Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
The Australian government must immediately scrap proposed new laws that, if passed, would suffocate the work of civil society, intimidate whistleblowers and limit scrutiny of government, Amnesty International said. The bills – the Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill and the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill – are currently being reviewed …
Continue reading “Scrap proposed laws that would suffocate NGOs, create climate of secrecy”
The Australian Capital Territory today marked a significant milestone in Australia’s response to the global refugee situation, with Labor, Liberal and Greens MLAs voting unanimously to call on the Federal Government to broaden the refugee community sponsorship program. “The ACT Parliament is the first at any level of government in Australia to get behind expanding …
Continue reading “Bipartisan ACT milestone brings Australia closer to refugee solution”
The eight-month prison sentence imposed on Palestinian child activist Ahed Tamimi is a flagrant attempt to intimidate those who dare challenge the circumstances of the ongoing Israeli occupation, Amnesty International said today. 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi was sentenced to eight months and a 5000 shekels fine (around AUD$1850), with a three-year suspended sentence after entering into …
The WA Government must urgently close the punishment unit in Perth’s Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre, and answer questions about the WA youth justice system, said Amnesty International today. A teenager locked up for 328 days in the so-called ‘Intensive Support Unit’, an isolation cell the size of a car parking space, is asking to …
Continue reading “Teenager in Banksia Hill asking to go to adult prison after 328 days in isolation”
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia must take a strong stand against ongoing crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya in Myanmar as they meet this weekend, Amnesty International said. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s State Counsellor and de facto political leader, is expected to attend the first ever ASEAN-Australia Summit, taking …
Myanmar’s Rakhine State is being militarised at an alarming pace, as authorities are building security force bases and bulldozing land where Rohingya villages were burned to the ground just months ago, Amnesty International said in a new briefing today. Through eyewitness testimony and expert analysis of satellite images, Remaking Rakhine State reveals how flattening of Rohingya …
Reacting to the news that Australia and Papua New Guinea have begun deporting some men from the Manus Island facilities, Amnesty International’s Refugee Researcher Kate Schuetze said, “No asylum seeker should be arrested or deported until they have been given a fair opportunity to present their case for asylum. To do so creates a serious …
From China to Syria, Kenya to Egypt, girls and women are rising up and risking their lives to stand up for what they believe in. Activists, lawyers, sisters and students, these women have put their lives on the line, fought for lost loved ones and stood up for strangers. Now it’s their time to shine. …
Amnesty International Australia was appalled to see the timid ‘diplospeak’ as laid bare in the FOI documents obtained by Guardian Australia. This confirms that not only is Australia intent on continuing its ties with the Myanmar military, but it is employing a sickening softly softly approach despite the horror being inflicted on the Rohingya people. …
The Sri Lankan authorities must respect human rights under the state of emergency, says Amnesty International. A state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka after two incidents of serious violence against members of the country’s Muslim minority. On 5 March, a mob set homes, shops and a mosque ablaze in the Digana area of …
Continue reading “Sri Lanka: State of emergency must respect human rights”