Lake Tyers Mission - Blockade Benefit

 

Friday 25th March  at 7:30pm

Sahara Nights

124 Lygon St (near Glenlyon Rd)

 

Lake Tyers Aboriginal Mission is being TAKEN BACK by the people. No more government steamrolling. No more being dictated to by bureaucrats. No more racism.

This is a benefit for the struggle. Some of the women from the blockade will be in town and can fill you in on the situation on the ground. Won't read about it in the newspaper!

Sahara Nights is a beautiful, chill Egyptian restaurant with awesome food, a great sound system, and a stupidly large collection of shishas (hookahs). Up the top of Lygon St, near Glenlyon Road.

Come one, come all.


Musicians (so far...)

Justin Love - reggae/soul
Jake Hapeta from Kia Kaha
Zessie Lloyd
DJ Dustyn Tonks
DJ Pyro (Jeff Pyrotek)

What's going on:
19:30 - Dinner, Shishas, info and mingle
21:30 - Speakers from the Blockade
22:00 - Music starts
23:30 - Let's boogie
01:00 - Get outta here already!

Entry = $10. Includes first drink at the bar. 

 

 Brought 2 U by Lake Tyres Solidarity

Public forum – Guam: The Struggle Against Militarisation of the Pacific

Armed Conflict – Pacific, Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific, Quaker Peace and Social Justice Network.

Venue:  Trades Hall, 54 Victoria Street Carlton (Ground floor, meeting room 1)  
Time:  7 pm – 9 pm; Coffee and Tea 6 pm – 7 pm 
Date:  Thursday, 8 July 2010


Speakers
Dr.Lisa Natividad, a Chamorro leader and social worker from Guam, will speak on “The Devastating Consequences of the Proposed Increased Militarisation of Guam”.
Maki Yonaha, Japanese for Peace, will give “An Update on the US military base in Okinawa and its Connection to Guam”. 
Mosese Waqa, Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict – Pacific, will discuss “Civil society partnerships’ role in addressing militarisation in the Pacific”.
Nic Maclellan, Journalist and researcher on the Pacific islands, will speak on “Security in the Asia-Pacific Region: For Whom?”
Sponsored by: Medical Association for Prevention of War, Japanese for Peace, Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict – Pacific, Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific, Quaker Peace and Social Justice Network.


For further information: MAPW, 9023 1958, www.mapw.org.au
Download the flyer

http://www.iwda.org.au/au/2010/06/29/public-forum-guam-the-struggle-against-militarisation-of-the-pacific/

International Community's Silence is Aiding Genocide of Tamils In Sri Lanka

Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations
Media Release 06.01.2009

International Community's Silence is Aiding Genocide of Tamils In Sri Lanka

Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA), the peak body Representing the Tamil Australians of Sri Lankan descent, is shocked and dismayed by the absolute silence maintained by the International Community, about the Genocidal military onslaught carried out by the Sri Lankan security forces against the Tamil people living in the Wanni region, in the north of the country.

AFTA has been continuously expressing its concerns about the unilateral decision taken in early 2008 by the Sri Lankan government to abrogate theceasefire agreement it signed in 2002 with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the liberation movement fighting to re-establish the lost sovereignty of the Tamil People in Sri Lanka. AFTA also has been highlighting the Genocidal intent of the Sri Lankan administration to the International Community from the time the present Rajapaksa regime began its military operations to occupy the Tamil Homeland.

After occupying by force, first the Jaffna Peninsula and later the eastern parts of the Tamil Homeland inflicting heavy Tamil civilian casualties, property damage and creating hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), the Sri Lankan security forces began their occupation of the northern parts of the Tamil Homeland in late 2007. Because of the indiscriminate artillery and multi barrel shelling and aerial bombardment, more than 300,000 people were forced to flee the advancing army of occupation and become IDPs in their own homeland while thousands fled across the sea to nearby India.

Some of the IDPs have been on the move for nearly a year now and have been living without permanent shelters, exposed to the heavy monsoon rains. For the past 5 months, the Sri Lankan Security forces have been locked up in fierce battle with the LTTE forces to occupy the LTTE's administrative nerve centre, the town of Kilinochchi, where diplomats have been meeting the leadership of the LTTE during the peace negotiations. After causing substantial damage to the infrastructureand after the civilians and LTTE forces had vacated the town, the SriLankan security forces have now occupied a ghost town. In the month of December alone, 9 civilians (including one child) were killed and 71 civilians (including 10 children) were injured due to aerial bombing (mainly with Russian made cluster bombs) and artillery shelling.

