Uranium waste to be dumped in Western Australia? say it ain’t so!

IT APPEARS SO – see http://nouranium.wordpress.com/ for the gory details. and Speak out radio 6PR talkback 24/7 922 11 882 ( producer )

For excellent videos on yuranium and nuclear waste – visit http://www.youtube.com/user/SocialJusticePerth

YouTube post on Pangea’s plans to store nuclear waste in Australia

The safety dealbreaker for uranium mining has again been highlighted  with the news of new radioactive leaks in the world heritage listed Kakadu National Park.

Then there’s what to do with the long lasting toxic waste ( see post on US nuclear waste plans in disarray earlier in this blog )

This accidentally released video shows Pangea spending good money to promote storing nuclear waste in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Please subscribe to this blog ( above right ) and keep in touch with the no-uranium movement ( google ANAWA and hang in for new website, blogs and activism ) that has been stung back into action by Colin Barnett’s mad plans to ship yellowcake on our roads and through our ports when we can’t even transport lead ore safely!

Uranium mine water leaking into Kakadu – ABC News

Uranium mine water leaking into Kakadu – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).

Please let Colin Barnett know his plans have sprung a leak – see post and video below

QC expects action on human rights from Barack Obama

Respected Human Rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC  ( see story below on his visit to Perth for UN HR anniversary ) has told Australian ABC’s Lateline that he expects a change in the US approach to human rights when Barack OBAMA takes over as US President next January.

He has also predicted sanctions and possibly charges against US lawyers who advised the BUSH ( dubya that is ) regime on issues such as torture and the shameful goings on at Gitmo.

In a 15 minute interview with Tony Jones he also lamented the lack of a Bill of Rights in Australia and foreshadowed challenges to the US occupation of Mauritian territory known as Diego Garcia and the displacement of its Indigenous people.

The Rhodes Scholar and celebrated Silk also highlighted the stupidity we spoke of here recently of martyring people like Hambali and the other Bali Bombers.

see it in full here http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2422192.htm

I wasn’t aware ’til tonight that the island of Diego Garcia was held back from the Independence granted to Mauritius by Britain and then given to the US to use as a strategic base during the cold war. The locals, who are a distinct race apparently now live mainly in poverty on other parts of the Indian Ocean Archipelago

It’s a shame that Geoffrey’s dinner speech in Perth is so expensive, but I figure that the top end of town could probably do with his wisdom and experience, and the big bucks will aid Amnesty’s ongoing battle against abuse.

I hope to speak to the good QC in the next day or so to bring you more

Geoffrey Robertson QC in Perth for Human Rights, Amnesty International.

This is no “hypothetical”- Geoffrey Robertson QC is coming to Perth on behalf of Amnesty International- see the media release below.  

Indigenous peoples, displaced people, immigrants, gays, political and other prisoners, those dealing with mental illness and many other groups of people have yet to enjoy rights most of us take for granted – and females in all groups are struggling even more than the males. 

This is just one event, so check the Amnesty website for how you can make a difference by thinking globally and acting locally.

Geoffrey Robertson QC

Join Amnesty International and the United Nations Association of Australia at Perth Town Hall on 8 December to celebrate the 60thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

 

 

Speaking at the dinner is renowned human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, who is a distinguished jurist member of the UN’s Internal Justice Council, author, and creator of television show Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals. Mr Robertson has been counsel in many landmark cases in constitutional, criminal and media law in the courts of Britain and the commonwealth. 

The event will be hosted by media personality Mary Kostakidis. Ms Kostakidis was a member of the management team that developed SBS Television in 1980 and was the first woman appointed to present a national prime time television news bulletin in Australia – SBS flagship World News, which she presented for two decades. 

2008 is a landmark year in the global campaign to make human rights a reality for all people. It marks 60 years since the birth of its guiding document – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

On 10 December 1948, countries around the globe joined together to recognise that ensuring every person’s rights was the key to founding freedom, justice and peace in the world. The Declaration confirms the acceptance of these 30 rights and is the driving force behind all of today’s human rights standards. It is described as the most translated document in the world. 

