First Nations/Indigenous

Accountability / Arc of instability / Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / International Law / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / Racism / RAMSI / Rule of Law / Solomon Islands

Australia in the Solomons: A case study in 21st Century Gunboat Diplomacy

Update: Subsequent to writing this post the Solomon Start has published an article which confirms much of what Blak and Black has been arguing concerning RAMSI's role in the Solomon…

11 Comments
October 19, 2011
Asia-Pacific / Assimilation / Culture / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / Environment / Equality / Equality of opportunity / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide / Globalisation / Human Rights / Indonesia / International Law / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / PNG / Rule of Law / United Nations

You can’t preach the moral high ground and walk in the gutter: Australia and West Papua

Recurrent themes in Australian politics since the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the euphemistically though erroneously named ‘war on terror’ have been national security, border protection and exporting…

4 Comments
October 8, 2011
Accountability / ACT Government / Bill of Rights / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality of opportunity / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / Stanhope Government / Stolen Generation

Aborigines are without any legal protections in Australia

One of my pet issues on Blak and Black is what befell the former Commissioner for ACT Revenue (“the Commissioner”), a Wiradjuri and member of the Stolen Generation(s), which made…

29 Comments
October 1, 2011
Accountability / Asia-Pacific / Australian Defence Force / Australian Federal Police / Corruption / Culture / Discrimination/Racism / Environment / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide by stealth / Globalisation / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / International Law / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / PNG / Racism / RAMSI / Respect / Rule of Law

Complicity, obligation and mutual respect

When we look at a map of the world’s major trouble spots we see or at least I see, a white footprint superimposed over each and every one of these…

15 Comments
September 27, 2011
Asia-Pacific / Corporate profit / Corruption / Culture / Democracy / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide by stealth / Human Rights / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / RAMSI / Rule of Law / Solomon Islands / United Nations

Has the Pacific Islands Forum (“PIF”) become a tool for white neo-colonial interests?

The progress of human society, has in different ages, presented abundance of horrors and abundance of vices, which in treating history properly, we are obliged to pass over gently, and…

26 Comments
September 19, 2011
Accountability / Arc of instability / Asia-Pacific / Australian Defence Force / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Corporate profit / Corruption / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / Indonesia / International Law / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / PNG / Racism / Rule of Law / Shared humanity / Solomon Islands

Fear and Trembling – Australia’s gutless approach to the genocide in Papua

The following article appeared in Friday’s Jakarta Post: Maj. Gen. Wisnu Bawatenaya has been appointed to become commander of the Indonesian Army Special Forces (Kopassus) replacing Maj. Gen. Lodewijk F…

21 Comments
September 13, 2011
Accountability / ACT Government / Arc of instability / Asia-Pacific / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Culture / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / International Law / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / PNG / Racism / RAMSI / Respect / Rule of Law / Solomon Islands / Stanhope Government / United Nations

The wisdom of Miles Jordana: Hidden in plain sight

The following is a modified version of an article which first appeared in the Fiji Sun on 12 September, 2011 and which Blak and Black has linked to since publishing…

21 Comments
September 12, 2011
Arc of instability / Asia-Pacific / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Culture / Democracy / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Equality of opportunity / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / International Law / Julian Moti / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / RAMSI / Rule of Law / Shared humanity / Solomon Islands / United Nations

Beware the tolling bell

“Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris” (Now this bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.) I have long loved John Donne’s Meditation XVII; it remains pause for…

12 Comments
September 10, 2011
Accountability / ACT Government / Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Fred Martens / Government / Human Rights / Indonesia / Julian Moti / Law Enforcement / Racism / Refugees / SIEV X / Solomon Islands / West Papua

A call for a Royal Commission into the AFP

“A State cannot claim to be operating under the rule of law unless laws are administered fairly, rationally, predictably, consistently and impartially.” (Chief Justice Spigelman, as he then was, in…

31 Comments
August 31, 2011
Art / Bill of Rights / Corporate profit / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Environment / Equality / Equality of opportunity / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide / Human Rights / Neo-Colonialism / Respect / Rule of Law / Shared humanity

YINDJIBARNDI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION and ‘SOLOMON HUB’

Following is a press release issued by the YIndjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation on 4 August, 2011. Under the heading: THE FACTS ABOUT FMG’s PROPOSED ‘SOLOMON HUB’ IN YINDJIBARNDI COUNTRY.  I have…

7 Comments
August 9, 2011
Arc of instability / Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Pacific Neighbours / RAMSI / Rule of Law

Disguised extradition, Bennett, Tollman and Moti

In 1896 J. B. Moore, with what turned out to be prophetic insight, drew attention to the possibility of the immigration laws of the United States being utilised for the…

15 Comments
August 2, 2011
ACT Government / Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Culture / Democracy / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Education / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / India / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Racism / Respect / Rule of Law / Shared humanity / Tertiary / White Australia

No amount of education will ever make us white

The following is a letter I received from a reader of Blak and Black and the Fiji Sun, talking about his experiences as a Pakistani/Australian living in Australia’s Capital, Canberra: Dear…

25 Comments
July 31, 2011