Michael Anderson backs Nyoongar Aboriginal Embassy in Perth

from Diet Simon, Goodooga, Northwest NSW, 19 February 2012 – – The last surviving co-founder of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra has expressed his support for the Nyoongar Embassy encampment set up on Heirisson Island in Perth a few days ago and now under threat of eviction.

Michael Anderson, leader of the Euahlayi tribe, endorses the call by Robert Eggington, spokesman of the Nyoongar Embassy, that it’s the Perth City Council that should “move on”.

State, Territory and federal governments should now be seeking legal advice on the true nature of the Aboriginal sovereignty claim as it will not be going away, Anderson writes in a media release.

“Our assertion of sovereignty over this continent is real and legally just. It is in English Law, and the English and the Australians have no choice but to deal with it in a mature and just manner,” he argues.

He says Aborigines now foresee Australian governments depending very heavily on police to terrorize the sovereignty movement, “rather than speak to us, as one would expect diplomacy would dictate”.

“We are in the process of alerting the Secretary-General of the United Nations to our sovereignty movement. If necessary, we will be calling upon the United Nations to send in peace keepers to prevent our people from being harassed and terrorized.”

“The Nyoongar Embassy spokesperson, Mr. Eggington, is correct when he says that the offer of $1billion for the city area of Perth and their Native Title claim area is a joke of monumental proportions. Some of the house blocks in the more affluent areas of Perth are collectively worth more. Then to say to the people that they cannot access any of the money for 10 years is an insult.”

Anderson warns of the danger of Aboriginal society in the Perth area imploding from fighting over whether to accept or reject the offer.