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Australia’s Aboriginals Request Refugee Status From The UN
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by Yuliya Talmazan | August 26, 2009 at 11:09 am
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A group of Australia’s aboriginal people have submitted a request to the United Nations for a refugee status in their own country on Wednesday. The request comes in the wake of the Australia's strict anti-alcohol and anti-abuse laws. Rampant sexual abuse and excessive alcohol consumption in Australia's indigenous communities prompted the Australian government to launch a strict campaign in 2007. Australia’s aboriginals claim they are being treated as “outcasts” by their own government.
The intervention, launched by the former conservative government in June 2007 to stamp out widespread child sex abuse, fuelled by chronic alcoholism from "rivers of grog" in indigenous communities, had taken away indigenous rights.
Dubbing the situation "a national emergency", the government introduced restrictions on welfare payments, alcohol and pornography, and introduced measures to encourage Aboriginal children to attend school.
An independent review last year found the intervention affected 45,500 Aboriginal men, women and children in more than 500 Northern Territory communities, and progress on health care and security were undermined by a lack of full community support.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, of the centre-left Australian Labor Party, said he has no plans to dismantle the controversial intervention but would review its operation.
But, what does gaining a "refugee status" change for Australia's Aboriginals? Will it have practical consequences, or is it a merely symbolic gesture?
Under the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country. According to the UN Refugee Agency, some of the things that refugees are eligible for are protection ("safety net"), aid, and resettlement. But given that Australian aboriginal population will still reside within Australia, they are more likely to be granted the status of "internally displaced people" (IDPs).
Australia's aboriginal people acccount for over 2% of the country's population.
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at 11:17 on August 26th, 2009
From what I understand, Aboriginal Australians were indeed forced from their fertile coastal lands and into the interior, which is famously harsh. In that sense, they can be considered refugees (especially when living in designated areas with specific rules beyond those of the nation itself), since their former land no longer exists, replaced as it is by cities in which Aboriginals are marginalized. In this way, Australia's developmental history echoes that of Canada and the US.
at 11:51 on August 26th, 2009
I'm going to second Jordan's thoughts here - that is my understanding too. They have been treated as outcasts in their own country for such a long time now. I wonder, though, if the UN will pass any remarks.
at 21:31 on August 29th, 2009
hmmdon't think sofirstly aboriginals live all over australia, not in one particular place. most live in the NT and generally few remain in cities. but they pretty much live where they want not in specific areas like reservations. some intergate into australian society but largely they don't. often those that do are outcasted from their own group if they do. they see it as a betrayal of their group.it think most australains (english, asian, european etc) believe that aboriginals have plenty of opportunity.... and basically are pretty much over the whole thing.