Tracking the Intervention - 44min. documentary

Watch full film here: http://vod.journeyman.tv/s/Tracking+the+Intervention

Jan 2008
Sending in soldiers and the police to 'stabilise' indigenous communities and check children for sexual abuse was always going to be controversial. But months after Australia's Federal Government seized control of 73 bush townships, banned alcohol and porn and overhauled welfare payments, what impact are their actions having? Are these 'harsh measures' justified or is this 'another step in the undeclared war against Aboriginal people'?

Night time in the Aboriginal community of Maningrida. Gangs of "lost children" roam about unsupervised. "Nobody cares for them and they've got nothing". Some don't look older than eight or nine. "Parents are not taking control because some fathers are on drugs, alcohol, smoking ganja. These kids are learning violence and drug use from their parents".


Last summer, an inquiry uncovered horrific levels of paedophilia in every aboriginal community inspected. Declaring the situation a "national emergency", the Australian government took back control of land given over to Indigenous rule. The army was sent in and new leaders imposed on communities with sweeping powers to seize the assets of Aboriginal organisations and expel anyone.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

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[Inconvenientruths]

@tiBbLeX

Mate never a truer word been said, I worked in the Aboriginal industry for many years and I watched terrible nepotism and corruption in places like Balgo, Bentinck Island, Oombulgurri etc etc.

The do-gooders just turn away.

This has been the only example of real help I have actually seen where the money is not squandered by the Aboriginal councils.

I realise the opposition was just becuase the grog was cut off but sadly some people cannot be helped, this is so in this case.

[tiBbLeX]

Its quite sad how so many outsiders are so bloody ignorant to the situation, most of you have no idea how bad of a state the aboriginal people are in. If you think that this intervention is criminal, then you go walk through an aboriginal community for yourself and see!

At least the bloody government is trying help them.

Problem is one can't be helped unless they help them self.

That is the sad fact of this situation.

[shawnyscott]

@tiBbLeX You couldn't have put it in any better words! Try living in Cairns!

[tiBbLeX]

@nikkivoldemort05 0.52% haha you are so full of it mate, deniers like you help this problem....

[timewarlord]

@nikkivoldemort05 If you believe that propaganda you are ignorant to the facts sir! Obviously a low abuse rate takes pressure of the government when the eyes of the media and public shift elsewhere, not to mention that it makes organizations like centrelink look less like bumbling morons.

[nikkivoldemort05]

@589a2760

FALSE Aboriginals are not "fucking their kids every 10 minutes" and your choice of words shows no understanding or learning on your part.

[nikkivoldemort05]

@GulumbaDanceGroup

millions? seems somewhat uninformed.....

[nikkivoldemort05]

@tiBbLeX

I just don't see how punishing those who are doing the right thing helps though? I agree that there are issues, but why punich the good role models in the community?

[nikkivoldemort05]

@MiKKA335

yes, and where are they going to get the funding to do something about their plight? The government enslaved their ancesters, didn't pay out their trust monies that were taken due to "lost records". That in itself is illegal. If I were to hold money in trust and lost vital documentation, I would be in court because that is a breach of the law of Trusts. Funny that the government doesn't have the same thing though.

[nikkivoldemort05]

@CyberWendus

If their IQ is lower, I would look towards an ill-equiped education system rather than they are just naturally 'dumber' than other nations.

[nikkivoldemort05]

@timewarlord

and you are ignorant of the facts. The 5 year intervention begin in 2007 after the "children are sacred report" told of pedophile rings and children being abused sexually. It was said to be 'rampant' in the indigenous communities. 7,500 children were examined by medical staff at an IMMENSE government (taxpayer) cost. Do you know the percentage of abused children they found? 0.52%. Definitely not the rampant sexual abuse they were describing.

[nikkivoldemort05]

@001dangermouse

Really, so even though there are no jobs in those places, and those who had jobs form programs like CDEP were taken OUT of jobs and placed onto centrelink so that the government could manage their pay.

Many live in make shift sheds on land that the government still own on a 100 year lease.