Philippines: ‘Battle of Marawi’ leaves trail of death and destruction

  Civilians on the island of Mindanao paid a high price – with dozens killed and widespread destruction of homes and property – amid the ‘battle of Marawi’ that pitted the Philippine military against militants allied to the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) between May and October this year, Amnesty International said in …

New poll: Only one in three say Turnbull Government doing enough to protect kids in prison from abuse

Only around one in three Australians (36%) think the Turnbull Government is doing enough to protect kids in children’s prisons from abuse. This is the finding of a ReachTEL poll commissioned by Amnesty International, ahead of Friday’s release of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory report. The …

Marriage Equality: Now the Yes is in, Malcolm Turnbull must deliver equality before Christmas

Amnesty International warmly welcomes this morning’s announcement that a majority of Australians who participated in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey said yes to equality, love, fairness and family. “Marriage Equality is a human right and all Australians have the right to equal treatment under the law. LGBTQI couples have waited long enough for marriage …

Myanmar: Military attempts to whitewash crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya

  Amnesty International is calling on Australia to cut ties with the Myanmar military.   In response to findings released overnight after the Myanmar military’s internal investigation into violence in northern Rakhine State since 25 August, James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said: “Once again, Myanmar’s military is trying …

New QLD Government must adopt strong youth justice agenda

The incoming Queensland Government must have a strong youth justice agenda that supports children to thrive in their communities, not be separated from their families in children’s prisons, said Amnesty International today, as it released ‘A Human Rights Agenda For The Next Qld State Government’. The Human Rights Agenda is an 11-point plan for the …

Manus Island: Court ruling jeopardises lives

  The current situation on Manus Island amounts to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment Lives are at risk unless PNG authorities restore essential services As Australia continues to flout international law, all refugees and vulnerable persons should be resettled to third countries   Critical services – including food, water and medical treatment – must be …

Paradise Papers: Time for action on grand-scale tax abuse

Governments must take urgent steps to crack down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance by wealthy individuals and companies, Amnesty International said today, after the leaked Paradise Papers shed new light on the murky dealings of the offshore financial industry. “When people do not pay their fair share of tax, it’s the poor who …

5 things about Indigenous history you probably didn’t learn in school

It’s no secret that ongoing dispossession and racism contribute to huge gaps in the health, life expectancy and imprisonment rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. At a time when states and territories across Australia are locking up kids as young as 10, it’s more important than ever that our schools recognise the diversity, …

Thailand: Defamation charges dropped against Amnesty International chairperson and two others

Responding to news that the Pattani Provincial Prosecutor will formally end the criminal defamation case against an Amnesty International Thailand chairperson, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, and two other human rights activists, Somchai Homla-or and Anchana Heemmina, James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said: “While it is heartening that the charges against three …