Sorry i won't be able to go to the demo coz i live in wellington.

Thanks julz for doing something.

Please keep us posted here on indy media about the results of the conference and of postal addresses we can send support to.

thanks xxx mark

Kia Ora

Tangata Whenua will be showing their tautoko as well, but it must be remembered that Aboriginal peoples should be driving their own struggles, self determination is an action and a process not just a ends. The 'left' in occupied Australia & NZ should remember that.

blackgst.revolt.org/index.html

Regards
Ana

DECLARATION:
ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY
August 2002

We the Aboriginal Nations of Australia, declare our sovereignty over the country to which we belong.

Each Nation lived as one with the land, respecting the rights of other nations, and observing Aboriginal law and protocols, from the Beginning.

Our world was shattered by the violence of the Invasion which began when the First Fleet of British Boat people arrived in 1788. Our people were decimated, as the invaders stole our country, imposed their own laws and systems of government on our peoples, forcing our people into concentration camps called “missions”.

Our people resisted the invasion, and continue to resist to this very day.

Aboriginal sovereignty, the sovereign rights of each and every surviving Aboriginal Nation, continue to this day. Aboriginal sovereignty has been impeded by invader violence, but never extinguished.

We hereby reclaim our sovereignty, our inherent right to be governed by our own laws and protocols, in harmony with the land to which we belong.

We are taking our rightful place in our ancestral lands, which are our birthright, our sacred inheritance, handed down from generation to generation since time immemorial, from the Beginning.

The invasion of our lands was illegal under international law at the time of the arrival of the First Fleet. This invasion involved the perpetration of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and theft of our homelands.

Each Aboriginal Nation has the right to speak for the country to which that Nation belongs, and no one else.

This is Aboriginal Law

Each Aboriginal nation is sovereign in its own right. Each sovereign nation has the right to enter into treaty negotiations with other sovereign nations.

Sovereignty is the ultimate assertion of our right to Self Determination. Our right to Self Determination is enshrined in the International human rights covenants, and is written into international law, the law of nations.

Sovereignty rights include the right to be governed by our own laws, in our own country. We call for the restoration of our homelands, which were stolen from us, see we can build a new future, in harmony with the land and with all the peoples who live in this land.

Please circulate to all of your networks NOW!

Stop the Genocide on
Stolen Aboriginal Land!

? End Aboriginal deaths in Custody! Justice for Mulrunji and all killed in custody. Implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody!

? Land rights not mining rights! No new mines, no new dumps!

? Fund community controlled services, not troops, cops and martial law! Social well-fair, not social control!

? Aboriginal control of Aboriginal affairs! Treaty NOW!

Solidarity Rally
Saturday 14 July, 12:30 pm
City Square, corner of Swanston and Collins Streets

For more information:
? David Dryden: 0419-662-812
? Cheryl Kaulfuss: 0401-806-331
? Kanga Menzies: 0429-860-006
? ISJA – Melb: 9388-0062

Initial endorsements: Australia Asia Workers Links, Black GST, Camp Sovereignty, Chilean Popular and Indigenous Network, Freedom Socialist Party, Indigenous Social Justice Association – Melbourne, Lasnet, Ongoing G20 Arrestees Solidarity Network, Radical Women, Resistance, RMIT Student Union, Socialist Alliance, Socialist Alternative, Your Voice (list in progress. To add your endorsement e-mail Alison - alison.thorne (at) ozemail.com.au or call Solidarity Salon on 9388-0062)

Socialist Maori activists Sam Quayle (Solidarity Union factory delegate) and Iris Quayle (Kaumatua of Ngati Paua) are central organisers for the Auckland protests, comrade Ana!

There IS an Aussie embassy in Wellinton actually.
What are the chances of organising a solidarity demo?

Hi,

I think you mean there's a High Commission. If you're in Wellington, you should organise something if you want to show your solidarity.
The address is:

72-76 Hobson Street
Thorndon
Wellington
New Zealand

Good luck! Cheers

Say NO to Howard’s attacks on Aboriginal communities!

The Howard governments “national emergency” plan to ban alcohol and pornography in Aboriginal communities will not go one ounce of the way towards addressing the massive social problems faced by Aboriginal people.

Howard announced the bans after an inquiry found child sex abuse in several indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The inquiry also suggested that an injection of funds go into health and social services in Aboriginal communities but Howard has decided to ignore this part of the report.

