Press Release,Geneva 31 July 2000 In a Statement issued from Geneva, Michael Anderson Native Title Claimant and Convener of the Sovereign Union of Aboriginal Peoples, said that Australia is now well and truly under scrutiny over its human rights abuses. Anderson said that, the recent findings by the UN Human Rights Committee have identified that, while Australia is a very strong advocate in the area of Human Rights world wide, it fails miserably in its own efforts to give the same protections to its population that it requests from other Nations. "The Australian Government must acknowledge that they are doing something wrong in this regards, because this is the second body to say so." Anderson said. "The main point that is of great significance," said Michael Anderson, "is that the Human Rights Committee have urged Australia to create and to pass implementing legislation in its parliament to enable the terms of the different Human Rights Conventions to become part of the domestic legal system. By doing this, people who deem that their rights are being violated can then seek a legal remedy within our own domestic legal system, without having to appeal to the United Nations." "Australia," Michael Anderson said, "would be very wise to follow this recommendation. In this way we can then deal with our own problems internally, but to deny people these rights and protections must surely have the right to go outside of the country to fight for their own protection. Even within a Democracy we can have tyranny. "If Australia continues to deny us our basic human rights then we will keep up the fight on the international level," said Michael Anderson, "and by now the Australian Government must realise that our appeals are being considered very seriously. Howard and his government would be very wise indeed to take the advice of the Human Rights Committee and talk with Aboriginal people in a serious way, but they must also refrain from talking to the selected few, because they are of no real help to the Government as recent conclusions prove. "Talk to all the Aboriginal Peoples is my advice," said Anderson. "We are all different. Don't keep making the mistake by thinking that the New South Wales Aborigines are the same as the Kimberley People. Sure we have common and shared histories but remember our priorities are different in many ways," Anderson said. "Our rights as Aboriginal Peoples are the same nonetheless." Contact: Michael Anderson. Mobile: + 61 (0)40-8331239. Convener Sovereign Union of Aboriginal Peoples of Australia and Native Title Claimant for Nyoongah Ghurradjong Murri of the Euahlayi Nation, NW New South wales. -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
