Australia calls for British museum to return Aboriginal remains
The Australian Government says it is commited to repatriating Aboriginal remains held in overseas collections.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre has obtained a court injunction in Britain, preventing that country's Natural History Museum from carrying out scientific tests on the remains of 17 Aborigines, before they are returned to Australia.
The centre wants the federal government to help fund its continuing legal challenge.
The attorney-general Philip Ruddock says his office is still waiting on a formal funding request, but is committed to bringing back remains held by institutions like the British museum:
"We think they've had plenty of opportunities to do what they think might be required to get information from scientific research," he said. "They ought to just get on with the job and return the remains to Australia."
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The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre has obtained a court injunction in Britain, preventing that country's Natural History Museum from carrying out scientific tests on the remains of 17 Aborigines, before they are returned to Australia.
The centre wants the federal government to help fund its continuing legal challenge.
The attorney-general Philip Ruddock says his office is still waiting on a formal funding request, but is committed to bringing back remains held by institutions like the British museum:
"We think they've had plenty of opportunities to do what they think might be required to get information from scientific research," he said. "They ought to just get on with the job and return the remains to Australia."