Residents of a remote community set to receive the first police and troops under the federal government’s radical indigenous child abuse plan have expressed terror at the impending “military occupation”.
The comments came as federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough renewed his plea to state premiers to contribute police as part of the initial phase of the plan, saying their response so far has been “disappointing”.
The government last week seized control of more than 60 Northern Territory communities and announced it would impose alcohol and hardcore pornography bans, welfare restrictions and compulsory health checks for children.
Police, with military logistics support, are expected to begin entering towns within a week as part of an initial “stabilisation” phase.
But leaders at Mutitjulu, the community near Uluru which is set to receive the first police and troops, yesterday labelled the intervention a “military occupation”.
Bob and Dorothea Randall said their children were frightened of being forced to undergo medical checks.
“Even the doctors say they are reluctant to examine a young child without a parent’s permission,” the Randalls said.
“Of course any child that is vulnerable or at risk should be immediately protected but a wholesale intrusion into our women and children’s privacy is a violation of our human and sacred rights.”
The Randalls accused the commonwealth of treating Mutitjulu as a “political football”, and said it should focus on improving health, education and social services instead of sending troops.
Mutitjulu resident Mario Giuseppe said the community, where a 2005 inquest was told young female petrol sniffers traded fuel for sex, was in “terror”.
“I thought the government was here to protect the women and children and they are scaring the living daylights out of them,” he told the ABC.
“This is bringing back a lot of memories and opening a lot of scars for these old people here, they are running to the hills and hiding.”
Women were scared that police were being sent out to the community to take away their children, Mr Giuseppe said.
“They think the army is coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them.
“The women and the kids are scared and they are running to the sand hills.”
Mutitjulu elder Vince Forrester said he was worried for the safety of the women and children during the cold desert nights.
“You don’t bring an army into a community, this is intimidation of the Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Brough urged the states to put politics aside and support the plan.
NSW and Victoria have committed 10 police officers each, but WA premier Alan Carpenter says his state will not contribute because of a lack of resources. The Queensland, South Australian and Tasmanian governments are still considering the request.
“We’re asking them to not do this for the federal government, there’s not a thing in this for us – it’s for the children of the Northern Territory, their fellow Australian kids,” Mr Brough told reporters.
“On behalf of those who don’t have a voice – they are those who are being hurt tonight and tomorrow night in the NT – we do desperately need these resources to help those people.”
Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said the government needed to lay down a transparent plan for policing the communities in order to secure the states’ support.
Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser yesterday criticised the plan as paternalistic and said it was being carried out without consultation.