I think you must have made a mistake on this one, Trudy.
Perhaps the news report was referring to an episode of ''The Games" , the
John Clark comedy show on the ABC .
If this report is true, maybe 'The Games" is not a comedy show but is
actually SOCOG at work.
What dithering, divisive clowns they are.
Laurie
Laurie and Desley Forde
Email. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Without a treaty, which spells out the obligations and rights of both
parties, there can be no Reconciliation in Australia----Geoff Clark.
--------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Trudy Bray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "news-clip" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2000 9:06 AM
Subject: The Age: Aboriginal groups irate over Olympic flag ban
> THE AGE
> Aboriginal groups irate over Olympic flag ban
>
> By PADRAIC MURPHY
> Sunday 20 August 2000
>
> In a move that has outraged Aboriginal groups, the Sydney
> Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has banned
> spectators and athletes from taking the Aboriginal flag into
> Games venues.
>
> SOCOG staff have been told to confiscate the flag. People
> who refuse risk being thrown out of the Games.
>
> The ban could be extended to people who wear an image of
> the Aboriginal flag on their clothing.
>
> The decision means Cathy Freeman will not be allowed to
> repeat her controversial victory performance at the 1994
> Commonwealth Games and wrap herself in the Aboriginal
> and Australian flags should she win the 400 metres final.
>
> "What's so threatening about a piece of red, black and yellow
> material?" asked chairwoman of the Metropolitan Land
> Council in Sydney, Jenny Munro.
>
> "We all have rights in a democracy. These are draconian measures."
>
> SOCOG spokesman Milton Cockburn said the Aboriginal flag would be
confiscated
> from spectators and competitors, as it breached International Olympic
Committee
> rules.
>
> "Flags from non-participating countries will be confiscated by our access
control
> staff," he said.
>
> Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission chairman Geoff Clark said
the ban
> would further inflame tensions between organisers and Aboriginal
communities in the
> lead-up to the Games.
>
> "Why shouldn't people be able to bring in our flag?" he said "It's
officially recognised,
> the Games are on Aboriginal land, and the flag acknowledges Aboriginal
people."
>
> The ban would further Aboriginal groups' resolve to use the Games to
inform the
> world of their plight, he said.
>
> "The growing frustration of Aboriginal people is obvious," Mr Clark said.
>
> Sources said the ban was part of an SOCOG push to make the Games as free
of
> controversy as possible.
>
> But Aboriginal groups said the ban was heavy-handed and would present a
further
> obstacle to reconciliation.
>
> Ms Munro said the policy had the potential to be a public relations
disaster, especially
> if Cathy Freeman won gold.
>
> "They will have exactly the sort of trouble they're trying to avoid," she
said. "They
> are meant to be trying to promote our flag and our culture."
>
>
>
> *************************************************************************
> 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 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/
