An Australian royal commission first discovered the use of depleted uranium in atomic tests at Maralinga some years ago,
Global changes ruining the world, September 25, 2009 Human Nuclear Action UK Admits Soldiers Used in Radiation Experiments The UK Ministry of Defense admitted on 12 May that it exposed British, Australian and New Zealand servicemen to radiation in tests during the 1950s and 1960s. A spokesperson for the Ministry denied that the soldiers were used as guinea pigs, Continue reading
sovereign-rights-exposed-south-australia-and-british-land-coverup-revealed-in-new-book/ – Coober Pedy Regional Times 23 Dec 09 A new book called “Coming to Terms – Aboriginal Title in South Australia”, edited by prominent lawyer Shaun Berg, has just been released. The book clearly exposes the enduring Sovereign land rights of indigenous people. Continue reading
Quaker Indian Committee disavows Doctrine of Discovery, affirms Declaration Indian Country Today By Gale Courey Toensing Dec 17, 2009 PHILADELPHIA – Inspired by the actions of the Episcopal Church, a Quaker group has disavowed the Christian Doctrine of Discovery and voiced its support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Continue reading
Review of the past week
Australia: poll shows Australian want renewable energy, not nuclear, and Australian Academy of Science agrees. Maralinga veterans join British vets’ legal action. Aboriginal victims’ health ignored, too, while Maralinga land returned to them. Climate sceptics continue to get media coverage, and John Howard joins Ziggy Sinowski in nuclear push.
International: China- France nuclear deal despite China’s bad record for secrecy and poor safety. Copenhagen a dud, but strong popular movement for action. Russia plans nukes in space. France’s nuclear electricity coping poorly in extreme weather. South African antinuke movement. Renewables going ahead in Scotland, and Taiwan.
Book reveals SA land injustice BigPond News 21 Dec 09
A new book alleges South Australia was built on an unlawful land grab, which breached British laws protecting the rights of Aboriginal people.
The book, called Coming to Terms, says a rule requiring the settlers to obtain land from the indigenous people only with their consent was ignored.
It says by the end of 1836, the Aboriginal people had been stripped of all their land.
Former High Court justice Michael Kirby will launch the book in Adelaide.
Book reveals SA land injustice | National – Regional | Telstra BigPond News and Weather
Just as the Maralinga army veterans find no justice from the Australian government, in their fight for compensation for radiation-induced illness, so those surviving aborigines affected by the atomic tests still go unrecognised.
In the true tradition of British and Australian governments, it is hoped that they will just all die out and be forgotten.
It sounds fine for SA’s Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jay Weatherill to claim that this land handover is the” final chapter of a 50-year struggle for justice.” But it’s not – those victims of nuclear radiation are still there, and so are their children. The veterans are taking their case to Britain, particularly on behalf of their children and grandchildren. Why should the aboriginal victims continue to be ignored, in the pretense that their health was not affected? Continue reading
Indigenous Peoples in Copenhagen: Ruling out the Nuclear Option — Neither Clean nor Green Nuclear Reaction 15 Dec 09 COPENHAGEN — Remembering the words of Chief Seattle, Indigenous Peoples and people of color at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen sent a message to the world to rule out nuclear energy, which is neither clean nor green. Continue reading
Court to review Federal approval of uranium ABC News 11 Dec 09 A review has been sought in the Federal Court of the approval for Australia’s fourth uranium mine in South Australia’s far north-east.The action was taken by the Indigenous Justice Advocacy Network. Continue reading
Indigenous delegates head to Copenhagen ABC Indigenous Dec 9, 2009 Representatives of Australia’s northern Aboriginal land councils will fly to the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen today. Continue reading
Nuclear is cleanest power source- senator ABC Alice Springs By Aislin O’Connor and Kirsty Nancarrow 4 Dec 09 -…….. an anti-nuclear group in Alice Springs says this week’s change in the Liberal Party leadership makes it even more likely that a nuclear waste facility will be forced on the Territory.
The Beyond Nuclear Initiative has reiterated its calls for the Federal Government to fulfil its 2007 election promise to repeal the Radioactive Waste Management Act.The group’s Natalie Wasley says it is a year since a Senate Committee recommended the laws forcing a nuclear waste facility on the Territory be overturned.”
And this comes amidst an increased push by the Liberal Party to develop and expand the nuclear industry in Australia,” she said.”So we believe that if the nuclear waste dump in the Territory goes ahead, there’ll be increasing pressure on those same communities to host an international high-level nuclear waste dump some time in the future.”
ABC Alice Springs – Nuclear is cleanest power source: senator
Two points of view here, on the Australian government’s aboriginal policy. How I would like to think that our government is completely sincere in its policies towards the aborigines. And perhaps the government is sincere, in many regards. Continue reading
Review – Australia:Alice Springs doctors protesting against uranium mining. While Australia burns Labor and Liberal squabble over a pretty much irrelevant ETS scheme.. Aborigines get back Maralinga, but land still radioactive. Regional solar and wind projects go ahead, despite Australian government prioritising “clean” coal
International : Nuclear lobby pushing hard for nuclear inclusion at Copenhagen. UK, USA and China govts formally aiming to offer nuclear power to countries as (?somehow) an opposite to nuclear weapons. AREVA’s Finland and French new reactor designs found to be unsafe. From worldwide, people organising to converge on Copenhagen on December 12. – the past week
We will quit if uranium mine opens, say doctors Sydney Morning Herald DEBRA JOPSON November 23, 2009
DOCTORS at the only Aboriginal medical service in Alice Springs have threatened to leave if the Federal Government allows a Canadian company to mine uranium near the town.
Protesters will press Northern Territory MPs to stop their support when Parliament sits in Central Australia tomorrow. Continue reading
Australia: government must overturn law which discriminates against aboriginal people Amnesty International 18 November 2009
Slamming decades of failure by Australian governments to address the dire living conditions and discrimination faced by many of the country’s Indigenous peoples, Continue reading
Maralinga land ‘not ready’ for handing back ABC News Nov 11, 2009 An ex-serviceman who was exposed to radiation during Maralinga atomic testing in the 1960s says land should not be handed over to traditional owners until a contaminated area is cleaned up or fenced off. Continue reading
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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