I see Margo Kingson hasn't given up..... Trudy ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ SMH Book for schools defies UN ruling Date: 22/10/99 By MARGO KINGSTON in Canberra United Nations rulings that Australia has breached its human rights obligations have been defied in a Federal Government booklet that claims to "rebut the myths" about Aborigines. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Senator Herron, denied this week that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission had urged changes to the booklet, produced in his office and under his seal. ATSIC's advice to Senator Herron on receiving the draft was that to say Australia was not in breach was itself a myth, because of the UN decision. The booklet's first edition, widely distributed to schools, sought to debunk hurtful myths about Aborigines, including that indigenous affairs was awash with money and that backyards were not safe from native title. But this edition, released last month, adds a new "myth", that "Australia is breaching human rights obligations". Already, 4,000 copies have been distributed. The UN Committee on Racial Discrimination found in March that the Government's Wik amendments to the Native Title Act breached several sections of the Racial Discrimination Treaty and the Treaty on Social and Economic Rights, both of which Australia has ratified. The Government was warned by its own legal adviser and a bevy of QCs before the enactment of the Wik legislation that it breached the treaties. But Senator Herron's booklet did not mention the UN finding, and said: "Some people have used international forums like the UN to criticise Australia and accuse it of violating the human rights of indigenous Australians. This is insulting to many Australians. "Like all Australian citizens, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy a full range of civil and political rights." In an interview on indigenous radio station 4AAA this week, the minister said ATSIC had not recommended any changes to the booklet. His media adviser said later he had "made a mistake". The illustration to the human rights "myth" contradicts the text: a white man shakes hands with an Aboriginal woman while crossing his fingers behind his back. A spokesman for Senator Herron said the booklet was factual because "it's the Government's view that there are no human rights breaches in Australia". Asked about the UN decision, he said: "That's fine. But this is not their publication, it is our publication." A NSW Democrat, Senator Aden Ridgeway, said it was "outrageous that the minister is peddling misinformation when the Government has already been chastised for an approach to native title found to be in breach of two international human rights conventions". "He ought to withdraw that document and fix up his personal Web site, which peddles the same untruth." This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
