The Australian Prime Minister has officially said sorry to indigenous Australians for past injustices.
Kevin Rudd paid particular attention to the Stolen Generations, where thousands of indigenous children were taken from from their parents.
Addressing a packed House of Representatives this morning, Mr Rudd said the Parliament apologised for laws and policies which had "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians."
"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
He continued: "We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation."
"For the future we take heart, resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.
"We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians ...
"A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."
'Stain on the soul of the nation'
Mr Rudd says the apology is being made to "remove a great stain on the soul of the nation.
"The time has come, well and truly come, for all peoples of our great country ... all Australians, those who are Indigenous and those who are not, to come together, to reconcile, and build a future for our great nation."
Mr Rudd told the chamber the moving story of one member of the Stolen Generations, taken from her family in the Northern Territory.
He spoke of the "sheer brutality" of separating a mother from her children, which he described as "a deep assault on our senses and our most elemental humanity".
Mr Rudd says reconciliation is a reflection of a core tenet of Australian society: the concept of a fair go for all.
"For our nation, the course of action is clear ... and that is to deal now with what has become one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history," he said.
"In doing so, we are also wrestling with our own souls.
"As Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Government of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Parliament of Australia, I am sorry. And I offer you this apology without qualification."
Hopes for new era
Mr Rudd said he hoped today's apology would open a new era in Australian history.
"We have had sufficient audacity and faith to advance part way to that future, with arms extended rather than with fists still clenched.
"Let us allow this day of national reconciliation to become one of those rare moments in which we might just be able to transform the way in which the nation thinks about itself.
"For the nation to bring the first two centuries of our settled history to a close ... and embrace with awe these ancient cultures which we are blessed, truly blessed to have among us."
Mr Rudd's speech was greeted with prolonged applause from both sides of the House and from those gathered outside.
Yes but the american dropped more bombs in LAO than in WORLD WAR 2, don't you see and that caused suffering too. Oh common, Corby was a CIA who told in a document, that he (Corby) controlled LAO the whole country from US battle ship, LAO war ruled by american CIA at that time (during INDOCHINA WAR). On another document called ' Descend to Hell' MCnumara the architect of the war or the one who create the war in INDOCHINA, he himself admitted that was a mistake. It should not happen. The one who created the war believing it was wrong. Do some research for yourself and you will find many answers about it. And when you are wrong you must say sorry. In Australia stolen generation did not die like Laotian who killed by those bombs (american bombs) Oh common don't try to make it so simple. What you meant by american just shat in Lao for a while.....don't you see american bombs still kill people. COMMON. BUCK HAR MUNG EUY.
Yes but the american dropped more bombs in LAO than in WORLD WAR 2, don't you see and that caused suffering too. Oh common, Corby was a CIA who told in a document, that he (Corby) controlled LAO the whole country from US battle ship, LAO war ruled by american CIA at that time (during INDOCHINA WAR). On another document called ' Descend to Hell' MCnumara the architect of the war or the one who create the war in INDOCHINA, he himself admitted that was a mistake. It should not happen. The one who created the war believing it was wrong. Do some research for yourself and you will find many answers about it. And when you are wrong you must say sorry. In Australia stolen generation did not die like Laotian who killed by those bombs (american bombs) Oh common don't try to make it so simple. What you meant by american just shat in Lao for a while.....don't you see american bombs still kill people. COMMON. BUCK HAR MUNG EUY.
provide me statistic of how many die from the bomb that was used in a war against Vietcong that was invading Laos.
And provide me data on how many Aboriginea were effect the Australia horrible policies.
In Laos there was a war. There was no war in Autralia. There is a difference.
American Genocide of the Laotian People, by David McGowan author of Derailing Democracy there you are, in this book the author stated, estimate around 500 000 people died because of the american bombs.
American Genocide of the Laotian People, by David McGowan author of Derailing Democracy there you are, in this book the author stated, estimate around 500 000 people died because of the american bombs.
OMG....genocide. You are pathetic.
Dafur....that is genocide. Jew is Nazi death camp ... that is genocide. Rhwanda.....that is genocide. Khmer Rouge killing their own people....that is genocide.
People that die from unexplode bombs around the world are just unwitting victims. THAT IS NOT GENOCIDE.
It's quite simple you go to yahoo main page and type, ' how many laotian died because of american bombs' . They give you many links and one is, 'American Genocide of the Laotian People by David McGowan author of Derail Democracy. Go and complaint with David McGowan who wrote this, if you are not happy or have a problem with this book. Go Malaka.
I guess a big difference would be that America stopped killing indigenous people a hundred years ago. Also it's one thing to kill inocents as collaterol damage from bombing in a secret war that none of the home country knows about. It's much different to hunt down and kill ones own countrymen today, in Laos, in Xaysambone.
