Isn't this a bit self-defeating? Doesn't asking for diplomatic representation concede the legitimacy of the government from whom you are asking it? I thought the idea was to deny the legitimacy of the Australian government.
This manoeuvre just puts the Tent Embassy on a par with any other visiting country. If I was the Howard government, I'd accept the offer because foreign embassies have no rights under Australian law - they are just visitors protected by a number of International conventions. The diplomatic privileges the elders seem to want are just that - privileges. Withdrawn quite easily. Even as symbolism or brave-faced defiance this seems like a dumb idea. Cheers - Tim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trudy Bray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RecOzNet2" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 7:49 AM Subject: [recoznettwo] Press Statement: From Aboriginal Tent Embassy > PRESS STATEMENT > > From Aboriginal Tent Embassy > > 20 February 2002 > > In a statement issued from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy today it was > confirmed that the Embassy Elders considered the Embassy to be that and > will be writing to the Australian Government asking it to be recognised > as such with all the official Diplomatic privileges as other foreign > Embassies. > > This confirmation comes after it was decided that considering the > Australian stand in the United Nations that Aboriginal Peoples are not > considered Peoples under International Law and therefore do not have a > right to Self-Determination. > > Michael Anderson one of the founders of the Embassy said that Elder > Kevin Buzzacot was right to argue that Embassy officials are responsible > for the precincts of the Embassy and nothing more. He said that ACT > officials should talk to the Embassy elders because the Embassy > considers itself to be that. > > "No Government official or other of the Australian communitiy would dare > go to other Foreign Embassies as they do with this Embassy, somehow I > believe that someone in this and other Government consider this Embassy > to be somewhat of a joke but for political reasons don't seek to cause > commotion and confrontation by coming and removing it," Anderson said. > > As regards to comments attributed to the ATSIC Chairman, Anderson said, > "ATSIC has problems of its own and should concentrate on their task as > they are failing to truly address the needs of our people, which is why > the Embassy was originally established and is why we remain to this > day." In his own recommendation to ATSIC Anderson said, " ATSIC should > talk to the Prime Minister and ask him about his Government's concern: > why only 8 cents in every dollar actually reaches Aboriginal Communities > to address the disadvantages. > > As Mr Buzzacott said, "The Government and everyone else should deal with > their own problems before offering advice to the Embassy." > > > > > -- > ------------------------------------------------------------ > "The power of accurate observation is commonly call cynicism > by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at > http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and > Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from > that date. > 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." > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. 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."
