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“Australians no longer need to hide their racism”

Ngurampaa | 08.01.2010 23:32 | Anti-racism | Ecology | Social Struggles

Goodooga, northwest NSW, 8 January 2010 -- An Aboriginal activist, who was once engaged by the Australian government as a consultant on special race relations matters, says Australians are so racist that they cannot recognise it anymore because racism is so pronounced and active here. “Australians no longer have to be covert about racism, they show it publicly,” Michael Anderson, leader of the 3,000 Euahlayi of northwest NSW, writes in response to the recent murder of an Indian student in Melbourne.

Michael Anderson farms ancestral lands
Michael Anderson farms ancestral lands



“Have a listen to Australian talk back radio programs, they appear to have an unlimited right to racially condemn people,” he writes.

The first Aboriginal public prosecutor in the district court of NSW in the field of criminal law, Mr Anderson says for the Victorian police to say that this is just another crime by ordinary criminals, shows their naivety in such matters as race relations.

“It is absolute cowardice on the part of the Rudd Labor government and their Liberal coalition Opposition to deny that the recent killing of an Indian student in Melbourne was racially motivated.

“The audacity of the government and police to say that the student should not have carried a lap top computer while walking to work after dark is absurd and pathetic.”

Mr Anderson, who lectured Aboriginal studies and politics at several Australian Universities, charges that Australians have always encouraged race supremacists to settle in Australia.

“Just look at the ‘chicken run’ from South Africa when the white race supremacists chose not to live under black rule. They were encouraged to come and live in Australia. It is not surprising that where they settled Aboriginal people have suffered increased racial abuse and physical attacks; just take Townsville as an example.”

He cites as another example of racism the Moree Plains Shire voting down Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology, saying in a resolution that they did not support it and that there was no need to support it.

Nearby in the general area, Mr Anderson now runs a sheep and cattle property on his traditional ancestral land in the lower Ballone river system on both sides of the New South Wales and Queensland borders.

The last survivor of the four young Black Power activists who set up the Aboriginal embassy in Canberra in 1972 cites other examples of racism:

• “You only have to listen to white Australians who after getting out of a taxi racially condemn the black and/or Asian drivers.”

• “How many white police or correctional institutional staff have been prosecuted for killing Aborigines in custody? How many more Aboriginal deaths in custody have occurred in prisons around the country since the Royal Commission Report?”

• “Governments can get away with passing discriminatory laws because the Australian public chooses not to want to know about it. This is what makes this country a dangerous place when it comes to racism.”

Mr Anderson implores the Indian government to demand that the Australian government take a more pro-active initiative on racism and to pass much stronger anti-racism laws.

“In particular this is a case where the media must be reined in and boundaries must be set. If Germany can set in place strong anti-racist laws which include how the media deal with such things, then so too can Australia.”

Michael Anderson can be contacted at 02 68296355 landline, 04272 92 492 mobile, 02 68296375 fax,  ngurampaa@bigpond.com.au


Mr Anderson’s release in full:

It is absolute cowardice on the part of the Rudd Labor government and their Liberal coalition Opposition to deny that the recent killing of an Indian student in Melbourne was racially motivated.

The audacity of the government and police to say that the student should not have carried a lap top computer while walking to work after dark is absurd and pathetic.

For the Victorian police to say that this is just another crime by ordinary criminals is to show their naivety in such matters as race relations.

Australia is so racist that they cannot recognise it anymore because racism is so pronounced and active here. Australians no longer have to be covert about racism, they show it publicly. Take the Moree Plains shire, who two years ago voted down Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology; in a resolution the shire said they do not support it and that there was no need to support it.

Have a listen to the Australian talk back radio programs in this country, they appear to have an unlimited right to racially condemn people. Listening to these programs will give you a very good insight into the Australian mentality towards people of colour and racial origins.