Instead he has announced a raft of other measures including in effect occupying large sections of land and imposing a virtual martial law. Alcohol will be banned for six months, pornography will be made illegal, Aboriginal children will be forcibly medically examined, and welfare payments will only be paid if children attend school.

He will also move to half welfare payments in general with the remaining portions being transferred to food and clothing vouchers. Other aspects of the plan include forcing people into work through a “work for the dole” program. Police officers and army troops will take over camps to ensure these measures are adhered to.

The fact that we will have a military presence in Aboriginal communities to back up the police force is almost unparalleled in Australian history. It is now not only the case that Australian troops are used in the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan but they will also be used to occupy Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory! This naked use of power shows the true role of the state. Howard is prepared to go to extreme lengths to push through his neo-liberal agenda and the use of the military on this occasion is just one aspect of that.

Howard’s plan is in effect a massive land grab. He will override several pieces of legislation in order to take over land through five year leases. At the same time, the existing permit system, which allows indigenous communities to restrict access to their lands, will be scrapped. This is important from the point of view of the big business interests that Howard represents. Big mining companies in particular have a keen interest in seeing Aboriginal land rights slowly eroded.

It is not the case that Howard has a new found compassion for the plight of Aboriginal people; instead he is attempting to use Aboriginal people as a political football. In the short term he sees this as a way to grab votes ahead of federal election later this year. This plan is nothing more than a racist attack on the most exploited section of people in Australian society.

The roots to the problems facing Aboriginal people are social. Australia is ranked as one of the worst wealthy nations at improving the health of indigenous people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on average die nearly 20 years younger than other Australians, and infant mortality is three times higher.

Most Australian people are sickened at the problems that Aboriginal people are forced to face and in fact most support measures to address these problems, but Howard is attempting to divert the blame away from successive state and federal governments. It is a total myth that millions of dollars have been pumped into Aboriginal welfare. In fact a recent report stated that only 70 cents is spent per head on the health of indigenous people for every $1 spent on the rest of the population.

These attacks on democratic rights, on welfare recipients and on land rights should be opposed by all working people. This is just the thin edge of the wedge, if Howard is allowed to get away with this in indigenous communities in the Northern Territory similar attacks will soon be waged against other vulnerable sections of the working class.

The capitalist system and its representatives in the major parties have no interest in seriously assisting Aboriginal communities. They have a view that says indigenous people are a burden on the system as many don’t conform to the ‘norms’ of capitalist society. They would much rather that Aboriginal people were assimilated into white society then they could more effectively exploit them as workers and dig up their land to sell off their natural resources.

Disgustingly Kevin Rudd has announced that the Labor Party fully supports Howard’s plan. At every turn Labor continues to prove that it is no friend of ordinary people. Rudd parrots Howard on almost every issue and if a Labor government is elected later this year the differences will be more of style than of substance. A Rudd Labor government will be as incapable as Howard at addressing Aboriginal issues.

In contrast the Socialist Party stands totally opposed to this new round of attacks on Aboriginal people. We will fight to strengthen the links between the workers movement and aboriginal people as the best way to combat all of the neo-liberal attacks Howard is waging against indigenous and non-indigenous people.

SP is fighting for -

- Police and army officers out of Aboriginal communities now!
- Full welfare rights for all indigenous people - No to “work for the dole”.
- Money for health, education and social services, not more police.
- Land rights and a democratically planned strategy to overcome the social problems of indigenous Australia.

www.socialistpartyaustralia.org

Communist Workers Group is in solidarity with this demo.
The answer to Howard's military occupation and land grab is a working class occupation and minegrab.
All Australian workers of whatever ethnic origin need to reverse the logic of Howard's use of state force to grab the land for the mining bosses, occupy the land to demand and defend land rights now, and use working class power to shut down the mines and demand their nationalisation.
In particular white Australian workers who have been accomplices in the history of racist treatment of the indigenous Australians, need to recognise that Howard's latest attacks on Black Rights, just like migrants rights, is what he has in store for all workers down the line.
Anti-racist solidarity now becomes the way to build working class unity for the big fights to come.
Dave Brown

Struth,
The Communist Workers Group in New Zealand has given us Australian Workers our orders. I'll drop everything and get down the mine this afternoon.

Australian Worker.

Shot at 2007-06-28

Communist Workers Group of Aotearoa/NZ is in solidarity with the Communist Left of Australia. Is that OK with you?

