In Robtelmes v Brenan 120 years ago, Australia’s newly established high court approved an act of ethnic cleansing(种族清洗). Between 4,000 and 6,000 Australian South Sea Islanders were to be forcibly(强行地) expelled(驱逐) as “aliens”, despite the majority having full legal belonging as “British subjects(英国臣民)”.
120年前，在Robtelmes诉Brenan案中，澳大利亚新成立的高等法院批准了一项种族清洗行为。4000至6000名澳大利亚南海岛民被当作“外国人”强行驱逐，尽管其中大多数人拥有“英国臣民”的完整法律身份。
To this day, the high court still cites(援引) Robtelmes for the right to expel or detain(拘留) non-citizens “for any reason”. Ominously(不祥地), the commonwealth(联邦) also argues that potentially half the permanent population of Australia are “aliens” and subject to(受制于) this power.
时至今日，高等法院仍援引Robtelmes案来主张“以任何理由”驱逐或拘留非公民的权利。更令人不安的是，联邦政府还辩称，澳大利亚永久居民中可能有一半都是“外国人”，都受这一权力的管辖。
From an Australian South Sea Islander perspective, this case is not simply a historical wrong: it is a legal wound that remains open. Many South Sea Islanders know their ancestors were “blackbirded(被诱骗为奴)” to Australia, built families and communities here and many were legally British subjects. Yet the decision legitimised(使合法化) the forced removal of an entire community under the White Australia policy(白澳政策).
从澳大利亚南海岛民的角度看，此案不仅仅是一个历史错误：它是一道至今未愈的法律伤口。许多南海岛民知道，他们的祖先被“黑鸟”诱骗到澳大利亚，在这里建立家庭和社区，其中许多人法律上是英国臣民。然而，这一判决却使“白澳政策”下对整个社区的强制驱逐合法化。