Let us tell it as it is. Australians have always encouraged race supremacists to come and live in Australia. Just look at the ‘chicken run’ from South Africa when the white race supremacists chose not to live under black rule. They were encouraged to come and live in Australia. It is not surprising that where they settled Aboriginal people have suffered increased racial abuse and physical attacks; just take Townsville as an example.

In NSW and Western Australia police have waged a war on our youth, stopping them every time they walk in the streets in small groups, in some cases confiscating their personal property if they cannot show receipts.

You only have to listen to white Australians who after getting out of a taxi racially condemn the black and/or Asian drivers.

How many white police or correctional institutional staff have been prosecuted for killing Aborigines in custody? Consequently how many more Aboriginal deaths in custody have occurred in prisons around the country since the Royal Commission Report?

This is the only country in the world that has a Human Rights Commission but has the constitutional power to suspend it when they seek to pass special laws against any race it deems necessary. Thereby permitting themselves to pass discriminatory laws. And they can get away with it because the Australian public chooses not to want to know about it. This is what makes this country a dangerous place when it comes to racism.

Wake up Australia, you are a racist country and you don’t have to go far to find this out, listen to those you call friends when they talk of other races who come to live in Australia.

Australians demand that the new comers should give up their cultural identity, including their languages, to ASSIMILATE. We Aborigines can tell you a lot about this. This is RACISM, this is not patriotic Australianism.

I implore the Indian government to demand that the Australian government take more pro-active initiative on racism and to pass much stronger anti-racism laws. In particular this is a case where the media must be reined in and boundaries must be set. If Germany can set in place strong anti-racist laws which includes how the media deals with such things, then so too can Australia.

Ngurampaa

Comments

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Been another attack

09.01.2010 12:08

For the second time in two weeks another Indian man has been attacked in the same city, this time petrol was poured over him and he was set alight. Once again police claim there are no racist motivations behind the attack

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8449731.stm

Australia's police force is disgraceful!

Down under


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finally!

09.01.2010 16:05

Finally the NAZI APARTHIED Australian regime is getting the recognition it deserves. Hopefully we can now go forward with a total boycott of all Australian products until the stolen land is returned to the Aboriginals!

anon


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This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

personal experience

09.01.2010 16:24

I tried to give a lot of time and leeway to the Aborginals when i went to australia.
However, after about 18 mths my patience wore thin and I can see why Australian's are racist.

I remember walking down a street in Adelaide one night, and having to walk past drunken aborginals hurling abuse at me (because i was white). Another time i was in a pub with 3 friends and we were talking to some. They were ok to begin with but got very insultive for know reason and ended up getting chucked out.

Most australians are racist because its a product of their environment.

When i went to new zealand later, he first street i walked down a Maori woman started swearing abuse at me for no reason. This was 9:00am having just woken up for my first morning stroll there!

Jill


Not confined to Australia

10.01.2010 22:20

The following incidence of a crime not being treated as faith or racially motivated is not isolated nor only associated with Jewish victims. My emphasis in capitals.

 http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/2229409.man_charged_over_golders_green_stabbings/

Man charged over Golders Green stabbings
By Kevin Bradford
A man has been charged following a double knife attack on two Orthodox Jews in Golders Green.
Mohamed Jama Ahmed, 37, of North Circular Road, Cricklewood, was arrested after two stabbings which happened just meters apart in roads off Golders Green Road on Friday.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the attacks, which happened at around 6pm, appear to have been random and unprovoked, BUT WERE NOT BEING TREATED AS FAITH HATE CRIMES.
Officers were alerted to a 47-year-old man in The Drive who was suffering from stab wounds to his arm and chest.
While at the scene, police were informed that a 43-year-old man had been stabbed in nearby Beverley Gardens.
Both victims were taken to hospital and are said to be in a stable condition.
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Ahmed was arrested on Sunday and charged with two counts of assault involving grievous bodily harm.
He is due to appear at Hendon Magistrates Court today.
9:05am today

onlyme


Interview

17.01.2010 07:56

Diet Simon


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