Howard's cynical games with Aboriginalcommunities
Friday, 29 June 2007, 5:13 pm
Press Release: Green Party
29 June 2007

Howard plays cynical games with Aboriginal communities

Green Party MP Turei has denounced the Howard's government'semergency use of force against Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, and called for international solidarity with planned protest action by Aboriginal activists against this abuse of their human rights and status as the indigenous people of Australia.

"It is important that the international community makes its feelings heard loud and clear to the Howard government," Mrs Turei says.

"For decades, Australia has had a shameful record of treatment of Aboriginals, as reflected in the deaths in custody cases, their lower life expectancy and so on. This fresh outrage - where government force is being used in the guise of social assistance - marks a new low in the history of racism in that country.

"The use of force against Aboriginals is pandering in election year to the worst instincts of the Australian electorate - much as John Howard whipped up anti-immigrant hostility for electoral advantage over the Tampa affair.

"As the Australian newspaper reported today, there are critics who argue this use of force is really a land grab of Aboriginal territory
for the benefit of mining companies.

"In the course of the government intervention, Aboriginal children will be subjected to physically and psychologically invasive probes
and medical examinations looking for signs of sexual abuse, irrespective of their home and family circumstances.

"The world needs to let John Howard know that this kind of intervention is unacceptable in a civilized society. The genuine social and economic needs of Aboriginal communities should not be subordinated to a brutal and cynical round of election year politicking," Mrs Turei says.

Sorry, but where is QEII Square please, and don't ask me where the hell is the Britomart. Street name and address will do, thanks.

What's been taking you too long anyway...

Hi,

Its at the very bottom of Queen Street in Auckland, where the Downtown Plaza is. We are meeting there at 4:30pm on monday outside the Starbucks there on the corner.

I really object to this ridiculous howard-hitler comparison. Is this the only image the SW can ever come up with? First it was john banks, now john howard. Not only is it putting howard on a level that he clearly is not on (he is simply not a charismatic dictator, just a third ranking, bland politician), it is also an insult to the millions who suffered and died under hitler.
The issue doesn't need any exaggeration like that, which can only distract from the subject.

The comparison with Hitler is right, Genocide is Genocide, do all the other millions that have or face state sanctioned murder count? as for one that resides in Australia, it becomes more fascist by the day.

Aboriginal Genocide in Australia is no exaggeration at all, check out:

blackgst.revolt.org/genocide.html

White racist neo-colonial Australia is enough to explain Aboriginal genocide. Its not fascism. Fascism is an all out repression of democratic rights for all workers, which means no unions, no votes, no nothing.

Meanwhile in Australia workers can still use their ability to organise on the job, and use freedom of speech and assembly to fight Howard.

Look, Howard is using the pretext of booze and sex to justify his extreme actions, and avoiding like the plague any reference to racial impurity etc etc.

Invoking fascism is not only wrong because it denies the reality, it blinds people to the need to act for Aboriginal rights now as a way of building a strong united working class able to smash fascism when it comes.

Dave Brown CWG

working class struggle? you realise that this is an indigenous struggle, they are actually different, there are connections it is those connections that need to be emphasised. assumming that the indigi struggle is somehow submerged or is a 'part' of the workers struggle. is just old skool and needs to be avoided.

cheers
Indigenous Jone

Indigenous Jone,

Damn Str8! These Pakeha lefties need to realise that they gotta follow not lead indigenous struggles. Otherwise you just propagate colonial relationships.

Where's all the indigenous aotearoa crew at? Someone gotta guide our lefty mates on this taki.

Chur.
Tamaiti

there is also the desired element of attention drawn away from participating in yankee doodles illegal oil grab?

Dave

Come over here and join in with the struggle for indigenous people and then tell me it's not facism. And I hate to burst your worker bubble but the labour movement here isn't exactly at the forefront of anti-racist activity.

Australia isn't Aotearoa at all when it comes to indigenous issues. Different countries, different centuries.

Yo Anonymous, respect for worker bubble bursting but whats the story with saying Aust and NZ are different on the indigenous peoples tip? You needa check yoself b4 yu wreck yoself, cause thats not critical analysis.

Yo Anonymous, this is the real shit, meaning good shit, not shit shit: Land is life, and fools need to wreckognize.

