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South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Europeans committed genocide against indigenous Australians, inquiry finds
European settlers committed genocide against Australia 's indigenous people, a truth-telling inquiry in the state of Victoria has found, calling for government redress including financial compensation. Advertisement In a final report, Victoria's four-year royal commission said indigenous people suffered massacres, the forced removal of children from their families and the suppression of their culture. The findings – presented to parliament on Tuesday – said mass killings, disease, sexual violence, child removal and assimilation had led to the 'near-complete destruction' of indigenous people in the state. 'This was genocide,' it said. This was genocide The Yoorrook Justice Commission report Among 100 recommendations, the Yoorrook Justice Commission sought redress for damage and loss, citing 'genocide, crimes against humanity and denial of freedoms'. It urged monetary compensation and the restitution of traditional lands, waters and natural resources. The arrival of 11 British ships to set up a penal colony in Sydney Cove in 1788 heralded the long oppression of indigenous peoples, whose ancestors have lived on the continent for more than 60,000 years. Advertisement Making up less than 4 per cent of the current population, indigenous peoples still have lives about eight years shorter than other Australians, poorer education and are far more likely to be imprisoned or die in police custody.
News.com.au
14-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Unthinkable find inside 18th century Spanish shipwreck
It was the 'one that got away'. It became the 'Holy Grail' of shipwrecks. Now, decades after treasure hunters claimed to have found its remains, the identity of the $26 billion Spanish galleon San José has been confirmed. The treasure fleet flagship exploded amid a fierce Caribbean battle with the British navy in 1708. Now, verification that the wreck's been found is likely to inflame a fierce four-way legal battle between the governments of Colombia, Spain, treasure hunters and indigenous Central American peoples. Who owns the estimated 180 tonnes of gold, silver, and uncut gemstones it was carrying? Valuations vary between the raw material and collector's value of the cargo. But estimates say the galleon was carrying some seven to 10 million Spanish gold pesos worth as much as $A26 billion. It's that same treasure that has blown the 300-year-old wreck's cover. Colombia's navy sent robotic diving vehicles 600m to the sea floor to scan the galleon's scattered remains between 2021 and 2024. They found piles of gold coins strewn among bronze cannons, timber beams and blue-and-white porcelain. Now a study released Tuesday (June 10) reveals the results of a high-resolution survey of just one of these treasure patches. It captures dozens of rough-cut gold coins in exquisite detail. 'Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins — known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish — served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries,' lead researcher Daniela Vargas Ariza says in a statement. They average about 3cm in diameter. That equates to roughly 27 grams of solid gold each. And their stamped designs remain crisp and clear. The front displays a distinctive Jerusalem cross with heraldic lions and castles. On their backs, they carry an imprint of the 'Crowned Pillars of Hercules (representing the Straits of Gibraltar) above the waves of the sea'. The study's authors also found some carried a distinctive assayer's mark, a royal 'quality control' stamp assessing the gold as pure. Historical references link these designs and marks to a Spanish mint operating in the colonial town of Lima (now the Capital of Peru). A wealth of troubles Commander José Fernández de Santillán was the man who lost the Kingdom of Spain a royal fortune. But the battle over the treasure has never ended. Two British Royal Navy Captains were stripped of their jobs for failing to secure the treasure galleons. The US salvage company Glocca Mora (Sea Search Armada) claims to have found the galleon's remains in the 1980s. Colombia went on to find the wreck for itself in 2015. It has staked a claim as the treasure rests within its national waters. Spain insists it's still their royal warship, despite being sunk, and an internationally protected war grave. And indigenous groups from Bolivia and Peru have also stepped in, insisting the gold, silver and gems had all been stolen from them in the first place. 'This cargo belongs to our people – the silver, the gold – and we think it should be raised from the sea bed to stop treasure hunters looting it,' Qhara Qhara people representative Samuel Flores told media. 'How many years have gone by? Three hundred years? They owe us that debt.' The whole issue is now grinding through the legal processes of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. It's a messy case. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not address shipwrecks. A follow-up resolution in 2001, the UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001 Convention, has not been signed by Columbia or the US. All of this would have been moot if the wreck had not been that of the San José. A dolphin emblem seen on the bronze cannons strongly indicates it is. But identifying the coins as those being carried by the galleon at the time it was sunk has put to rest any doubt. 