritage update (includes John Hallam's latest request for faxing)
3) Explanation of GAC media request for 12 July
4) Bus cavalcade disendorsement
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1) ERA STOPPING WORK
In a press release yesterday Energy Resources of Australia Chief Executive
Phil Shervington announced that the first phase of construction of the mine
would be completed today.
For the next six weeks the company says it will be examining core samples.
Production is anticipated to start in 2001, with the intervening period
filled with "further environmental and safety studies".
It was also mentioned that they still regard the Ranger Mill Alternative as
their preferred option.
It is clear from other statements that part of ERA's agenda over the period
up to the projected start of mining in 2001 remains attempting to
"convince" the Traditional Owners to allow the use of the Ranger mill for
Jabiluka uranium. Part of this strategy may involve trying to get other
clans to put pressure on Mirrar. Under the Land Rights Act the Mirrar are
the Traditional Owners and have the final say on the use of the Ranger
mill.
This is why it is so vital to continue to support the Mirrar directly. It
is they that are going to be copping the pressure over the next years.
Groups that feel isolated and deserted are much more susceptible to the
pressure tactics at which mining companies have proved themselves adept
over the years.
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2) WORLD HERITAGE UPDATE
There are a number of variables that make it hard to pick what is going to
happen. The main one is, of course, the degree to which the federal
government is able to influence foreign governments to change their minds
and vote against In-Danger listing for Kakadu National Park.
For those of you who don't get John Hallam's faxing requests, here's his
summary: "The Australian Government has done a huge diplomatic offensive
that has included amongst other things, the candidacy of former foreign
minister
Gareth Evans as UNESCO Director General (the other main contender is
Ambassador Koichiro Matsuura, the chairperson of the World Heritage
Committee), and now, the deal whereby, in return for the chair of the WHC
next year (which was to be Australia's), Hungary will vote and lobby
AGAINST an 'in Danger' listing."
But all is far from lost. US senators are now starting to sign onto the
letter to Bill Clinton.
The options for the decision vary. It may not be a simple yes or no. The
decision might be to defer the decision for further information. The
grounds for that might be that the Committee generally relies upon the
advice of certain Advisory Bodies - IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM. In the
December decision, these bodies unanimously supported in-danger listing.
In May, in their response to the government's response to the December
decision, these three advisory bodies also advocated in-danger listing.
However, there was also a fourth body asked to assess the government
document - an independent panel of scientists. This group's report was
equivocal. It did not say the mine should be allowed to go ahead. It said
more information was needed on some matters. One possibility is that the
Committee might decide that it will respond to this by demanding further
reports over a six-month period, even though the three regular advisory
bodies have now concluded on two occasions that the Park should be placed
on the in-danger list.
Another possibility is that given that the Park is listed for both its
cultural and its natural values, it may be placed on the in-danger list for
one of these but not for the other. This would obviously be less than GAC
would want.
The Australian government's strategy at the moment seems to be to press for
a decision-by-vote rather than a decision-by-consensus. It seems that it
is convinced that it will lose a decision-by-consensus.
John Hallam's request for faxing. This is very urgent: please fax TONIGHT
(Australian time) if you at all can. Please remember that it is vital that
the faxes be polite and to the point. If you need to draw on a sample
text, there was one in GAC update 6.
>URGENT! WORLD HERITAGE BUREAU MEETS TODAY MONDAY 5/7- 10/7.
>FAX WHC CHAIR MATSUURA NOW! +33-1-42-27-50-81.
>
>Dear people,
>
>The World Heritage Bureau meets today (monday), and the most contentious
>item on its agenda is, of course, the 'in danger' listing for Kakadu.
>
>The Australian Government has done a huge diplomatic offensive that has
>included amongst other things, the candidacy of former foreign minister
>Gareth Evans as UNESCO Director general (the other main contender is
>Ambassador Koichiro Matsuura, the chairperson of the World Heritage
>Committee), and now, the deal whereby, in return for the chair of the WHC
>next year, (which was to be Australia's), Hungary will vote and lobby
>AGAINST an 'in Danger' listing.
>
>As of now, both need to get messages.
>
>Matsuura needs to be told that if he wants the UNESCO top job, he will have
>to demonstrate his environmental bona-fides by strongly supporting an 'in
>danger' listing as reccommended by the UNESCO advisory bodies.
>
>Tell him that not only Kakadu needs protecting, but the credibility of the
>World Heritage Convention needs protecting - and if Kakadu is not listed as
>'in Danger' with two large uranium mines in the middle of it, when
>Yellowstone and Mt Nimba were listed, then the World Heritage Convention
>will not be worth the paper its written on, and his claim to be a worthy
>candidate for the UNESCO D/G will also be in tatters.