At the moment the whole population of the Wanni region affected by the current battles are confined to adjoining Mullaitheevu district and the security forces are claiming to be moving swiftly to occupy that district too. Aerial bombing is continuing and the Sri Lankan State has also imposed stringent economic, food and medical embargos on the war affected areas in the Wanni region where around500,000 Tamils live now.

While the Sri Lankan government is keen on occupying the Tamil Homeland, it has not even suggested a political solution to satisfy the longstanding aspirations of the Tamils. The current Rajapaksa administration has been hoodwinking the International Community citing that an All Party Committee convened by the President would come up with a political solution. Tamil people have no faith in such committees which do not have any representation from the Tamil National Alliance or the LTTE.

Latest reports suggest that this committee no longer meets. AFTA, while appreciating the efforts of the International Community to bring about a ceasefire between the Israeli security forces and the Hamas fighters of the Gaza strip, including the attempt to pass a resolution at the UN Security Council, is disappointed and dismayed by the continued silence observed for months now by the International community regarding what is happening in the Tamil Homeland of SriLanka.

AFTA is particularly concerned by the silence maintained by the so called Co-Chairs to the Sri Lankan peace process, namely the US, EU, Norway and Japan. AFTA is also shocked by the intransigent attitude shown by the Indian government even after the southern Tamil State of Tamil Nadu requested the Central government to enforce a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. AFTA is also concerned by the military assistance provided by some of these countries to the Sri Lankan security forces.

AFTA would like to point out that the Sri Lankan government which barredjournalists and Non Governmental Organisations, including UN agencies from entering Wanni all this time to hide the human tragedy happening there from the International Community, citing security reasons, has taken journalists to Kilinochchi to announce to the world about their recent successful occupation of the place.

AFTA does not believe that this Rajapaksa administration, under these circumstances will be in a position to offer a reasonable political solution to satisfy the Tamil people's aspirations. Therefore AFTA appeals to the International Community including the Co-chair countries, Australia and India to bring about a ceasefire immediately in Sri Lanka to prevent the human catastrophe waiting to happen in Wanni and to restore normalcy and persuade the Sri Lankan government to enter into peace negotiations with the LTTE to find a political solution that recognises the right to self-determination of the Tamil people.

Vigil to Save the Tamils

 

Shelling and bombings have become a day-to-day life for Sri Lankan Tamils living in the north-east areas. Displaced people are living in shelters without food, medicine and proper basic facilities. 

 

The News Weekly highlighted this in their 7^th of November column as below :

 

Plight of persecuted Tamils worsens
 [ News Weekly ][ Nov 07 16:02 GMT ]

 

The Tamil-controlled north-east of Sri Lanka thunders "day and night" under bombardment from the forces of the Sinhalese government in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo as they attempt to destroy Tamil autonomy. Against this backdrop, "a great human tragedy" is also "exploding", according to Fr James Pathinathan of St Theresa's Church in Kilinochchi, the administrative capital of the de facto government of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). From the eye of the storm, Fr Pathinathan, who is also president of the local Justice and Peace Commission, reports that "deaths, injuries, displacements and attendant misery pervade the lives of innocent Tamil civilians... and the draconian economic embargo imposed slyly... has become a monstrous obstacle in giving relief and solace to the 170,000 persons recently displaced".

http://www.newsweekly.com.au/articles/2008oct25_t.html

 

To bring this to the attention of the world, Tamils living all over the world are organising vigils and prayers. Tamils living in Auckland are also organising a vigil to protest against the genocide of Tamils and to recognise their right to self determination.

 

Please come along and render your support to this vigil.

 

Date           : Sunday, 16 November 2008

 

Time           : 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

 

Venue        : Botany Town Shopping Centre (Cnr Ti Rakau & Ti Irrirangi)

 

We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Please forward this message to your friends and contacts.

