Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo and Australia share something in common: genocide.

Here in Australia the Indigenous people have been dealt with no differently:

They have their own flags and institutions as long as they're allowed to have them by our government representatives.

This is understandable.

After all, our government represents the people who invaded and stole the land from the original owners:
 Any problems the Indigenous people have, now, are of their own doing.

The governments representatives have clean hands.

At least as clean as those of the US government in Iraq right now involved in its oil wars, and colonial occupation of a non-western sovereign country. 

And as clean as Israel over their land and water wars in Palestine. 

Each charge of genocide involves a theft of land and life-giving resources from the living owners by the new inhabitants. 

This is why genocide is part and parcel of colonisation.
 
Make the connection between government controlled self serving propaganda and the land grab.
 
Look beyond the cultural, religious, and racial differences, and you'll find a land grab.
 
Government leaders make use of language to disguise events and divert attention from their actions. 

They deceive the greater public.
 
We must not allow these crimes against humanity to continue.
 
It has already been well documented and reported that the US government's real purpose for going to war with Iraq was to take control of Iraqi oil.
 
The removal of Saddam Hussein was a justification designed to camouflage a re-colonisation of Iraq in an oil grab of the type that created Iraq after WWI.
 
Today, cultural genocide is a possible result of the US occupation for the Arab population. 
Likewise, Israel has illegally taken the land from the Palestinian owners.
 
Government leaders use ancient battles, and religious rhetoric to justify and camouflage their actions to the rest of the world.

But in fact this is genocide based on nothing more than a theft of land and water resources, as has pointed out elsewhere.
 
The evidence: - 40% of Israel's water comes from sustainable sources under Palestinian land that is occupied by Israel.
 
The Israeli government has enabled ground water to reach Israeli settlements in the desert thereby restricting the Palestinians' access to water.
 
It is also starving them to death in their own land.

The colonisation of Australia was another illegal land grab.

This "unoccupied land" always had Indigenous inhabitants and owners. 

This "stolen land" still does. 

The effect of colonisation upon the original owners is an unspoken genocide.
 
This genocide of the Indigenous people is still is taking place here.
 
The evidence: recently the World Health Organisation was moved to take steps to help the Indigenous people of the desert tribes here 

So desperate is their situation in this great country.
 
There are other steps that accelerate the death rate of the Indigenous people.
Government moves to prevent self-determination, land rights, compensation, and treaties with the original owners reflect racism.
 
Above all, these express the policy of colonisation which requires a total denial of basic human rights.

This invalidates any remorse for genocide. To say "sorry" is not enough !
 
More recently the government of South Australia ruled against the original owners relating to Hindmarsh Island. 

The spirituality of the Ngarrindjerri people and the intertwining of their lives to the land and water was totally ignored.
 
This also is genocide and must be stopped.
 
We do not need to commit acts of violence but we do need to have the courage to speak up and stop genocide wherever it takes place.

29 May 2004