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Indigenous people should take a stand
IT is interesting to note that the Australian foreign
minister Alexander Downer thought it was OK to snub the Fijian prime
minister in Tonga.
Apart from being somewhat childish, it shows a gross hypocrisy.
Australia has the worst human rights record of any developed country.
We are a group of island nations governed by people of all colours except
white. We, the indigenous people, are seriously threatened by global warming
and pollution.
Why do we tolerate an alliance with a government which among others:
*Voted against the indigenous people’s resolution in the United Nations;
*Has been condemned by the United Nations for its racist policies;
*Has been condemned by the UN for its treatment of asylum seekers;
*Has been condemned by the United Nations for its policies against its own
indigenous people;
*Has not signed up to the Kyoto agreement;
*Intends to bring nuclear power to the South Pacific despite being well
endowed with sustainable alternatives; and
*Has been condemned by the United Nations for its policies against women,
especially indigenous women.
Isn’t it time we show that the golden goose is not what it seems and the
golden egg has a very unpleasant taste in its centre?
Dr Fereti Seru Dewa
Suva, Fiji |
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