Tuesday's Dateline: The Cocos Malaise

6 Aug 2012, 4:22 pm   -   Source: SBS Dateline
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Cocos Malay residents say promises have been broken over the integration of the Cocos Islands into Australia. (SBS)

Cocos Malay residents say promises have been broken over the integration of the Cocos Islands into Australia. (SBS)

Nearly 30 years after the Cocos Islands voted to become part of Australia, locals say they’re being denied a future in their own land.

When the people of the tiny Cocos Islands voted in 1984 to become part of Australia, the Cocos Malay residents were promised that they would be able to determine their destiny and control their land.

But nearly 30 years on, rather than a united and prosperous community, the locals say they’re being denied a future on their own islands.

On Tuesday’s Dateline at 9.30pm on SBS ONE, Brian Thomson meets some of the white Australians now controlling the Cocos, and the Cocos Malays struggling to find jobs and forge any kind of career.

With him is Dick Whittington, on his first visit since he advised on the changeover.

He’s shocked by the cultural gap and animosity that have opened up between what’s become the white West Island and Cocos Malay Home Island.

So why are the islands drifting so far apart? And how can the tide be turned on what should be a paradise in the Indian Ocean?

Watch Brian's report this Tuesday at 9.30pm on SBS ONE, or read more now on the Dateline website.

Dateline , Brian Thomson , Cocos Islands , Politics , Racism , Unemployment , Economy , Tourism

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Your Comments

You just gotta laugh and yet nobody really cares a hoot

Mona - from Australia, 10 months ago

Our Australian government criticise China about Tibet. Vast numbers of Chinese have moved into Tibet, starting business, buying land, taking jobs, so much so that even if Tibet were given independance today the locals are now more Chinese than Tibetan. On the world stage the Cocos Islands are nothing, so we can play out our Australian hypocrisy. These Cocos insurgents should not demand their own country back or we might send in a military defence. ( we do have 2500 USA marines to help us ).

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