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Greer to stay in exile until treaty rights past wrongs

by Simon Mann

24 March 1999 - Australia's feminist icon Germaine Greer yesterday vowed not to return to Australia until the Federal Government negotiated a treaty with Aborigines that sought to put right past injustices. She also made a plea to the world's black athletes to use the Sydney Olympics for some ``expression of solidarity'' with indigenous Australians, similar to the controversial black power salutes that characterised the Mexico Games 30 years ago.

Speaking at a public meeting at Westminster - where she added her voice to calls from Aboriginal groups for Britain to support a treaty - Dr Greer said the raised black-gloved fists of medal-winning Americans at Mexico had galvanised world opinion. She said Sydney 2000 provided Aborigines with their best opportunity to raise international awareness of their plight.

Dr Greer added that she was ashamed to have been born in Australia and ashamed of the ``triumphalist line that is Australian history''. ``That's how stupid our history is,'' she said, and until this was set right through reconciliation she would stay away. ``I consider myself as much in exile as those who escaped South Africa during apartheid,'' she said.

Dr Greer's comments included a strong attack on Australians' ``wilful blindness to the simplest and most obvious issue of natural justice'' and said their lack of understanding of a treaty boiled down to fears that they would lose their houses and their beloved Hill's hoists. She said Australians were in a state of ``deep denial'' because they had no right to be in the country. She warned that Aborigines would be ``ripped off during the Olympic Games for their color, their culture and their tourism value''.

The campaign for a treaty is being co-ordinated by the London-based European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights. The group believes a treaty should be negotiated in time for the centenary of Federation in 2001 and formally recognise the rights of Aborigines to land and a greater say in their future.

The meeting follows last week's strong condemnation of the Howard Government's Aboriginal policies by a Geneva-based United Nations human rights committee.

Source: The Age

related links:

• Its time for a treaty
• British Campaign starts for Aboriginal land treaty rights
• Aboriginal call for British Responsibility

Further information: native title issues page - includes news index and external links

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