MW Covid 19 Yidindji COA speech 21 Feb 2022

NGALAN MURRUMU OF WALUBARA MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRADE OFFICIAL STATEMENT 21st of February 2022 First of all thanks to the elders and the government ministers here today in particular the Hon. Minister for Education Yirrilam Gooraminya, the Hon. Minister for Police and Minister for Cultural Affairs, Bumi of Gimuybara and the Hon. Minister for the Treasury & Attorney-General, GaanYarra of Yalmabara.

It has been an honour to report many good results and initiatives to do with the Yidindji nation however today I am the bearer of bad news.

Recently in a letter to the Commonwealth of Australia, I conveyed the Yidindji nation's urgent request to receive 100 Covid vaccine doses from Australia so that we may protect our citizens from this global pandemic which has reportedly killed according to the World Health Organisation's website, just under 6 million people.

We are very concerned about this pandemic, as a survivor of Covid I can say it is something you do not want, you would not even wish it on your worst enemy. However, despite the global pandemic and the urgency to vaccinate the world, the Commonwealth of Australia has ignored the Yidindji nation's request for the vaccination, not even a response, no phone call, nothing.

This is an important matter that should concern all citizens around the world in particular Australia.

Its strange that the Yidindji nation has gone out of its way to protect Australia only to be shunned in return for its actions and good will.

We have in good faith asked for these doses so that our Chief Medical officer can apply and oversee the vaccination process in accord with Yidindji's customs.

We also want to record the vaccination of all Yidindji citizens in our immunisation register, that is foreign to the Commonwealth. Some of our citizens cannot be legally seen inside the Commonwealth, which is why we have requested this Covid Vaccine supply.

We have no other alternative but to seek these vaccines from another UN Member state so that we can survive the pandemic. This also raises some questions over Australia's intention - does this recent action constitute genocide and or forced assimilation?

This, is in our opinion, contravenes Australia's own criminal code and genocide convention act 1949, part 2 (c) and the rest.

We do not want to see any Australian tried at an international court for crimes against humanity,but these matters may be out of our control. What we do demand is that the Commonwealth of Australia treat our government with seriousness and respect.

The Yidindji will not go away and die, we will stand up against any attempt of ethnic cleansing, we will survive. What more does the Commonwealth of Australia want from the Yidindji nation? We have said that we would offer a treaty for not ONE taxpayer dollar, we have offered to help settle the past and secure the future for all persons on our territory, we have offered to correct the error of description on Australian land titles, all for what?

We have made it clear that the Yidindji nation is keen to vaccinate Yidindji persons so that we may choose to participate in the global community with our culture, our philosophy, our science using our identity and our health records.

So who's the anti-vaxxer now? This is hard work and Yidindji is doing the best we can to look after the Commonwealth but where is the reciprocity? Where are the great Australian leaders? Where is the respect?

We will not be forcefully assimilated, our digital identity is more secure and trustworthy than any other on this continent, not only this but it goes beyond UN standards around the world.

Australia must remember that it signed off on all the international agreements that acknowledge and support the Yidindji nation's right to indigenous autonomy and self-determination.

END STATEMENT