BY JIM GREEN
ADELAIDE — A bush camp was held near Coober Pedy from September 29 to October 1 to build the campaign against the federal government's plan for a national nuclear waste dump in South Australia.
The Kulini Kulini ("Are you listening?") camp was initiated by the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta, a senior Aboriginal women's council, and was attended by more than 200 people, including 60 Aboriginal people from Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Oak Valley, Adelaide and Darwin.
Participants listened to Aboriginal people talk about the British nuclear tests at Maralinga and Emu Field in the 1950s and early 1960s. October 15 marks the 50th anniversary of a nuclear test at Emu Field, and will be marked by actions and events around the country.
These experiences encouraged the Kungka Tjuta to fight against the further imposition of radioactive poison in the form of a nuclear waste dump, which the federal government wants to build near Woomera.
"The poison is going to come back, like Maralinga — just sneak in", a statement from the Kungka Tjuta said. "We are going to stand up and fight — strong. And you fellas have got to help us."
The camp inspired more people to support the campaign. A planning meeting in Adelaide on October 8 attracted 35 people, who began planning a protest in early November outside a Federal Court hearing into the legality of the federal government's forced acquisition of land for the dump site.
Visit the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta's web site at <http://www.iratiwanti.org> for more information on the campaign against the nuclear dump.
From Green Left Weekly, October 15, 2003.
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