April 3, 2009

Australia signals UN Aboriginal rights acknowledgment

Per Brisbane Times, the Australian Government has signaled its support for a United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people. The declaration was adopted by the UN in 2007 but Australia - along with the US, Canada and New Zealand - voted against it.

Sky News Australia reports that a prominent Aboriginal politician has called for the Australian Government to back up its support for the UN declaration with more action to improve the health of Aboriginal people.

Meanwhile, Australian ABC's The World Today program quotes another Aboriginal leader saying Government support for the UN charter is purely symbolic, and that Aboriginal people in Australia still lack a lot of basic human rights.

Here's what some Twitter users have been saying:

  1. Jack H Smit
    ProjectSafeCom (Fremantle, Australia) @SkyNewsAust - If the government has any self-respect, it now should move towards a Treaty with Aboriginal peoples!
  2. sciculturist
    sciculturist (Undisclosed) @appfrica i hear you. finally Australian govt recognises the Aboriginal people's rights. keen to see implementation
  3. appfrica
    appfrica (Kampala, Uganda) @sciculturist I have friend who fights for Aboriginal rights in Australia within the gov there. This is a big victory for them, bt lots 2 do


Meanwhile many Australian news sources have been using Twitter to highlight other Aborginal stories hitting the headlines Down Under:

  1. The Age
    theage (Melbourne, Australia) Aboriginal kids 'played with asbestos' http://tinyurl.com/crjqqj
  2. Live_NewsAU
    Live_NewsAU (Sydney, Australia) Not saying sorry a mistake - Abbott: THE Howard Government's failure to apologise to Aboriginal people was "a mi.. http://tinyurl.com/chonps
  3. The West Australian
    thewest_com_au (Perth, Australia) Protesters express outrage at death of Aboriginal elder. http://tinyurl.com/cov55k
  4. alf welch
    whitsundays (Queensland, Australia) Queensland Facts.
    Prior to non-indigenous settlement, it is estimated that there were more than 90 indigenous languages in Queensland.


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