Human rights are yours to enjoy, yours to protect.  Celebrate with us! 

Date: Monday, 8 December, 2008 

Time: 7.00pm for a 7.30 pm start. 

Venue: Perth Town Hall (corner of Hay and Barrack Streets) 

Tickets: $175 per person or $1,700 per table of 10 (includes dinner and drinks) 
To book, visit www.bocsticketing.com.au or call 08 9484 1133. 
Regards, 
Caroline Shepherd
Media and Public Affairs Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia
Ph:  (+612) 8396 7611
Mobile: (+61) 403 650 226
Fax:  (+612) 8396 7677
Locked bag 23, 
Broadway NSW 2007
Visit http://www.amnesty.org.au/ 

Australia’s “Pyramids” still under threat – time to Stand Up for the Burrup

The First Australians came to this continent from Africa tens of thousands of years ago and left a legacy of carved stones and rocks on the Burrup peninsula that pre-date the pyramids.

The Australian and West Australian Governments have allowed mining companies to smash and move these absolutely irreplacable heritage items.

Visit www.standupfortheburrup.com and join the global movement to protect and research one of humanity’s oldest inscribed legacies. Below are the Latest 10 ”Stand Up for the Burrup” events

MUST BE
WORLD HERITAGE LISTED

Mob 0190 Greece 10/11/2008 Acropolis of Athens One of the most famous World Heritage listed sites in the world is The Acropolis of Athens, a limestone outcrop upon which are the remains of historical temples and sanctuaries, one of which is the Parthenon, a temple sacred to the goddess Athena, Protector of the City. Although there are many acropoleis (acron-edge, polis-city) in Greece, this one in Athens, because of its dominating position and its commanding beauty, is simply known and recognized as The Acropolis.  Oh, that West Australia’s Burrup Peninsula Rock Art was as well known and internationally recognized – here is a site of extraordinary cultural and historical significance – and our Stand Up crew at the Acropolis is helping bring it to world attention.  Mob 0189 Turkey 10/10/2008 Göreme – Cappadocia Rock When travelling to Turkey, one must not miss the Fairy Chimneys and other magical cave structures of Cappadocia, originally homelands of the Hittites in the late Bronze Age.  The site is evidently on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  But did you know that they are pre-dated by the powerful rock engravings of the Aboriginal people of the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia by at least 20,000 years? – and so desperately in need of World Heritage listing too… Mob 0188 England (Norfolk) 12/10/2008 Hanworth Common The villagers of Hanworth Common fought for the rights to their common when these were threatened by a developer. After a lengthy and expensive fight through the courts, the commoners won their case. The grazing of cattle on the Common now continues as it has done for hundreds of years. In the Domesday Book it was recorded that there were 24 cattle in Hanworth.  Those who stood up to save Hanworth Common are in full support for the fight to save the Burrup.  Mob 0187 USA (NY) 25/8/2008 New York City – Times Square, Blue King Brown – Touring USA Blue King Brown is a Melbourne based blues/roots award winning band who loves the big sound and is not afraid to jam and improvise. With its solid following it is no surprise that it has a high rotation on Triple J. The band members like to travel to as many places as they can and their grassroots politics travel with them. Their support for human rights and ethical issues gains them even more of a following.  There is overseas interest in Blue King Brown now, which means that the players ethical interests can be aired worldwide. Hence this Stand Up in Times Square, New York City, which the band displayed while on their recent USA tour. Blue King Brown is bringing the plight of our Rock Art site, the Burrup Peninsula, WA, to a new larger audience.  Mob 0186 Saint Lucia 28/4/2008 Saint Lucia A lesser visited West Indian island is the astonishingly beautiful St Lucia, a lush tropical delight which is 27 miles long and features twin peaks of over 2000ft, and fascinating Sourfriere drive-in volcanic crater!  St Lucia has an interesting history a component of it being that it is also called “Helen of the West Indies” because, like Helen of Troy its control by nations was switched so many times, in this case England and France.  