Fed: Aboriginal leader calls for urgent meeting with PM

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2007
Fed: Aboriginal leader calls for urgent meeting with PM

An indigenous leader in Tasmania has called on the prime minister to guarantee funding
.. that would prevent scientific tests being conducted on Aboriginal remains in London.

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre legal director MICHAEL MANSELL's asked JOHN HOWARD for
a meeting to thrash out a financial commitment from the federal government.

The centre's won an interim injunction preventing the Natural History Museum in London
from conducting tests on the remains .. before a full High Court hearing on February 22.

But it'll need up to 300 thousand dollars to pay for the case .. and says the entire
challenge could collapse without cash from the commonwealth.

Mr MANSELL says he's asked Mr HOWARD for a guarantee that the federal government will
cover any costs awarded against them.







The Natural History Museum has agreed to return the remains of 17 indigenous Tasmanians
but not before scientific tests are performed on their bodies.

The remains were removed from burial grounds in Tasmania by colonialists in the early
18-hundreds .. and eventually given to the museum.

AAP RTV grc/tm/bart

KEYWORD: ARTEFACTS MANSELL (HOBART)

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