Aussie Parliament apologizes to aborigines

CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The Australian Parliament has apologized to the country's indigenous people for the suffering experienced by the "stolen generations."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke of the profound grief, suffering and loss experienced by aborigines in the first half of the 20th century when tens of thousands of indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families in tribal homelands and placed into the homes of white people or government institutions.

"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and their families left behind, we say sorry," Rudd said in a speech carried by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Wednesday.

"We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation."

Parliament approved the motion unanimously after the leader of the opposition, Brendan Nelson, supported the government's move, but warned against judging actions of the past by standards of the present.