Antinuclear

Northern Territory “Intervention” in interests of uranium miners, not Aborigines

Without doubt, the so called ‘resource boom’ where the price of minerals, especially of uranium started climbing, had a major impact in the introduction of the NT intervention laws which permitted the government to reclaim aboriginal lands.

it is the mining companies and not the aboriginal people who stand to gain from the relocation of aboriginal people away from their land

Alyawarr (Australian Aboriginal) people walked off. They say “enough is enough ! Abolish Northern Territory Intervention ! jagath dheerasekara, 23 March 2010, ” The report, Children are Sacred brought to the fore, the continuing neglect and service failure by successive governments, as a root cause of the ills plaguing the aboriginal community.

It also stressed the need to return the strength to the aboriginal communities and the need to find solutions in consultation and ownership of aboriginal people.

However, the NT intervention laws introduced in the wake of this report operate in complete contradiction to these recommendations. Aboriginal community leaders describe the intervention laws as disempowering, paternalistic and offensive.

This piece of legislation, is viewed as one of the biggest attacks on aboriginal land rights and self determination in the recent history. Without doubt, the so called ‘resource boom’ where the price of minerals, especially of uranium started climbing, had a major impact in the introduction of the NT intervention laws which permitted the government to reclaim aboriginal lands.

Forty percent of world’s uranium deposits are located in Australia and most of it in the Northern Territory. Thus it is the mining companies and not the aboriginal people who stand to gain from the relocation of aboriginal people away from their land and incarcerating them in fenced in prescribed areas.

jagath dheerasekara: Alyawarr (Australian Aboriginal) people walked off. They say “enough is enough ! Abolish Northern Territory Intervention !”

March 23, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | aboriginal issues, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, uranium | aboriginal, antinuclear, Australia, BHP, BHP Billiton, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium