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British Government Challenged to repay debt to Indigenous Australians

22 March 1999 - Aboriginal Activists in London to launch new Indigenous Rights Group

On Monday 22nd March the British Government will be challenged to repay its moral debt to Indigenous Australians when a new Aboriginal Rights group is launched at Parliament House, London. The British Aboriginal support group already has the backing of prominent people including Professor Germaine Greer and John Pilger, MPs as well as the UK union movement and human rights organisations. They will be joined in London for the launch by a number of high profile Aboriginal activists..

The group challenges the British Government to repay its moral debt to Australia's Indigenous people. Australia, unlike other nations, which Britain colonised, was the one country where Britain did not sign a treaty. This put the Aboriginal people at an enormous disadvantage when it came to struggling for their basic rights.

Australia becoming a republic is dependent on the British parliament rescinding the 1900 Australia Constitution Act. This affords both the British Government and the people of Britain a unique opportunity to pressure the Australian Government before becoming a republic in 2001.

As well as pushing for a treaty the British Government must be pressured into ensuring Indigenous rights are respected under Australia's new constitution. Australia's 1901 constitution failed to recognise Indigenous Australians as human beings. It was not until the 1967 referendum that they became citizens in their own country and even then many of their rights as Indigenous peoples were ignored.

The founding of the group reflects the growing unease in Britain at Australia's worsening human rights record as Indigenous rights are rolled back by the current Howard-led Government.

Launch: 4pm Monday, March 22nd, Committee Room 6, House of Commons, Westminster.
Speakers include: Commissioner Geoff Clarke (ATSIC), Les Malezer (NIWG), Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie, Ponjydflyidu, Professor Germaine Greer, John Pilger, Keith Vaz (MP), Jeremy Corbyn (MP), also speakers from the Trade Union Congress, UNISON, RMT, Amnesty International, 1990 Trust and National Assembly Against Racism.

Photo opportunity: Candlelight Vigil, 6.30pm outside Australia House, London.

To coincide with the launch an ad has been placed in The Independent, 22nd March 1999.

Further information: british responsibility issues page - includes news index and external links