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British campaign starts for Aboriginal land rights treaty

'Calling for a treaty', Rikki Shields, Gnarrayarrahe Inmurry Waitaurie, Ponjydflyidu.

A coalition of support groups for Australian indigenous people - including London-based Australian author Germaine Greer - launched an awareness drive through an advertisement in the Independent newspaper, and a vigil at the Australian High Commission.

In a small forum at the Houses of Parliament, the group - which also includes British government MP Jeremy Corbyn - said it would attempt to publicise the subject in Britain so the government and public would join calls for a treaty. "We're not saying we have a treaty in mind, or that we want it rushed through," group spokesman Les Malezer, vice-chair of the Brisbane-based National Indigenous Working Group, said. "We are trying to reignite a debate about Aboriginal rights, recognition of our rights as peoples, and recognition of our rights to self-determination.

"Our lands have been taken, our peoples forcibly removed, we have been set to the disadvantage of living like third world peoples.

We have no control over our lives, we have no control over our families, we have no control over our futures, we have no rights of inheritance we can pass on to future generations.

"That is the message we're giving."

Mr Malezer said legal experts working with the group were also investigating whether the British government had any legal responsibilities in regard to Australia's indigenous population as the country's former colonial master. He said rallies would be organised, with speakers flown from Australia, to spread the message, with the aim of a treaty by 2001.

Professor Greer told the gathering the treaty subject was "not a minority issue but a question of a country in terrible trouble". This, she said, stemmed from a knowledge by most Australians that they have "no right" to be in the country, and a "deep denial" of what their residency in Australia means for Aborigines. She said Australians' lack of understanding of the treaty issue was based on a fear they would be "kicked out of their houses and divorced from their rotary clothes hoists".

Organisers said the Sydney Olympics would present an opportunity to publicise the treaty issue, and said their cause had been boosted by last week 's finding by a United Nations racial discrimination committee that Australia's Wik native title laws were racially discriminatory.

The campaign is being co-ordinated by the London-based European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights.

clip from Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

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