Yo Anonymous check it: Invasion of Aboriginal land = Colonial govt control of land = mining of land = sick, dying land = sick dying (Aboriginal) peoples = genocide

Foreshore Seabed Act 2004 = Colonial Govt control of whenua = mining the whenua = sick, dying whenua = sick dying (Maori) people = genocide

Yo Anonymous Colonial overlords in occupied Aotearoa dont pull that military invasion shit on us cos they know what colour the military is, thats brown kid, beautiful brown. They tactics is too make our peoples dependent on their systems where we survive as humans but we die as Maori cos we born to kaitiaki the whenua and they system made to kill our whenua.

Yo Anonymous this aint spot the difference kid, cos Anonymous, they aint one.

Have you read Trotsky on fascism? Bush labels Iran Islamic-fascism. The right uses any excuse to label the left fascist. We have to be careful we know what were talking about. White settler racism is as murderous as you get, but its not fascism.
We are in solidarity with the Communist Lefts material on the Aboriginal struggle, we have also written something ourselves on Maori and Aboriginal struggles.
www.geocities.com/davebedggood/Antipode.html

The important thing in this situation is to stop using platitudes and come up with a serious program. Sections of the left surrounded the refugee camps in past years, why are there no calls for mass occupations of the land being grabbed or union action calling for the nationalisation of the mines. I know why, but I'd be interested to hear what you think.
Dave Brown

Here's a quote from RED, paper of Communist Left Australia from 1997 putting its position on the Aboriginal struggle.
------------------------------------------------
In a recent RED, the CLA position is clearly stated:

"Revolutionary communists support the right of self-determination for the Black people. For Leninists this means the right to one or more separate nations. Communist Left considers that the material bases for a nation exists. Whether or not they take up the fight should be determined by Black proletarians. Our message in offering this right respects their nationality as equals. Not every Black person will want to or be able to join this separate nation (or nations). Other demands must be raised for Black people who choose to live in the cities."

"But the key question is the right to an economy. The decision of the Supreme Court Common Law Division did not allow the Wik people the right to an economy let alone control of the economy. Revolutionary communists therefore reject the Supreme Court as any focus for Black land rights...Communist Left believes it is not just the right but the duty of Black proletarians to take on an expropriate multinational property owners. In 1967 a massive struggle by the Gurrindji people took on the might of British multinational Vesties, owners of the Wave Hill station which was the size of Belgium. They took over the land which they claimed as their own and established their own cattle station. The Gurrindji people worked as stockmen. They were backed by the Trade Union movement, most notably the Darwin Branch of the Waterside Workers Federation which is now part of the Martime Union of Australia."

"Of course any localised struggle can only be a limited victory unless it is generalised. The Gurrindji people did not have the programme to fight the system consistently (despite their exemplary militancy). They were linked to Stalinists like Frank Hardy, who despite some serious work in gaining support had faith in the system through their "minimum programme". But the point is not to reject direct action, but to see that it is linked to a revolutionary programme. The Gurringji struggle points the way forward - not the Supreme Court lobbying for common law rights." (1997).

Hehe, yu pakeha lefties are a crack up... I like yo pep and enthusiasm fo sure, but has any of you actually ever thought to ask an actual like indigenous Australian what they think?

Sound like in yo rush to ego trip each other yall just imposing anti-capitalist (but nonetheless inherently Pakeha) ideologies on us poor helpless coloured folks

This is our struggle as indigenous peoples to heal the damage colonisation done to our land and peoples, not a territorial pissings comp.

Whakarongo! Whakarongo! then mayb you speak.

Indigenous Resistance Army

the reason for the demos and actions is because of a callout from indigenous peoples in australia. maori tv i believe was filming at the auckland demo. anyone was welcome - it was very clear that it was anti racist and in solidarity with the indigenous people of australia. chants like WHITE AUSTRALIA has a BLACK HISTORY made it very clear what the stance was. the nz police made their solidairy clear as well.. sadly it was with white police and john howards neo colonial policy.

I am a decsendent of both the Gurrindji and Kungarakan tribes of Australia but was born is Queenstown, and I think that your desire to be a part of the changing of white Australia'a attitude is fantastic.Unfortunatly, before equality can happen, Australia has to accept the nature of it's past; the horrendus genocides which actually did occur (in Tasmania)and the abuse which has continued on to this very day.

The support of our close neighbours is valued highly, and maybe one day true equality can finally be attained.