Identidades in English No 1, February 2014 | Page 34

in Geneva told an equally grim story. It noted that discrimination had become "embedded" in the Australian way of life.12 Committee member Patrick Thornberry lamented the fact that the Australian constitution lacks any entrenched protection against racial discrimination. The panel also said Australia must tighten rules governing the behavior of its companies, especially mining firms, towards indigenous people at home and abroad. "The committee notes with concern the absence of a legal framework regulating the obligation of Australian corporations at home and overseas whose activities, notably in the extractive sector, when carried out on the traditional territories of indigenous peoples, have had a negative impact on indigenous peoples' rights to land, health, living environment and livelihoods," it stated. The committee of independent experts on racism also raised concerns about the handling of refugees and asylum seekers, assaults on foreign students and the integration of recent immigrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The following year, when the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay visited Australia, she criticized the "intervention" policy introduced by the former government and continued by the then Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard: "In my discussions with Aboriginal people, I could sense the deep hurt and pain that they have suffered because of government policies that are imposed on them," she said. Ms. Pillay, a former anti-apartheid campaigner from South Africa referred to a "racial discriminatory element here which I see as rather inhumane treatment of people, judged by their differences: racial, color or religions." She also commented that the long-standing policies of locking up asylum seekers had "cast a shadow over Australia's human rights record," and appeared to be completely arbitrary. She concluded that racial discrimination in Australia is enshrined in laws, policies and practices.13 Third world conditions in a First World country Australia is one of the world’s wealthiest countries with rich natural resources yet has one of the widest gaps between the wealthy and the poor of any developed society. Pilger’s documentary highlights the fact that many Aboriginal people are dying of preventable diseases that have been stamped out in the wider population. An Australian education minister recently admitted that Aboriginal children are being "treated like rubbish" and attend “appalling” schools.14 Adrian Piccoli, whose state of New South Wales has the largest number of Aboriginal students, said the conditions would never be accepted in non-Aboriginal communities. “We are happy to let standards slip when Aboriginal communities and people are involved, where we wouldn't otherwise let those standards slip,” he said. Mr. Piccoli gave the example of a town, Moree, in the north of the state that had a mostly Aboriginal school on one side of the town, which he stated was "in a deplorable state." A school on the other side, where only a third of students are Aboriginal, was "a terrific-looking primary school." Although Aboriginal educational levels have improved slightly in the past five years they remain well below those of other students. About 46 percent of Aboriginal students study to the final year of high school, compared with 78 percent of nonAboriginal students. There are also fears about new plans to remove Aboriginal children from their parents by social services. In May 2013, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles, Australia's first indigenous state or territory leader, said he was advocating this on a case-bycase basis to protect vulnerable children. Yet the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation spokeswomen Vicki Lee Knowles stressed that: "within an Aboriginal family... the loss of culture, land and language has a long-term impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of those children who are removed."15 Comparing Australia with South Africa before the ending of apartheid, Pilger states “I was struck by the similarity of white supremacy and the compliance and defensiveness of liberals. Yet no international opprobrium, no boycotts, disturbed the surface of "lucky" Australia.”18 In 2008 Kevin Rudd referred to a “future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.”15 However, Aboriginal groups have little political power and continue to 33