Australia: Indigenous leaders call for reflection after failed referendum

Leaders from Indigenous communities in Australian on Sunday (Oct 15) called for a week of silence and reflection after decisive rejection of referendum to recognise First Peoples in the country's constitution.

The referendum asked Australians whether constitution should be altered in order to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait people with an advisory body "Voice to Parliament", that would have advised parliament on matters concerning the community.

More than 60 per cent of the Australians voted "No" in the landmark referendum on Saturday.

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In order for the referendum to pass, it needed a national majority and majorities in at least four states. All six states in Australia rejected the proposal.

Watch | Australia rejects Indigenous referendum in setback for reconciliation

"This is a bitter irony," the Indigenous leaders said in a statement. "That people who have only been on this continent for 235 years would refuse to recognise those whose home this land has been for 60,000 and more years is beyond reason."

They said that they would lower the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flag to half-mast.

A major setback

The outcome of the referendum is seen as a major setback for reconciliation efforts with the Indigenous people. The development also has the potential of damaging Australia's Australia's image in the world.

Unlike other nations with similar histories, such as Canada and New Zealand, Australia has not formally recognised or reached a treaty with its First Peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people constitute 3.8 per cent of 26 million population in Australia. The Indigenous communities have inhabited the country for about 60,000 years. But they don't find mention in the constitution. And by several socio-economic measures, there are the country's most disadvantaged people.

"It's very clear that reconciliation is dead," Marcia Langton, an architect of the Voice, said on NITV. "I think it will be at least two generations before Australians are capable of putting their colonial hatreds behind them and acknowledging that we exist."

Reconciliation Australia, an Indigenous body, said the community was left to grapple with the "ugly acts of racism and disinformation" that they said were a feature of the debate.

(With inputs from agencies)

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