Human Rights Education - Amnesty International Australia

Human Rights Education - Amnesty International Australia
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Indigenous rights in Australia today: starting points for discussion

Introduction

"The Government's apology to the Stolen Generations and other Indigenous Australians...is a welcome shift from the past...but to achieve the returns it wants it must replace its blunt and blanket policy approaches."

Irene Khan, Secretary General, Amnesty International

Back in 2000, more than 300,000 people joined the walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation, showing a large constituency in Australia wanting a new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Since then, we have seen more examples of Australia moving forward in recognising Indigenous rights. Examples include the national apology to the Stolen Generations, the Federal Government’s support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and plans to hold a referendum on recognising Indigenous Peoples in Australia’s Constitution.

Despite this, continuing racism, both in individuals and in society, show that much still needs to be done to make the vision of Indigenous rights a reality in Australia.

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Indigenous rights in Australia today: some case studies

Below are some stories of people affected by these issues.

Charged for receiving a stolen Freddo Frog

In 2009, a 12-year-old Indigenous boy from Western Australia was charged with receiving a stolen Freddo Frog valued at about 70 cents.

At the time, WA Aboriginal Legal Service chief lawyer Peter Collins observed, "It's hard not to imagine that if this had have happened to a non-Aboriginal kid from an affluent Perth suburb with professional parents, that we wouldn't be in this situation…"

After a public outcry, the charges were withdrawn.

Education: some improvements

The first decade of the 21st century has seen some improvements in Indigenous education. Census figures show that the proportion of Indigenous people aged 15 years and over who had completed school to Year 12, increased from 20 per cent in 2001 to 23 per cent in 2006.

Respected leader dies in a prison van

On 26 January 2008, a respected Aboriginal community leader, Mr. Ward, was arrested. The next day he was dead, after receiving third degree burns during a 350 km trip in the back of a commercially operated prison van.

The coroner said it was a disgrace that a prisoner should be transported in this way in the 21st century. The Justice of the Peace who refused Mr. Ward bail, requiring him to be transported to Kalgoorlie, was asked by ABC Four Corners whether he knew whether Mr. Ward was well respected. He replied, "No. No. He was an Aboriginal in a very drunken state or very groggy state. That's all I knew him as".

Following the coroner's report, the Western Australian Government made some welcome changes, including training of police and public officials.

Life expectancy and living conditions

An Indigenous child born in Australia today can expect to die up to 20 years earlier than a non-Indigenous child.

This statistic is shown in a 2010 UN report. It also reveals that Indigenous households are half as likely to own their own homes, and they are more likely to live in overcrowded conditions. The situation is particularly serious in rural and remote communities where people frequently do not have access to affordable adequate food, water and housing and have poor access to basic services and infrastructure.

Land rights: making self-determination possible

In 2009 the largest sand mine in the southern hemisphere was approved in New South Wales. Some 30 million tonnes of sand will be extracted from two Indigenous-owned sites on the Stockton Bight. The project will be the main source of sand for the Sydney and Newcastle construction industries for the next 20 years.

The royalties flowing from the project will go to the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, which will be able to spend up to $320 million on housing, health and employment programs for their community. Indigenous Peoples in NSW have campaigned for rights to land since they were first dispossessed.