Removal of Rio Tinto CEO a welcome step towards accountability for Juukan Gorge blasting
The Human Rights Law Centre has welcomed the removal of Rio Tinto’s CEO, Jean-Sébastien Jacques, head of Corporate Relations Simone Niven and Head of Iron Ore Chris Salisbury following the company’s detonation of a 46,000 year old Aboriginal sacred site in the Pilbara region, Western Australia.
The destruction of the caves at Juukan Gorge in May devastated the Traditional Owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia, leaving many in disbelief.
Keren Adams, Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said while the removal of the three senior executives was an important first step it must not be the last.
“At last we are seeing some proper accountability at the top for Rio Tinto’s destruction of Juukan Gorge. The company’s initial response of docking executives’ bonuses was patently inadequate given the significance of the site.
“But this is only the first step. The company must now follow this action up with proper reparations to the Traditional Owners and start walking the talk on human rights and cultural heritage protection.”
Ms Adams said that Rio Tinto’s actions at Juukan Gorge were not an aberration, but rather symptomatic of a broader culture of disregard for communities’ rights and cultural heritage.
“Over the past few years, Rio Tinto has been the subject of serious human rights complaints by communities impacted by its operations in a number of different countries.
“We have been working with communities in Bougainville, for instance, who are also facing destruction of their sacred sites as well as serious pollution of their land and water sources as a result of the massive quantities of mine waste left by Rio there. Rio Tinto must properly acknowledge and address its impacts on communities throughout its global operations if it is to have any hope of resurrecting its reputation as a human rights leader.”
Media contact:
Michelle Bennett, Communications Director,
Human Rights Law Centre,
(+61) 0419 100 519
Media Enquiries
Chandi Bates
Media and Communications Manager
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Human Rights Law Centre acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia, including the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Darug and Wadawurrung people where we work from.
We pay our respect to Elders past and present. This land always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
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