>
>His fax number is +33-1-42-27-50-81.
>You should also fax the WHC on +33-1-456-85570.
>
>The Hungarian Governments WHC delegate needs to hear that the whole world
>has heard of the sleazy deal with the Australian government -and that they
>should prove us wrong, and prove that there is no such deal by strongly
>advocating and voting for an 'in Danger' listing.
>
>The Hungarian WHC delegates fax number is +33-1-44-49-05-15. His name is Mr
>Pal Patacki.
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3) GAC MEDIA REQUEST FOR 12 JULY
As has been written in a previous Update, GAC is making the request that
groups opposing the mine around Australia not attempt to draw media on the
day of the decision and for two days thereafter.
Some people have expressed confusion at this, wanting to go out and do
media-oriented actions on the night.
This is entirely understandable. Many people have worked hard on this
campaign, and here's a chance to express public joy or public
disappointment at an important decision.
But we ask you to look at it this way. Mirrar have expended a lot of time,
money and energy on this aspect of the campaign. It has born fruit, not
just in terms of the December World Heritage Committee decision, but also
in terms of the reports of the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage
Committee and the recent report of the Senate Inquiry. It appears that it
will be the cultural listing of Kakadu National Park which may be decisive
in the matter.
In this matter the Yvonne Margarula and Jacqui Katona will be competing
with Robert Hill (who will also be in Paris) for media space in the
Australian media. They will also be competing for media space with Phil
Shervington, wherever he is on that day.
It is much cheaper and more convenient for the Australian media to seek out
local footage than to get new footage from Europe. So media-oriented
actions here on the night of the decision and the time afterwards would -
with the best will in the world - be competing with Yvonne Margarula and
Jacqui Katona for media space.
Basically, it's bad enough having to compete with your opponents for media
space without having to compete with your friends too.
And the most important thing at that stage will be to get accurate
information out about what has happened. That information can only come
from those who have actually been at the meeting in Paris on the 12th.
This is particularly true if the decision goes against the Mirrar. Then on
the following couple of days there will be responses and counter-responses
to be made. The appropriate people to be making such statements are those
with the most to lose - the Mirrar.
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4) BUS CAVALCADE
A few days ago I put out an email encouraging people to participate in the
bus-cavalcade from Brisbane to Canberra, to arrive for the World Heritage
Committee's decision in Paris on 12 July.
Unfortunately that message was, from the point of view of Gundjehmi
Aboriginal Corporation, premature. Information emerging over the last days
has led to Jacqui Katona deciding to withdraw GAC's endorsement.
The text of the statement sent to Benny Zable today is below.
"The Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation unfortunately finds it necessary to
withdraw its endorsement of the bus-trip to Canberra planned to coincide
with the decision of the World Heritage Committee in Paris.
There are two reasons for this decision.
The first is that the trip has been organized by and through groups and
individuals who have repeatedly shown that they do not support the
Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation. Under such circumstances the continued
endorsement of the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation would be entirely
inappropriate.
The second reason is that the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation has asked
supporters of the Mirrar and other opponents of the proposed Jabiluka mine
to refrain from media comment at the time of the decision and for the two
days afterwards. This Corporation is not confident of the willingness of
all participants on the bus-trip to honour this request.
Accordingly the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation finds it necessary to
withdraw endorsement.
Should the bus-trip go ahead, Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation further asks
that public statements or speeches not touch upon Mirrar cultural matters."
It is important in all this that this is in no way intended to reflect upon
Benny Zable and GAC's relations with him. Benny has been and remains a
strong supporter of the Mirrar.
It is a real pity that this initiative has turned out this way.
Karl-Erik Paasonen
for Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation
Contact details:
Phone: Within Australia: (08) 8979 2200; international: +61 - 8 - 8979
2200; Fax: Within Australia: (08) 8979 2299; international:
+61 - 8 - 8979 2299
Postal address: PO Box 245 Jabiru,
Northern Territory
AUSTRALIA 0886.
We have this amazing web-site, which you'd be CRAZY not to have a look at:
http://www.mirrar.net
...........................................................................
"We will fight to protect our country and that is a fact of life"
Yvonne Margarula.
Ba-ngurdmeninj Djabulukku! Yun Ngurri-Djalgarung Boiwek Gun-Ngukbim!
"Stop Jabiluka! Don't the dig the life out of the Knob-Tailed Gecko Dreaming!"
...........................................................................
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