 

Thank you

 

Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand (COTANZ)

 

Indigenous Rights – The Galdino Mural

Source

On Sunday 14 September in Waitangi Skate Park Wellington’s top graffiti crew Triple S (TS) painted a mural supporting indigenous rights. In the month when the 'October 15th' deposition hearing is taking place involving members of Tuhoe and other New Zealand activists who supported Maori indigenous struggle for self determination, this mural could not have come at a better time.

Indigenous Rights – No One’s Child Should Die –
The Galdino Mural

On Sunday 14 September in Waitangi Skate Park Wellington’s top graffiti crew Triple S (TS) painted a mural supporting indigenous rights. In the month when the 'October 15th' deposition hearing is taking place involving members of Tuhoe and other New Zealand activists who supported Maori indigenous struggle for self determination, this mural could not have come at a better time.

Triple S Crew were approached to paint this mural by Dean Hapeta (Te Kupu – www. tekupu. com) on behalf of a USA-based activist music group, IR (onewatchman.wordpress.com), that uses music to support indigenous rights. This had been a worldwide call-out to help remember the horrific death of the Pataxo Indian Galdino Jesus dos Santos, an indigenous man who while he lay on the streets sleeping, was murdered by a group of rich children, who as a “joke” to poured gasoline on him and set fire to him. Their treatment in the justice system was privileged and they only received mild sentences, as the life of this indigenous man was not seen as that significant. It has been ten years since his death but Galdino’s murder will not be forgotten. Due to political pressure, none of the traditional murals that are painted in Brazil to represent such a loss in a community were allowed. This is why Triple S Crew decided that they would step up and honour this life.

Triple S felt that up until recently Maori and Pacific people had a much stronger voice and were in a position to help other indigenous people who have been silenced by oppressive regimes.

Triple S have been involved in community work pretty much since their inception. From the early days, when member and much smaller Kerb1 protested the Springbok tour, and many members walking to support the 2004 hikoi organised during Foreshore and seabed controversy in opposition to the nationalisation of New Zealand's foreshore and seabed along the coastline , to now with the youth work they do. Triple S work with mainly at-risk youth both informally and through a project called The Next (www.thenext.org.nz) in their own unique and highly effective way using the four elements of hip-hop culture, B boying, MCing, Graffiti/Writing and DJing. Doing this mural was a natural step in what they have always done and so of course they jumped at the chance of painting this mural on a sunny spring afternoon in Wellington.

They chose the skate park to paint the mural, as children would see it and would be made aware of the injustices that happen to indigenous people around the world. During the painting, young people were very curious about why they were painting images and not graffiti “letters” that they are used to seeing Triple S paint at the skate park. Spex One (the only female in the crew) patiently explained to young people who came up to her, that this was to represent the tragic murder of Galdino, who had been killed by Brazilian rich children. The young people were outraged, saying that “it is so wrong” and “no one should be killed”. They were so shocked that any young people could do this.

This day was a great success, not only remembering Galdino and his family, who I am sure could never have perceived that he would be remembered halfway around the world in Aotearoa, but also in the way Triple S and the children interacted. Despite the difficulty of painting they were always patient and took time to talk to the children who came to talk to them. Juse One developed quite a following and agreed to “graff” a couple of the smaller children’s skateboards, much to their delight.

Painting community murals is not a new thing for Triple S. In Kerb’s home suburb of Newtown you can see numerous murals on a community centre and also murals they have painted in the main street with local children. And they realise that the struggle to help indigenous children starts in their own country too. Helping children express their anger using music, art and dance, helps empower them in a world that has rejected them. Murals such as the one they painted for Galdino show children how their art can become a way to the change world.

Click on image for a larger version

Maori tribe in autonomy talks with NZ government

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A rebellious New Zealand Maori tribe entered into negotiations with the government Thursday in a bid to gain autonomy over its land.

Ngai Tuhoe is the only Maori tribe that refused to sign the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which established peaceful relations between New Zealand's indigenous groups and white settlers.

