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Indian writer to donate Sydney Peace Prize to Aborigines

12 October 2004 - Controversial Indian author Arundhati Roy has accused Australia of genocide and reportedly plans to donate her $50,000 Sydney Peace Prize to Aboriginal political activists. The 1997 Booker Prize winner for her novel The God of Small Things is due to accept the award in Sydney on November 4.

In an interview to be published in Wednesday's edition of The Bulletin magazine, Ms Roy compares Aborigines to India's Untouchables, or Dalits as they're now known.

"It (untouchability) is one of the most cruel forms of discrimination, but one thing that didn't happen to them was the attempt to genocidally wipe them out, which happened in Australia," she told The Bulletin.

"It's funny, I've spent so much time in South Africa recently, and the white South Africans have a fascination for Australia.

"So, I was talking to some black friends and they laughed and said, 'Yeah, it's because they think the Australians got it right. They just killed the blacks. The South Africans let us survive'."

Ms Roy said she wanted the prize money to go to Aboriginal political activists to further their work.

"I don't want to give the money to Aboriginal communities as some act of charity," she said.

"I want to give it to people who are involved with political work there ... there's no complicated reason, it's just a straightforward political fight for survival and for rights."

Mr Roy has previously branded US President George W Bush as a "terrorist" and described Australia's military presence in Iraq as "inexcusable."

First awarded in 1998, The Sydney Peace Prize is no stranger to controversy.

Last year's award to Palestinian activist Dr Hanan Ashrawi unleashed a torrent of anger from Jewish groups, with prize sponsors lobbied to withdraw and the then Sydney Lord Mayor Lucy Turnball snubbing the event.

Ms Roy has been awarded this year's prize for her advocacy in demanding justice for the poor and people displaced by dam projects, as well as her opposition to nuclear weapons.

AAP

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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