Lidia Thorpe wants King Charles to say sorry for British ‘genocide and colonisation’

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has written to the new monarch urging him to say sorry for British “colonisation”. See what is in the letter.

Controversial independent senator Lidia Thorpe has urged on King Charles to acknowledge and apologise for the impacts and ongoing legacy from British “genocide and colonisation”.

Ms Thorpe, who was recently handed a lifetime ban from a Melbourne strip club after trading insults with a group of males over indigenous issues, made the call in a joint letter with representatives from 11 other Commonwealth countries.

The statement, which has been sent to the monarch, calls on him to act on the royal family’s recent expressions of sorrow by beginning a process for reparations and returning stolen artifacts and bodily remains.

“The British monarchy oversaw the oppression of First Nations peoples in British colonies all over the world. The horrific impacts of British colonisation, including the genocide of our people, theft of our land and denigration of our culture, are still felt today,” Ms Thorpe says in the statement.

Senator Lidia Thorpe wants King Charles to say sorry for the impacts of the British “genocide and colonisation”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“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.

“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.”

Other signatories to the statement include representatives from New Zealand, The Bahamas and Canada.

“Our collective Indigenous Rights Organisations among other organisations who are working to help our communities recover from centuries of racism, oppression, colonialism and slavery, now rightly recognized by the United Nations as ‘Crimes Against Humanity,’ also call for a formal apology and for a process of reparatory justice to commence,” their collective statement reads.

The statetment outlines five key points, which include: “Immediately start the conversation about slavery’s enduring impact”, “starting discussions about reparations”, “repatriation of all remains of our collective peoples”, “return of all of our cultural treasures and artefacts” and “acknowledge and adopt the renunciation of the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ made by Pope Francis in April 2023”.

Thorpe :

In early April, the King expressed his support for the first time for research into the historical links between the British monarchy and the transatlantic slave trade.

Buckingham Palace said King Charles takes the issues “profoundly seriously” and the royal household will help with the academic project by offering access to the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives.

Originally published as Lidia Thorpe wants King Charles to say sorry for British ‘genocide and colonisation’