It is of course a tourist’s paradise and our Stand Up here is conducted by passengers on a visiting cruise ship. They are fully aware of the damage done to and impending desecration of the premiere Australian Rock Art site, the Burrup Peninsula, a national treasure which truly deserves World Heritage listing. Mob 0185 Turkey 15/9/2008 Istanbul – The Sultan Ahmed Mosque Europe is geographically linked to Asia by Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul which straddles the Bosphorus Strait. With such a strategic location it has been associated with major political, religious and artistic events for more than 2000 years.  Remnants of settlements from 6000 years BC have been discovered. Its rich history is marked by numerous surviving buildings and remnants of ancient sites and some of these are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Istanbul is a fitting place to see the 100th International Stand Up for the Burrup demonstration urging the addition of the Rock Art of the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Mob 0184 Bulgaria 8/9/2008 Nesebar The city of Nesebar in Bulgaria is sometimes called the Pearl of the Black Sea, its geographical position being ideal for a tourist destination. It is also rich in 3 millennia of history. The ancient part of the city is located on an isthmus (cape), the Old Town as it is known has been restored and has been World Heritage Listed by the UNESCO for its abundance of historic buildings.  The Rock Art at Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia represents a remarkable historic and cultural heritage and our Stand Up here in Nesebar helps raise awareness that The Burrup must also become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Mob 0183 France (27) 30/8/2008 Corneuil near Evreux – World Music Festival On the 30th of August 2008, the MUSIK DU MONDE festival took place at Corneuil in Normandy. This festival of contemporary and traditional music offers a wide range of styles (hip-hop, metal, rock, folk…) and involves local groups.  The association A.A.I.S. 27, which is supported by the association “Ensemble a Corneuil”, gives amateur, emerging and veteran artists the opportunity of exhibiting or performing on the stage while laying the stress on global conservation. Every participant, whether volunteer, artist, exhibitor or visitor, wished to show his or her support to the ancient Burrup land by proudly wearing the tee-shirts.  The public was particularly interested in the information display about FARA’s struggle and in the petition which FARA had made available to participants and visitors alike. Mob 0182 Australia (WA) 22/8/2008 Fitzroy Crossing (Kimberley) Three generations of Wagners and friends did a Stand Up for the Burrup at Fitzroy Crossing while exploring the amazing area of the Kimberley in northern Western Australia.  Professor Hermann Wagner and his family from Bavaria, Germany were overwhelmed by the majesty of the landscape and by the beauty and deep spirituality of the ancient rock art they saw there.  What a tragedy it is that the West Australian Government has failed to acknowledge that the rock art of the Burrup is of inestimable value to human kind and worthy of protection from the ravages of industrial development. Mob 0181 Romania 27/8/2008 Tulcea Tulcea in Romania is the town of the Danube Delta, the largest and best preserved delta in Europe.  It covers more than 5000 square kms. As well as the flow of the Danube into the Black Sea there are countless lagoons, channels, small lakes and marshes – giving refuge to and supporting the 1200 species of plants and trees, and a rich diversity of fauna including 300 species of birds and 45 species of fresh water fish. For these ecological reasons some areas of the Danube Delta are under the protection of UNESCO’s World Heritage listing.  We urgently need protection of our Rock Art at the Burrup Peninsula in NW Australia. This sensitive area must be also World Heritage listed to ensure the proper care of our outstanding historical and cultural site. www.standupfortheburrup.com

The WORLD IS WATCHING and LISTENING

Friends of Australian Rock Art Inc.
City West Lotteries House – 2 Delhi Street – West Perth WA 6005 – AUSTRALIA