“We apologize for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians,” declared Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who also called the assimilation policies a “great stain” in the nation’s soul.

Eleven years have elapsed since the release of a document that illustrated some of the ills in the assimilation policies, showing that around 100,000 children were forcibly removed from their parents. Even after former Prime Minister Howard’s government refused to apologize at the time, this simple move of saying sorry can be a good start for the better.

Now that this symbolic act was made, it seeds the hope of a true Aboriginal integration into Aussie society with a better life expectancy, more employment, and no violence. Let us hope that the future gets brighter for the Aborigines from here.
[SFGate, Reuters, AP]