Tuhoe still insists it retains sovereign control over its culture and its lands in central North Island, which it claims were confiscated illegally by settlers in the 1800s.

continues here

Video Here: http://www.3news.co.nz//tabid/808/Default.aspx

Related News

• Tuhoe and Crown enter Treaty negotiations
  New Zealand Herald - 2 hours ago
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Full coverage »

PFII Intervention: Item 6 - The Pacific

Indigenous World Association
Mililani Trask, Director
Na Koa Ikaika O Ka Lahui Hawaii
Mililani B. Trask, Convener
400 Hualani Street, Suite 194
Hilo, HI 96720d

Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – April 2008 – New York, NY

Item # 6

Topic: Pacific

Presenter: Mililani Trask

Collective Intervention of the Pacific & Caribbean on the United Nations Decolonization Process: Indigenous World Association; Na Koa Ikaika o Ka Lahui Hawaii; Koani Foundation; Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action; The Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies; Waikiki Hawaiian Civic Clubs; Hawaii Institute for Human Rights and Oceania; The ALDET Centre-Saint Lucia; The Self-governing Administrative Mechanism of the Indigenous People of Saint Lucia; the Caribbean Antilles Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the Diaspora; The International Indigenous Peoples Think Tank; Visages de Polynesie; Pohutu No’ano’a, HITI TAU; Pu Fenua pu Metua, The Rapanui Parliament, The National Council for Indigenous Peoples Rights in Kanaki – New Caledonia, The Agency Kanak de Development, The National Council for Resource Management K-NC, Caney Quinto Mundo (PR), Consejo General de Taino Borincanos (PR), The United Confederation of Taino People (Carribean).

Aloha Mdm. Chair & Colleagues of the Permanent Forum:

If you search the annals of international law you will find that the word “sacred” is used only once. This is in relation to the “sacred trust obligation” which Administering States have to the “inhabitants of the (non-self-governing) territories” under Article 73 of the United Nations Charter. This “sacred obligation” is owed to millions of indigenous peoples who reside in the Pacific and Caribbean and who, under international law, are unable to express their right to self-determination and self-governance because they were placed by the United Nations on the list of “non-self governing territories (NSGT)” in the early 1940’s when the United Nations was created.

The NSGT’s are recognized as the old world colonies that were subjected to colonization during the era of colonial imperialism. International Law concedes that the peoples of the NSDGT’s are denied the most important of all human rights, the right of self-governance. Under international law, the States that were designated to administer the NSGT’s were to assist these peoples in attaining a full measure of self governance. When this was achieved, the peoples of the NSGT’s were to be given the opportunity to choose the form of government they desired, including Independence. Under international law, the territory and land base of the NSGTs is not considered to be part of the Administering State.

Since the cold war ended, only one NSGT has attained self-governance/self-determination – Timor Leste. Several NSGT’s remain in a state of political disenfranchisement as “colonies” of the Administering States. These are: Guam and America Samoa (U.S.), Kanaki - New Caledonia (France), Pitcairn Island (U.K.) and the Tokelau Islands (NZ). There are also serious issues that have yet to be addressed relating to French Occupied Polynesia (France) and Hawaii and Alaska which were removed unilaterally by the U.S. in 1959. It should be noted that both the CERD and the Human Rights Commission have raised the status of Hawaii and Alaska to the United States in their respective bodies.

The Special Committee on Decolonization, which has oversight of the Decolonization process is dysfunctional and for the past 15 years has been unable to address or respond to several UNGA Resolutions. In addition, the Decolonization Committee and its Secretariat have refused to respond to requests from the CERD for data relating to racism in the territories for 19 consecutive years. During this time, and continuing until the present, the UN General Assembly and its member states have declared not one, but two International Decades to eradicate colonialism.

Colleagues of the Forum – there is no more egregious situation within the UN System than the situation relating to the failure of the United Nations to address the deprivations and human rights violations in the NSGT’s.

Self-determination is the most significant human right and it is denied to millions of indigenous peoples in the Pacific and the Caribbean with the tacit approval of the UN itself.

The record reveals the following:

1. From 2002 – 2005 the UNGA passed 19 resolutions directing that specific action be taken to implement decolonization in the territories – these actions were to be taken by UN agencies (UNEP, UNDP, EAD/DPA, Electoral Affairs Division, Dept. of Political Action), the UN Secretary General, the UN Regional Economic Commission, the President of the ECO-SOC, the Chairman of the Special Committee on Decolonization, and Independent Expert and State administering agents. None of these directives have been implemented to date.

