Oz indigenous leader says anti-racism law only way to give succor to suffering victims

Islamabad, Jan 31 (ANI): Australian indigenous leader Patrick Dodson has defended a proposal to outlaw racial discrimination in the constitution, insisting that many indigenous people still face intolerance and racism every day.

Professor Dodson also rejected claims that an expert advisory panel on constitutional recognition of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders "over-reached" its mandate with the proposal, insisting it is neither radical nor new, and would simply bring Australia into step with other countries, including Canada, India and South Africa.

His remarks came as Anne Twomey, the Director of the constitutional reform unit at the University of Sydney law school, warned that the "complexity and extensive reach" of the panel's recommendations would probably result in their failure if put to a referendum, The Age reports.

Professor Dodson, a co-chair of the expert panel, said he remained hopeful of an "informed and mature conversation" on the panel's proposal to recognise the original Australians in the nation's founding document.

Although commentators had said that last week's protest by activists from the Aboriginal tent embassy has damaged the cause of constitutional recognition, Professor Dodson said it was simple to condemn their behaviour "without considering the sense of oppression that some of our people still feel towards our governments on a whole range of matters".

He lamented Australia's alleged inability to lift the vast majority of indigenous people to anywhere near parity with non-indigenous Australians on any social indicator, but questioned whether the mining boom was the answer.

"I question whether in the long term our participation in unbridled exploitation is not in fact adding to the diminishment of our custodial responsibilities to humanity, global sustainability and resilience," he said. (ANI)