The Financial Times
A senior United Nations representative has accused the Australian government of racial discrimination over its "intervention" policy in Aboriginal communities, which prevents "welfare payments being spent on alcohol.
James Anaya, the UN's special rapporteur on indigenous human rights, also said he believed there was "entrenched racism" in Australia after visiting several Aboriginal townships during his two-week visit to the country.
The policy follows a decision by Australia's former government under John Howard to order troops and police to enter scores of remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory in 2007 after an official report found that the use of alcohol, drugs and pornography was leading to widespread child sexual abuse. To do so, the government suspended the country's Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory.
Mr Anaya said the policy was an extraordinary measure and that compulsory income management and blanket bans on alcohol and pornography should be stopped.
"These measures overtly discriminate against Aboriginal peoples, infringe their right of self-determination and stigmatise already stigmatised communities," he said yesterday.
Intervention was incompatible with Australia's obligations under international conventions to eliminate racial discrimination and protect civil rights. "I hope that amendments to the emergency response will diminish or remove its discriminatory aspects," said Mr Anaya.
Kevin Rudd's Labor government, elected in late 2007, has continued the intervention policy but plans to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act before the year end.
Mr Anaya's comments come just months after Australia was roundly condemned in India over a spate of alleged racist attacks on Indian students in Melbourne.
Australia has had to work hard in recent years to shake off a perception held by its Asian neighbours that it is a racist nation.
The government has also vowed to close the 17-year gap between the average life expectancy of Australia's indigenous and non-indigenous populations as well as improve health and education.
Jenny Macklin, indigenous affairs minister, acknowledged that the government had a lot of work ahead. "We certainly intend to keep getting on with it," she said after her meeting with Mr Anaya.
Australia's 460,000 indigenous people make up just over 2 per cent of the country's population.
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