Antinuclear

Mainstream media distortion of the Olympic Damn uranium mine issue

Christina Macpherson 18 July 12, Today is the officially final day of the anti uranium protest – the Lizard’s Revenge, at Olympic Dam.  The mainstream media has given scant coverage to this large well-organised, and peaceful festival of the movement for clean energy, and for closing down BHP Billiton’s planned behemoth – the largest uranium mine in the world.   But no doubt the media will be able to highlight the arrests of 13 protestors – (6 of them for the dangerous activity of playing cricket!)

I saw some coverage on SBS televison, and was fascinated to see the time given to the BHP spokesman, who stated the “authentic” Aboriginal landowners’ agreement about the mine expansion.  Just who were these Aboriginal spokespeople?  BHP will claim that they are the true traditional owners – the Kokatha people.

But – when you look back to the and not very far past – you find that the Kokatha people rejected uranium mining.   There was never a genuine consultation with either the Kokatha or Arabunna peoples, the real traditional owners. Then a new, never before known group, appeared – the Kokatha Mula. and they formed   Kokatha Mula Land Nations Council Inc and the Kokatha Olympic Dam Agreement Association Inc.   This group emanated from the West Coast of South Australia, and simply – did  a deal with BHP.

It’s not hard to realise that for many Aboriginals – it’s a very desirable thing to get the same living standards as the rest of Australians.  Just a pity that they have to kow tow to an unethical company like BHP to get what the rest of Australians already have, without us having to see our land poisoned by uranium mining.

July 18, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews