Reporter My name's Cindy Baxter, I'm a Free-Lancer and Environmentalist. I understand that there's four hundred tons of Australian uranium that comes into the U.K. every year, do you have, do you know of any of the contracts Energy Resources Australia has got with, do you know of any specific U.K. companies, or is that something you're here to find out?   Jacqui That's something we're here to find out. The Uranium Cartel International keeps many secrets from the public and from the Government we hope to be able to find out exactly what the path of Ranging Uranium is, because it's widely believed that Energy Resources Australia would simply continue with those contracts. Energy Resources Australia supplies Germany, there's an enrichment process that takes place in Amsterdam, Japan is also a major customer of ERA, we believe that the U.K. is also a customer but, and if it's possible while we're here it would be our preference to meet with the company and inform them of the human rights abuses, we believe that they have a moral issue that they must look upon.   Ben This is of course an issue that we're facing world wide, the oil companies in Africa etc. Where do we, as a world community, where do we go to balance the needs of the commercial world, with the moral imperatives, environment imperatives of supporting the people who have been abused by these needs, this is a central issue, it can't be divorced from everyone. All the other similar industrial rapes that are going on, from which we all profit, from which we are all connected directly and indirectly, as everyone's part of the problem. I don't think anyone's pointing massive fingers, we just need all to see the point we're making and this one has reached absolute, absolute crisis now in Australia as I say, massive protests, riot police routinely used, all to break the very laws that were made by the government in it's premium police force. This is a terrible moral dilemma that's going around.   Man Well it's not a dilemma; it's a terrible moral thing.   Woman May I ask the last question? If the mining De Beers appeared, can you describe what you think the impacts of that will be?   Jacqui It's not just the impact that the Mirrar feel are going to come, these are widely agreed by academics and agencies who have operated in the region for the last twenty years. It's been agreed that there has been no benefit from uranium mining and there is no evidence that a new uranium mine is going to improve the social and economic conditions around people. That we've seen the most fundamental attack on social and political systems of Aboriginal People, we've seen that sustain for the last twenty years and the cultural breakdown that will occur as a result of the new uranium mine and the additional pressure from increased urban development is also expect to have fundamental ramifications. The Mirrar literally have nothing to lose in this fight and everything to gain. And the most fundamentally thing to gain is the very basic right to control your own destiny. We believe this is not unreasonable in anyone's language. The government's had a run for twenty years with uranium mining and two uranium mines in anyone's back yard is enough in anyone's language.   Ben There's one mine already that destroyed so much of the community, this one will destroy totally. It's as if somebody said, "There's uranium in your back yard and we're going to mine it and you're going to have to live there while we do it", there's no-where else that this is going to end, so there's no moral justification at all.   Cindy Do you have a figure on the amount that will actually come from the mines?   Jacqui An additional twenty million tonnes, and additional to that already produced, at Uranium Mine in total that will be sixty million tonnes. There is already the release of contaminated water, once a year for the last 15 years, and Aboriginal People have not been directly provided with information about the long-term or short-term effects of the release of this contaminated water. Literally it is a community, which live in fear. Every time we go down to the river and fish, every time our kids swim in the river, every time we have contact with land, it's not knowing ultimatily what the consequences are for our self, our grand-children and for their children.   Ben The only thing really longer than the continuous aboriginal connection with the land of Australia is the half-life of the uranium that we're now digging out of it.   David I have two questions. My name's David (?) I'm an Environmentalist Policy Consultant. The first one is to do with whether or not the Aboriginal People in your area have any common cause with Aboriginal People living in other areas. Do they have anything in common with the people from the Soviet Union who also have strip mining? I wonder whether or not there is any forum for a response against their expropriation for what is happening against their land?   Jacqui It is becoming increasingly a more prominent international issue. The issue of mining on indigenous lands, the issue of mining in World Heritage areas and we have been making connections with people, unfortunately indirectly because resources prevent us from making close connections with those people. We have been visited by the survives of Chernobyl however we make a pilgrimage around Australia and informed Australians of the direct problems experienced by people in Russia as a result of the accident in Chernobyl. It is a very serious issue, it is one which morally every government has to deal with and has to find a productive solution, because these problems are not going to go away. Indigenous people are making better uses of political instruments. We are approaching the U.N. and ensuring that international standards are being upheld. We are a part of a growing part of the International Community that will apply pressure successfully, ultimately, but in something that Governments have to recognize they cannot get away with.   ...Back Press conference, Ben Elton on Jabiluka ... Australian Aboriginal Clan Leader brings U-Mine resistance to Britain ... Who is Yvonne Margarula of the Mirrar? ... International pressure & the Mirrar fight ... The history of Uranium Mining on Mirrar land ... Mining at Jabiluka - People's comments ...