"Aboriginal people across Queensland and across Australia have lost all confidence in the capacity of the criminal justice system to address our needs", Sam Watson, the Socialist Alliance spokesperson on Indigenous issues said about the latest explosion of Aboriginal rage, at the Cape York community of Aurukun. The flare-up was caused by rumours that an Aboriginal man had been assaulted while in police custody.
Aurukun Aboriginal elders are working with the community to stabilise matters and ensure that there are no dangers of other flare-ups. "On the other hand", Watson added, "there is substantial forensic material available that supports the Aboriginal man's claims that he was grievously assaulted whilst in custody".
Watson demanded a thorough independent inquiry into the Aurukun protest and the behaviour of the police. This was more necessary than ever after the "shame of Palm Island", he said. "There we have a brother (Mulrunji) who has been buried long since and we still have the police officer who is responsible for that unlawful killing walking around Surfers Paradise scot free."
Watson stressed that "a culture of ongoing genocide that began with day one of the white invasion back in 1788" continues to this day in the police force. To many officers, the blue uniform is a licence to bash, terrorise and, if need be, kill Aboriginal people.
"Until those police officers who have been found to commit criminal actions against Aboriginal people are dealt with by due process, more Aurukuns are inevitable", Watson said.
One challenge is to break the influence of the Queensland Police Union, he added, which continues to determine the agenda on Aboriginal deaths in custody. "As we know from the Fitzgerald Inquiry and numerous other inquiries and investigations, there are a number of issues to do with the way the QPU conducts its business."
But Watson stressed that police immunity is not just a Queensland issue. "February 14 is the third anniversary of the death of T.J. Hickey in Redfern. As we saw from the investigations into T.J.'s death, key police officers at the scene were not required to give evidence. The coronial inquest was corrupted and did not deliver any real or positive results for the Hickey family or the community.
"That coronial inquest must be re-opened. All police officers with knowledge of the events that day must be called before the court and they must answer for what they did."
Aboriginal people and their supporters across the community will continue their protest action until justice for Aboriginal people is won. "We will continue to fight for justice because unless we can force the Queensland government and judicial system to place a very real value on the life of our brother then the life of an Aboriginal person on Australian soil hasn't any value at all." (See accompanying article on page 3.)
[Abridged from a statement issued by the Socialist Alliance on January 12.]