Indigenous Peoples (Self Determination)

Oral Statement by the Society for Threatened Peoples
Society for Threatened Peoples would like to bring your attention to the sovereign rights of the Aborigine people in Australia as mandated under traditional and customary Aboriginal Law as the right to govern themselves under their traditional Laws and Customs.

We feel, it is the United Nations' responsibility to defend the integrity of these sovereign traditional rights to Aborigine's lands, territories, airspace, waterways and seas and to make the government of Australia respect and care for these rights.

We also would like to mention that to demand that Indigenous Peoples be classified as ‘populations’ provides for their exclusion from the process of de-colonization and the subsequent denial of the right of self-determination. Indigenous Peoples are not national ‘minorities’.

We fear that the continuing legal uncertainty of the right to rule over Indigenous Peoples without their ‘Prior Informed Consent’ might lead to confrontation be perpetuated against Indigenous Peoples. In order for this matter be dealt with, we feel it is imperative for the UN to play a leading role in arbitrating a true and positive outcome.

Self-determination is a right of all Peoples and they ask that this includes the right to freely pursue their own political, economic, cultural, social and religious destinies and that this right be recognized and granted, without prejudice. In addition, land is the very existence of indigenous, i.e. Aborigine peoples, whose very existence is inextricably linked to the Mother Earth.

We would like to ask the United Nations not to turn its back on Indigenous Peoples and deny them their right to life, security, to live in peace, to decide over their natural resources and to have an environment free from toxic substances. With particular respect to Australia, we would request to insist that human rights bodies of the United Nations must have the right to officially visit the country and survey international rights.

Thank you Mr. Chairman