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century. The San José Galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics,' the study concludes. Fortunes of war Commander Santillán was to sail his force of three heavily armed galleons as escort for a convoy of 14 merchant ships from Portobelo in Panama to Havana, Cuba, where a larger fleet was assembling to cross the Atlantic to Spain. His merchant ships were carrying mixed trade goods. But some 250 tonnes of royal gold and treasure was loaded aboard Santillán's flagship, the heavily protected (64 gun) galleon San José. What did not fit was moved to the similarly sized San Joaquin. And the galleon Santa Cruz appears to have been tasked with protecting a Spanish entrepreneur's personal fortune. It was the job the galleons were built for. But Commander Santillán ignored warnings a larger British force had been spotted in the Caribbean. He was worried the approaching hurricane season would force him to miss his Havana rendezvous. The Spanish treasure fleet spotted the sails of Commodore Sir Charles Wagner's squadron as it passed Cartagena in modern-day Colombia. By 5pm on June 8, 1708, Santillán had positioned his heavily armed galleons to cover the retreat of his helpless cargo ships. The 60-gun HMS Kingston engaged the San Joaquin (64 guns). After two hours of battle, the galleon evaded a boarding attempt and escaped into the growing darkness. HMS Expedition (70 guns) singled out the San José (64 guns). It closed to point-blank range for its marines and sailors to swarm aboard. After an hour and a half of battle, a British cannonball penetrated San José's thick timber walls to reach its gunpowder magazine. The galleon exploded and immediately sank. Despite the onset of darkness, the British squadron found the 44-gun Santa Cruz by moonlight. This time, the boarding attempt was successful, costing the British 14 and the Spanish 90 lives. Then, shortly after dawn, San Joaquin was spotted again. HMS Portland (50 guns) and Kingston were ordered to give chase. But, after exchanging several salvos of cannon fire, the Spanish galleon reached the protection of Cartagena harbour – as did the merchant ships. The two British captains decided not to risk the port's defences. Commodore Wager became a rich man (and an Admiral) from his victory. Britain offered a generous Prize Law to its naval crews, allocating them a portion of the value of any cargo or ships they captured. But he – and the Crown – were well aware untold wealth had slipped through their grasp. Captains Bridges of HMS Kingston and Windsor of HMS Portland were, therefore, court-martialed and dismissed from the service for failing to 'carry out their duty'. Almost 1000 Spanish sailors lost their lives in the battle. Only 11 of San José's 600 crew and passengers survived the explosion. Commander Santillán went down with his ship.
Free Malaysia Today
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam
Suhakam said policy gaps have left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to be amended to explicitly recognise the Orang Asli as entitled to the same constitutional safeguards and affirmative action measures as other indigenous groups. In a statement, Suhakam said such recognition was essential to ensuring that the rights, identity, and entitlements of the Orang Asli were no longer subject to administrative ambiguity or exclusion. Suhakam said the amendment was also in line with its call to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples. 'For decades, these communities have endured systemic neglect, marginalisation, and violations of their fundamental rights, particularly concerning land, identity, and socio-economic inclusion,' said the rights body. Article 153 of the Federal Constitution ensures that the Malays and natives of East Malaysia have access to 'such proportion' of positions in the public service, scholarships, as well as permits and licences for the operation of any trade or business, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable. In its statement, Suhakam also pushed for the creation of an independent national commission on indigenous peoples, as recommended in its National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The proposed commission would advise the government on relevant laws and policies, monitor sustainable development on indigenous lands, encourage indigenous participation at all levels, and conduct research on issues affecting their communities. Suhakam said the commission must comprise mostly indigenous representatives, selected transparently and with community endorsement, to ensure that it truly represents their voices and respects the principle of self-determination. Suhakam said although the government accepted 17 of its 18 recommendations from the national inquiry, progress had been slow. Suhakam also called for a full review of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and a reform of the Orang Asli development department (Jakoa). It said Jakoa, currently the main federal agency overseeing Orang Asli affairs, must evolve into a rights-based institution capable of protecting indigenous rights, not just delivering welfare. Another critical issue highlighted in the statement was a lack of alignment between federal and state policies, particularly in the recognition and protection of ancestral and customary land. Suhakam said policy gaps had left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. Suhakam said both federal and state governments must uphold their responsibilities as custodians of indigenous land and resources, including enforcing land rights through clear, consistent policies aligned with international standards such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169. 'These instruments affirm indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior, and informed consent, and to preserve their culture, lands, and institutions,' said Suhakam. Suhakam added that no meaningful reform could happen without the active involvement of indigenous communities and civil society, stressing the necessity of their participation to ensure that any changes are effective and accepted by those directly affected.