2. In 2006 the General Assembly adopted the Plan of Implementation (POI) – [A/60/853-E/2006/75 17 May 2006], to endorse an implementation strategy in 8 areas – Information, Participation, Analysis of Political and Constitutional Arrangements, Missions, Protections and Conservation as well as Ownership and Control of natural Resources, Educational Advancement, Development of Self-Government and support for NSGT’s from the UN – since 2006, no action has been taken to address the POI despite its approval by the U.N.G.A./ECO-SOC. We are submitting copies of these UN documents to the secretariat and the Forum for the review of Forum members.

For 10 years the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) States have repeatedly requested that the secretariat of the Special Committee produce reports relating to the implementation of the UN decolonization resolutions. These reports were to be prepared in behalf of the Secretary General for the General Assembly of Nations. Despite repeated requests, no reports have ever been initiated by the secretariat that specifically addresses implementation of numerous General Assembly Resolutions or the P.O.I.

During this period, the CERD has also repeatedly requested that the Special Committee and its secretariat provide information to the CERD on racism in the territories. These requests have been ignored by the Special Committee and its secretariat, and CERD reports continue to lament the fact that “only scant information” is contained in the reports sent to them by the Special Committee.

It appears that we are dealing with a situation of institutionalized racism. I say this because of evidence that the Special Committee staff have manipulated UN procedures to perpetuate this situation. For example, the POI specifically called for an Independent Expert to conduct an analysis of the existing political arrangements in the NSGT’s (Mandate 3 pg. 13 – POI), this never occurred because the secretariat deleted the agenda item from the agenda in order to ensure that no Expert would be able to address and expose the true situation in the NSGT’s.

The situation is so outrageous that the current policy of the Special Committee on Decolonization is referred to as a Policy of “Colonial Accommodation” by the Overseas Territories Report.

The current situation has been analyzed and assessed by Independent expert Dr. Carlyle Corbin (Mid-Term Assessment of the Level of Implementation of the Place of Action of the 2nd Internet Decade for the Eradiation of Colonialism, 17 May 2005).

We are providing the Forum Experts with a copy of Dr. Carlyle’s report which provides significant detail on the problems and obstacles to implementing the UN decolonization process.

Members of the Forum:

a. The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has addressed this matter before.
We direct the Forums attention to the third Forum report to the ECO-SOC contained in document E/C.19/2004/23, E/2004/43.

Recommendation number 54 (pg. 17) states:

“The Forum requests the Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples undertake a study on the United Nations decolonization process and the Special Committee on Decolonization to assess its historical and current impact on the human rights of indigenous peoples of the non-self-governing territories. Furthermore, the Forum requests the Secretary General to undertake a mid-decade review or the Second Decade on the Eradication of Colonialism to determine whether substantial progress has been made in achieving the goals of the Second Decade and to identify proposals for addressing obstacles to achieving the goals of the Second Decade.”

Forum Exerts, your recommendations are being ignored. There has been no assessment of the Mid-Decade on Decolonization made by the Secretary General, and if the Forum does not take action now, there never will be.

b. On Dec. 14, 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 61/128 which states in part. “The General Assembly... Requests the Special Committee to collaborate with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination within the framework of their respective mandate, with the aim of exchanging information on developments in these non-self-governing territories which are reviewed by these bodies”……[A/61/49/Vol. I pg 235]. Forum members, The Pacific indigenous peoples must request that the Forum take action to initiate the recommendations attached hereto in responding to the General Assembly’s request to this body.

c. To date the Forum has deferred to the Special Committee. The time has come for the Forum to take the lead. To this end we request the Forum take the following action:

1. Sponsor and expert seminar in conjunction with the CERD and the Special Committee on Decolonization to examine the impact of the UN Decolonization process on indigenous peoples of the NSGT’ which are now, or have been listed on the UN list of NSGT’s. This seminar must be under the auspices of the Forum because of existing problems with the Secretariat of the Special Committee. We request that Independent Expert Carlyle G. Corbin be included in the seminar as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples. We also request that indigenous peoples of the NSGT’s and territories previously under NSGT status also be included.

2. That the Forum utilize the Inter-Agency Support Group to begin to implement the (POI) Program of Implementation with UN Agencies, UNDP, UNEP and other agencies and specialized bodies as directed by the General Assembly.

3. That the Forum communicate its concern for the human rights of indigenous peoples and all peoples in the NSGT’s to the UN Human Rights Council and request that the Council designate a Special Rapporteur on the Situation of the Peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

I will look forward to working with the Forum Experts on these issues.