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After mining company Rio Tinto destroyed a 46,000-year-old sacred site in the west of the country, the legislation was redrafted.
More than a year after mining company Rio Tinto legally destroyed a rock shelter of historical and cultural significance to expand the mine, a group of indigenous people filed a complaint with the United Nations about the draft heritage protection law in Western Australia.
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, the organization is formally requesting the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to review the state’s cultural heritage bill, saying it does not meet Australia’s international obligations.
“If the traditional owners, the first Australians said,’No, don’t destroy this particular place’, it must be tenable,” said Slim Parker, senior elder of the Martu Idja Banyjima people, who was also one of the complainants. . .
“The days when ministers have discretion and final decision-making power should be over,” he told Reuters.
Rio Tinto is destroyed In May last year, Juukan Gorge, located about 1,075 kilometers (667 miles) north of Perth, had a 46,000-year-old shelter as part of its plan to expand its iron ore mine in the Pilbara region.
In 2013, the state government approved the mining giant to destroy or destroy the site.
Public outrage after the destruction caused Resign Rio Tinto’s chairman and other senior managers, as well as drafting a new heritage law to put more emphasis on agreements between indigenous groups and developers.
The state government stated in a statement that the draft bill allows areas of outstanding indigenous cultural heritage identified by indigenous peoples to be declared protected areas.
“The statement provides special protection for these areas from activities that may cause damage to the heritage,” it said.
“According to the draft legislation, no one may apply for authorization to engage in activities that may damage the indigenous cultural heritage in the protected area.”
According to the draft bill, the government reserves the right to make the final decision on heritage disputes. The organization stated that the protection of cultural rights is insufficient and prohibits states from destroying important indigenous cultural heritage.
“Traditional owners cannot say’no’ to activities that destroy important cultural heritage,” it added.
It said that without such protection, “the risk of continued systemic and racial discrimination is still a characteristic of the operation of existing legislation.”
Among the five high-profile Australian Indigenous people who filed complaints were human rights expert Hannah McGlade, a professor at Curtin Law School and from Curtin Minan ( Kurin Minang).
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