Racism against Aborigines by Australian government

This is the video of the song Beds Are Burning by Australian band Midnight Oil from 1987, about Aborigines in Australia.

From the the Socialist Equality Party (Australia):

Australian government imposes military-police regime on Aborigines

23 June 2007

Under the cynical guise of protecting indigenous children from sexual abuse, the Howard government announced on Thursday a “national emergency” plan to take control of dozens of Aboriginal communities throughout the Northern Territory and impose virtual martial law conditions. Over coming weeks, police and troops will flood into as many as 60 towns and camps to enforce a series of draconian measures.

Welfare and family payments will be halved, with the seized portions transferred to food and clothing vouchers. All payments will be cut off if children fail to attend school, or are considered “at risk”. Forced labour will be imposed, via “work for the dole” programs, to “clean up” communities.

In “prescribed” zones across the Northern Territory, all children under the age of 16 will be subjected to compulsory medical checks for sexual abuse. Alcohol and X-rated pornography will be banned, with individuals as well as suppliers facing imprisonment.

Meanwhile, white people, including government supporters, where in the delusional thinking of that government there never is any sexual abuse problem, will continue to consume and supply as much porn and alcohol as they like.

At the same time, the existing permit system, which allows indigenous communities to restrict access to their lands, will be scrapped. Business managers—so-called “tsars”—will take charge of all public housing and government enterprises. These people will function as modern-day versions of the “administrators” and “protectors” who exercised complete authority over Aboriginal reservations in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

See also here.

And here.

And here.

Update: here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

Comment by Germaine Greer: here.

Interview with Aboriginal novelist Alexis Wright: here.

Update June 2008: here.