Introduces the phased outcome of the major (key) landmark project "Research on the History and Current Situation of Racism in Australia" under Beijing Foreign Studies University's "Double First-Class" initiative, namely the translation of the preface to the 1997 report "Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families." The report pays tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples affected by forced separation, commemorates their suffering and sacrifices, mourns the children who could not return home, and expresses gratitude to those who shared their experiences with the inquiry commission.

1 The Inquiry

Reveals the painful history of forced separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families through individual experiences, highlighting the profound harm caused by such separation to individuals, families, and society. It also points out that the negative impacts of past policies on Indigenous societies persist, calling for society to face history, acknowledge past wrongs, and achieve genuine reconciliation.

2 Scope of the Inquiry

Provides a detailed examination of the historical background and specific circumstances of the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The report traces the laws, practices, and policies that led to the forced, coerced, or unduly influenced separation of Indigenous children from their families, clearly distinguishing between "forcible removal" and voluntary separation. Regarding "forcible" actions, it describes situations where government officials and police took children away by legal authority or court order, including directly seizing children in the absence of their parents and removing infants from hospitals. It also mentions cases where parents were misled into consenting to adoption due to inability to locate their children, as well as instances where police separated children from their mothers during operations.

In terms of "coercion," the report notes that coercion differs from force, as it does not rely on physical power but on threats or moral pressure. Examples include parents sending children to missionary institutions to protect them from government removal or being forced to relinquish custody under threats of losing other children. Additionally, some cases show welfare officers using legal threats to pressure young mothers into giving up their children.

"Undue influence" involves inducing families to surrender their children through inappropriate pressure. This includes using educational opportunities as bait, making it difficult for Aboriginal families to refuse proposals for their children to attend school away from home, and using false promises or lies to persuade parents to leave their children in temporary care institutions for extended periods.

The report also discusses the "justifiability" of removal actions, noting that even if some removals might later be considered for child protection purposes, no justification was required at the time. Many Aboriginal children were taken away not due to neglect or abuse but because of their Aboriginal identity. Furthermore, the report emphasizes the extensive kinship networks within Aboriginal families and communities and their role in raising and educating orphans, though these networks were often overlooked or misunderstood.

Finally, the report points out that the inquiry's terms of reference were not limited to children forcibly removed but included all children separated from their families. Many Aboriginal children, after being taken away, lost not only contact with their parents but also with their siblings and entire communities. This multi-layered separation had profound effects on the children.