Media Release 19

19 MAY 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Traditional Aboriginal Law Outlaws Sexual Abuse : Says Senior Aboriginal leader, Djiniyini Gondarra from Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island , NT .

Our traditional Madayin Law outlaws any form of sexual or other abuse to children, women, old people or anyone else. These types of crimes are totally repugnant according to our traditional Ma dayin Law.

It is tiring to continue to hear our Law called “Customary Law”, associating our traditional Ma dayin Law with acts of violence.

It is time to get a true understanding of traditional Aboriginal Law.

Our traditional Ma dayin Law is not “Customary Law”, because custom designates no legal process. Our traditional Ma dayin Law is a real law system, the original Common Law of this land. It has parliaments, politicians, constitutions and Acts of Law. Our people assent to this law through a ceremonial process and we have our own traditional police and sanctions at law.

No group or people can exist without a system of law to protect its people from abuse. This is especially so for the most vulnerable people, the young and aged, both male and female. Traditional Ma dayin Law offers this protection.

Our traditional Madayin Law is not “Customary Law”.

However, right now there is a sub-culture forming within Aboriginal communities that is violent and abusive. Unfortunately this sub-culture even believes that it is acting within “white fella” law when being abusive. A thinking that began with the systemic undermining of our own law with the colonization of Australia and the atrocities that followed. It is now reinforced by TV, movies, pornography and drugs brought into our community from wider Australia

So while some incorrectly see our traditional Ma dayin Law as barbaric and associate it with violence and abuse; the opposite is true, and those who have rejected traditional Ma dayin Law have now become totally lawless, which they think is the new “white fella” way.

Our traditional Ma dayin Law was the original Common Law in Australia and is still the only law keeping the peace on many isolated Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory .

Therefore Mal Brough, who has implicated traditional Ma dayin Law in his statements on customary law, has slandered the only institution in Arnhem Land communities offering any protection for Aboriginal Australian citizens.

Our traditional Ma dayin Law has held the peace since the beginning of time and is the only solution for peace in the future.

It is time for a full and open debate on traditional Aboriginal Law. It is time for the rest of Australia to get true understanding of traditional Aboriginal Law.

Rev. Dr. Dji niyini Gondarra OAM

Chairman, Aboriginal Resource and Development Service Inc.

Political Leader of Golumala Clan

Additional reading;

Melngurr Gapu Dhularrpa Gawiya.

http://www.ards.com.au/yolngu_law.htm

This document was produced to record in English the traditional law of a number of clans from north-east Arnhem Land . It is an incomplete record of their law that is usually announced, at the end of a traditional ngarra parliamentary session, to the clan members before they then ceremonially accent to the law they have just heard.

One Law for All

http://www.ards.com.au/publications/one_law.htm

Traditional Law is keeping the peace.

http://www.ards.com.au/media/media19b.htm

For further details contact Richard Trudgen 08 8987 3910

or visit www.ards.com.au