Divisive Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe has co-signed a scathing letter to King Charles III that calls on him to apologise for the British monarchy's widespread colonisation and 'genocide' it set upon the rest of the world.
The letter, entitled 'apology, reparation, and repatriation of artefacts and remains', was signed by representatives of 12 nations including Australia.
It was signed by Nova Peris, the first Indigenous woman elected to federal parliament, and Lidia Thorpe.
The letter calls upon King Charles III to make reparations to the countries and its peoples who bore the brunt of Britain's effort to conquer all edges of the map.
Thorpe, who found herself in hot water recently after throwing a temper tantrum outside a Melbourne strip club, shared an online statement in relation to the letter.
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"Today I join representatives from 12 Commonwealth countries (with the King as head of state) in calling on the new king to recognise British acts of genocide, issue a formal apology to all First Nations and Indigenous peoples impacted by British colonisation," she said.
"We also call for the return of the stolen wealth, artefacts and remains of our people."
Thorpe added that the 'horrific impacts of British colonisation', which included the genocide of Australia's First Nations people, are still felt today.
"The genocidal project that commenced in 1788 still continues, and neither the British Crown nor the Australian Government have been held to account for the crimes they have committed," Thorpe said in a statement, as per YahooNews.
"This joint statement, from First Nations and human rights advocates across the Commonwealth, calls on King Charles III to make a formal apology and begin a process of repairing the damage of colonisation, including returning the stolen wealth that has been taken from our people."
The calls for reparation, signed by indigenous representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, come one month after the King threw his support behind research that will examine the British monarchy's links to slavery.
"This is an issue that His Majesty takes profoundly seriously," Buckingham Palace said in an April statement, as per Reuters.
The Palace highlighted a speech the now-King made to Commonwealth leaders last June.
"I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact," King Charles III said at the time.
The Palace added that the process has since continued with 'vigour and determination' since he succeeded his mother on the throne last September, as per Reuters.
Topics: Australia, King Charles III, UK News
Rachel Lang