Indigenous peoples across the Commonwealth want the king to speak out on settlement at his coronation this Saturday. They also want to recover the objects and human remains collected as part of the colonization.
Another challenge for the young king. Representatives and elected officials from twelve indigenous peoples colonized by the former British Empire are asking Charles III to formally apologize this Saturday for the consequences of British colonization, on the day of his coronation, reports this Thursday The Guardian.
The signatories ask for a “formal apology” and demand that a “restorative justice process” be carried out.
For this, they particularly want the wealth of the British Empire to be redistributed, as compensation for colonization. They also want to recover the human remains and the various objects collected by the United Kingdom at the time of the British Empire.
The request was issued in the form of a letter, titled “Apology, Compensation and Repatriation of Objects and Human Remains”. It was signed by representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint -Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, all currently still members of the Commonwealth.
“Genocide, slavery and discrimination”
“We, the undersigned, call on the British Monarchy, King Charles III, on his coronation day on 6th May 2023, to recognize the terrible consequences as well as the legacy of genocide and colonization of natives and enslaved peoples” , they write.
The authors of the letter denounce in particular “hundreds of years of genocide, enslavement, discrimination, massacre and racial discrimination carried out by the authorities and this, under the protection of the British crown”.
They want discussions on the “always visible consequences of colonization” to be launched “immediately”. They recall in this regard that King Charles III had recognized that the “time had come” to discuss the subject, during an exchange with the heads of the member governments of the Commonwealth last June.
“Initiate a process of justice”
The Maori party representative in New Zealand is also calling for indigenous members of the Commonwealth to be granted more rights in terms of “self-management, self-determination and self-governance in all matters”.
“We hope that this request will initiate a process of justice,” said Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, herself a descendant of an indigenous people.
Once again, the elected Australian, very critical of the British monarchy and signatory of the letter, expressed her wish to see her country leave the Commonwealth.
“Australia must move forward by breaking its ties with the crown and must become a republic”, she calls, while lamenting that “the parliament and the Prime Minister (Australian) are subject to someone they do not ‘have not elected’.
