Aboriginal struggle

I would like to respond to the letter published in The Jakarta Post on June 14, 2000, titled Impressions from Australia by Gandhi Sukardi.

The message coming from Gandhi Sukardi is both confused and bizarre. To hear that he met a man called Mr. John Frazer gives the impression that Australia has cloned a specimen better than Dolly, the English sheep. Obviously a mix of Prime Minister John Howard and ex-prime minister Malcolm Frazer.

It is hilarious to read about the idea of kangaroos laying eggs and that it would be ideal for humans to follow the practice. After the female emu lays her eggs, the male sits on them till they hatch.

During the time the male emu sits on the eggs, he loses half of his weight and relies on the female to bring him food.

Such a practice brings truth to the statement "Behind every successful woman there is an exhausted man".

As a front-line Aborigine political activist from Australia, "racism" is the strongest element we fight against in Australia. Far from bringing a thing of the past it is furled from Parliament and the Australia press every day -- "It's alive and well".

While my people suffer racism, genocide, the lowest education, employment and the worst health statistics among indigenous peoples collected in the world.

Australia is a safe haven for war criminals and a place where genocide is not a crime.

After 212 years of oppression, we feel we have exhausted all avenues and welcome international support to dismantle British colonialism and genocide.

My people feel it is inhumane and immoral that people come to our country and ignore our living hell.

YALURITJA

Koondoola, West Australia