Don’t put kids in jail: Mulka MLA Yingiya Guyula calls for remote community peacekeepers to prevent youth crime

A NT politician wants the Territory and federal governments to invest in remote community based peacekeepers for solving conflict and creating order.

AN NT politician wants the Territory and federal governments to invest in remote community based peacekeepers for solving conflict and creating order.

East Arnhem independent Member for Mulka Yingiya Guyula says he is tired of seeing boatloads of Milingimbi people heading to court in Ramingining each month.

“The system is not working and things are only getting worse,” Mr Guyula said.

In a column for the Sunday Territorian he said, with commonwealth funding for remote policing coming to an end, the time was right to look to local communities for solutions to create long lasting change.

“In East Arnhem Land, gumurr watjarrmirr is a way to describe elders and leaders who intervene in community unrest in order to keep the peace … the literal translation is gumurr – chest/frontline and watjarr – peace,” Mr Guyula said.

“I want to see the employment of community leaders and elders to do the work of gumurr watjarrmirr as peacekeepers, who are properly resourced to work with communities and police, to create solutions for our people who need help.”

Mulka MLA Yingiya Guyula, pictured in Darwin. Picture: Amos Aikman

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Mr Guyula said the current discussion by NT government and CLP opposition about reversing the bail laws worried and frightened him.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says her bail reforms target serial offenders who repeatedly put the community at risk and make them accountable for their crimes.

She said repeat offenders, who make up most of those committing crimes, had to face tougher penalties.

However, Mr Guyula said it was Aboriginal children who would be most affected by the changes proposed by the government and opposition.

“The more contact that our people have with the justice system, the more we see them become hardened and proud of a jailbird status,” he says.

“Elders want to keep our children away from this system. Our Yolngu education system, Raypirri, is underpinned by the teaching of self-discipline, care for kin and community, and care for country. This is how we grow our children. Rather than becoming hardened by the system of correctional services, we want our children to become strong future leaders.”

Mr Guyula said the damage caused by “oppressive government policies like the Intervention, the Stronger Futures Policy, Super Shires and Growth Towns” had had a devastating impact on communities.

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“Investment in local peacekeepers is not the only answer – this needs to come with an investment in solving the underlying problems,” he said.

“We need to see an investment in housing and infrastructure, a genuine two-ways approach to education, small business development, training and job development, a fair and equal approach to funding homeland towns.

“We need to see all these as well as other local solutions.”