[MSN] TASMANIAN ABORIGINES SEEK RETURN OF HUMAN REMAINS FROM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Van: Gemma Bradbury [mailto:Gemma.Bradbury at fsilaw.com] 
Verzonden: woensdag 14 februari 2007 17:45
Aan: undisclosed-recipients:
Onderwerp: I thought this press release might be of interest and relates to
the documents that I have just sent to you.

Sent for and on behalf of Mark Stephens of Finers Stephens Innocent LLP
 
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
TASMANIAN ABORIGINES SEEK RETURN OF HUMAN REMAINS FROM
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
 
 
The Tasmanian aborigines, an indigenous people against whom a form of
genocide was perpetrated by the British in the early 19th century, are
fighting a desperate battle to protect the remains of their ancestors
against the determination of the Natural History Museum in London to
dismember and mutilate them.  
 
There were 4,000 Tasmanian aborigines in possession of the island when the
British landed their convict ships in Tasmania in 1802.  They commenced a
series of unprovoked massacres followed by the spreading of disease and then
rounding up aborigines: the tribes were decimated and almost wiped out.  But
the skulls of Tasmanian aboriginals had value in England as curios - there
were many grave robberies and unlawful dissections whilst corrupt British
officials unlawfully obtained skeletons and body parts for export and sale
to UK museums.  
 
Today, most British institutions, like the British Museum, have immediately
responded to calls by the Australian government and the Tasmanian aboriginal
people to return the remains forthwith for decent burial.  A glaring
exception is the Natural History Museum, which possesses (with no right to
legal title) the human remains of 17 aborigines.  They propose to subject
these bodies, prior to their return, to what they term "destructive
sampling" which will involve carving and mutilating the skulls and
dismembering the skeletons and taking body parts for DNA testing.  All this
is for racist objectives, namely to measure the physical characteristics of
Tasmanian aboriginals.  
 
The TAC, as representative of Tasmanian aboriginals, has taken a unique and
courageous court action against the museum.  The court has temporarily
forced it to stop its more brutal processes.  The TAC obtained letters of
administration of the estates of the deceased and is, on that basis,
demanding immediate possession of the remains in order to bury them
according to aboriginal law and culture.  It claims that the tests are a
form of trespass and are in breach of the UK's obligations under the
European Human Rights Conventions to respect the religious and spiritual
beliefs of racial minorities.  The museum, however, is determined to
continue its experiments on these remains of genocide victims.  The museum
has refused all dialogue with the TAC and has threatened to land the TAC
with a legal bill of £80,000 if it looses the first round of the case.  The
English court has refused to hear the case unless the TAC sends £20,000
sterling as a bond.  
 
This is an example of how hard it is to assert indigenous rights against a
scientific establishment determined to ignore them.  It shows that
indigenous people, notwithstanding recent advances, are still discriminated
against in asserting their rights.  The TAC asks for your support against
the morally shameful actions of the Natural History Museum.
 
Mark Stephens of Finers Stephens Innocent Solicitors, London, acting for the
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
Mobile: +44 (0)7831 115000
Work: +44 (0)20 7344 7650
Email: Mark.Stephens at fsilaw.com
 
Michael Mansell of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Executor and
Descendent of the 17 Aboriginals in the possession of the Natural History
Museum.
Mobile: +61 (0)429 310 116
Work: +61 (3) 6331 6966
Email: Michael.m at tacinc.com.au
  

Look closer: If you are not yet up to speed with the new Companies Act and
the provisions that came into force on 20 January 2007, sign up for our Act
Aware service by emailing sarah.hill at fsilaw.com.  This
alert service provides a compliance timetable and digestible breakdown of
the new Act.  If you are a director of a company and would like to know in
detail what your obligations are/will shortly be, email Sarah and we
will arrange a briefing.
FIRM FINERS STEPHENS INNOCENT LLP ADDRESS 179 GREAT PORTLAND STREET, LONDON
W1W 5LS 
NUMBERS T: +44 (0)20 7323 4000 F: +44 (0)20 7580 7069 DX 42739 (OXFORD
CIRCUS NORTH) 
WEB FSILAW.COM MEMBER MERITAS, INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF LAW FIRMS

Finers Stephens Innocent LLP is a limited liability partnership (no.
OC308685) regulated by The Law Society. Our address is 179 Great Portland
Street, London, W1W 5LS, United Kingdom where a list of our members may be
inspected. This communication and any attachments may contain confidential
and privileged information. If this email has been sent to you in error, you
may not disclose its contents to anyone else, or copy or forward it in any
form. Please telephone our IT Department. You may reverse the charges. Tel:
+44 (0)20 7323 4000. You should carry out your own virus check before
opening any attachment. We accept no liability for any loss or damage which
may be caused by software viruses or interception/interruption of this
e-mail. This message has been scanned for viruses by FSI BlackSpider
Mailcontrol