Australians commemorate "National Sorry Day"
Xinhua, May 26, 2016 Adjust font size:
Thursday marks "National Sorry Day" in Australia, an annual event held since 1998 to commemorate the mistreatment of the nation's indigenous population.
It comes ahead of the National Reconciliation Week, which begins on Friday.
Queensland state Treasurer Curtis Pitt said in a statement on Thursday that he encouraged all Queenslanders to find personal meaning in this year's theme: "Our History, Our Story, Our Future".
"Today, on Sorry Day, I encourage all Queenslanders to continue the process of reconciliation by taking the time to reflect on the past we share and how the discriminatory laws that once defined our society inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on our First Peoples," Pitt said.
"Sorry Day reminds us all -- whether individuals or governments -- of the importance of taking responsibility for positive change."
He noted one couldn't truly reflect on Australia's national identity unless "our national history" is acknowledged.
In Sydney, protesters are set to gather to "turn the tide" of child removal from indigenous homes, AAP reported on Thursday.
The group, Grandmothers Against Removals, plans to march from Sydney's inner west to call for more funding to stop children being taken from indigenous families. Endit