Statement to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (JSCATSIA), as part of the Inquiry into the Truth and Justice Commission Bill by Krautungalung Elder, Uncle Robbie Thorpe 15th October 2024

For over two hundred fifty years this intentional Genocide against our humanity has been and continues to be
committed by the British crown. In 1948, this heinous criminal act was identified as a peremptory legal norm
of international law through the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, yet
it remains unaddressed, denied, avoided and hidden at all costs here in British colonial Australia seventy-six
years later. It remains the basis of the racist illegal occupation, and it underpins everything that happens to First Peoples when it comes rights and justice. It’s a vile and disgraceful situation that’s been our lot since the beginning of colonialism here in 1770. The strayaliens, trespassers, invaders, colonizers are in breach of all
things defined as genocide according to the 1948 Genocide Convention – colonial Australia still has never
prevented or punished anyone for these crimes, they still have no consent or right to occupy our land or apply
their laws, and have no treaties. “Australia” is an ongoing crime scene as a result – every time they make laws
for us it is a continuing act that strips away our rights, it’s systemic and well-practised, this crime. No matter
what you do, you can’t reconcile genocide, especially when the hostilities haven’t ended, the Frontier Wars were
never declared or ended, it’s a continuing war crime scene as a result. Genocide crimes are not just about killing
people with machine guns, bombs and machetes, there is lots more to it, including the subtle forms that are
practised here these days in the land down under – outta sight, outta mind. It’s too little, too late to be pretending the state and commonwealth here gives a damn, it’s just been too long in the making and become normalised. It’s totally insulting and extremely offensive not to have international legal scrutiny over this process; unbiased, impartial investigations into these heinous crime against our humanity. It’s time to do the right thing, stop being complicit in perpetuating the misery it causes, and demonstrate to us now by establishing the “Australia” war crime trials, and let’s see where the international legal community takes it from there. Stop the denial, evil reigns when good people do nothing. There’s a parallel between genocide, ecocide, biocide and suicide. Don’t leave it for our children, and don’t disrespect our Ancestors, esteemed Elders this sacred land and everything on it. Genocide is a crime, “Australia” likes to hide behind the ignorant, racist, uneducated populations’ opinions when it comes to our rights, they rely on this idea of democracy and their numbers to justify their existence here. The state pretends to be our benefactor, managing our welfare, “civilising” us, and their churches have played their role using god’s name to Christianize us. Such evil. People don’t understand the gravity, dimension and magnitude of crime scene Australia. We need international intervention now!! Justice delayed is justice denied.

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