Forwarded with permission: THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY IS ON THE MOVE EMBASSADORS FROM THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY WILL BE EMBARKING ON A NATIONAL SOVEREIGN RIDE TO SING UP ABORIGINAL SOVEREIGNTY THE TOUR IS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS OF THE SOVEREIGN COUNCIL AND CONCERNED GROUPS IN AUSTRALIA In it's 27th year of occupation, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy still spearheads the struggle for recognition of Aboriginal sovereignty and for freedom and justice. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy in it's peaceful presence poses the following fundamental question: By what authority does the British Crown or the Australian government have sovereign right over the lands and Peoples of the Aboriginal Nations? OBJECTIVES OF THE TOUR IS TO BRING THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY TO THE COMMUNITIES TO GIVE ALL COMMUNITIES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON THE SOVEREIGN ISSUES CONCERNING ABORIGINAL PEOPLE AND NATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES TO STOP THE WAR CRIMES FROM CONTINUING AGAINST ABORIGINAL PEOPLE AND CALL FOR PEACE, BEFORE RECONCILIATION. DISCLOSE THE CONTINUATION OF GENOCIDE, BEING PERPETRATED UPON ABORIGINAL PEOPLE FOR EXAMPLE THE NATIVE TITLE ACT AND AMENDMENTS. CALL UPON THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY TO HONOUR ALL INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO STOP FURTHER VIOLATIONS OF SUCH INSTRUMENTS TO OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE SELF EMPOWERMENT FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE The speaking tour starts on the 3 August 1999 and will continue until JUSTICE IS SERVED Are you interested in having speakers come to your community from the Embassy, please do not hesitate to contact us at: ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY PO BOX 71, NARRABUNDAH ACT 2604 Telephone/Fax: (02) 6295 0493 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.aboriginaltentembassy.com.au Press Release press release press release press release PRESS RELEASE Background: Aboriginal Tent Embassy has been existing since 1972, calling for Australia to keep up with international standards which it lacks concerning Aboriginal Peoples and Nations. Part of Prime Minister Howard's 1998 election victory speech was to have a "true and just reconciliation" 25 Jan 1999: Aboriginal Tent Embassy under attack because it is an eyesore to Australia. Cabinet enacted an 40 year old law. to remove embassy. 26 Jan 1999 INVASION DAY, Corroboree for Aboriginal Sovereignty held at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. 27 Jan 1999 Declaration for Peace issued. 8-16 February 1999 Calls sent out to Aboriginal Communities to come to show support to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. 8 February 1999: Aboriginal Tent Embassy demands that Prime Minister, Howard and all politicians talk to the Aboriginal people at the Tent Embassy about the crisis concerning Aboriginal Peoples throughout the land. Since this day was the first day of parliament's sitting for the new year it was an appropriate time to commit to dealing with the heart of the issues facing this Country. Namely:, the legality of Aboriginal Sovereignty; the creation of a foundation for genuine dialogue by not negotiating with the artificial Aboriginal leadership much of which is government controlled, e.g. ATSIC, NIWG, land councils etc. but with "sovereign Aboriginal councils with family bloodlines connected back to territories" [section 6 Declaration for Peace]; ceasing all incitement to genocide of Aboriginal Peoples and Nations. This is the only path to genuine peace-making. and to accept the urgency of the Declaration for Peace. That night sacred fire arrested. 9 February 1999: returned to talk peace at Parliament house, stayed all night. 10 February 1999: Sacred fire arrested again that night, along with sacred objects of the ceremony. 15 February 1999: Declaration for Peace on behalf of Aboriginal People and nations was handed to Senator Bill Heffernan to deliver to Cabinet at the Fire for Peace and Justice asking John Howard to come and talk peace. Later that day the Cabinet gave their answer to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy's eight point Declaration for Peace by instruction from Parliament through the Speaker of the House and the Presidency of the Senate, Senator Margaret Reid, who instructed the AFP (Australian Federal Police) and Australian Protective Service (APS) to move our ancient peaceful ceremonial gathering. 17 February 1999: First invitation to Governor-General, 18 February 1999: Gatjil Djerrkura says: "the tent embassy was established to demonstrate to Australians that Aboriginal people have never ceded sovereignty and to bring to national attention of our continuing quest for land."....... We call on Gatjil Djerrkura, all ATSIC Commissioners and Regional Councillors, Reconciliation Council members, NIWG and all Aboriginal Statutory bodies to come to the Fire and join us in the Fire Ceremony. 21 February 1999: The Aboriginal Tent Embassy appealed our concerns to the Governor General by inviting him to the Fire for Peace and Justice Ceremony, but he has ignored our pleas the Governor General did not appear for Peace talks. An attempt to visit the Governor-General on this day was thwarted by the excessive presence of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). 23 February 1999: the AFP handed back sacred objects which were abducted from us under the orders from the Speaker of the House of Parliament and the National Capital Authority (NCA). Our Ceremony was disrupted after we had full authority from Ngunnawal Elder, Aunty Tiny Connors, to conduct the Fire Ceremony in front of Parliament House. 24 February 1999: REFUSED BY GOVERNOR GENERAL 25 February 1999: Appealed to the world community, we call on all Foreign Embassies to come to our Fire for Peace and ask them to invoke International Law and International Standards to help stop further attacks against the Peace, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity being perpetrated on Aboriginal People of this country. We call on the International Fora to establish an International peace keeping operation in this country to monitor the Aboriginal Tent Embassy's Declaration for Peace and to make Australia honour its International obligations 25 February 1999 ATSIC NIWG and other Statutory bodies to honour the principles of the National Meeting held at Boomanulla Oval in Canberra 1993, where the majority at that meeting voted not to the Native Title Act and called for proper negotiations between Aboriginal Peoples and Nations on the issue of Aboriginal Sovereignty, bloodlines back to territories. 2 Mar 1999: On three occasions, we have taken the Ceremonial Fire for Peace to John Howard and Cabinet . The first occasion the Fire for Peace was arrested. The second occasion 211 Ceremonial Sticks and the Fire for Peace was arrested. On the third occasion, we were met with the use of violence and the detainment of our Sacred Objects and the arrest of two non-Aboriginal supporters. This left us no alternative but to appeal to the Governor-General by inviting him to the Fire Ceremony for Peace at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. This was refused. So we have taken the Fire Ceremony for Peace to Government House and invited the Governor-General to come and talk Peace. He has also refused this invitation stating this is because of his political belief. These have been two disappointing replies from the Governor-General. We are now awaiting his reply to our third invitation to come to our Fire Ceremony for Peace. Governor-General invites Embassy Embassadors into Government House, Embassadors accept invitation. Governor-General informs Embassadors that there is nothing he can do to stop the genocide and illegal occupation of Aboriginal lands because he has not got the constitutional power. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PLEASE CONTACT: ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY PO BOX 71, NARRABUNDAH ACT 2604 Telephone/Fax: (02) 6295 0493 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.aboriginaltentembassy.com.au ------------------------------------------------------- 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/
