Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
The Myanmar authorities must undertake a prompt, independent, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the violent destruction of buildings in a mosque compound on June 23 in Bago Region in central Myanmar. Incident must be taken seriously “The authorities must take swift action to show that it is treating such incidents against Muslims and other …
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Responding to the UK’s referendum vote in favour of leaving the EU, Kate Allen Amnesty’s UK Director, said: “People will want reassurance that their rights will be safeguarded and the government has a duty to publicly commit to protecting those rights”. “Whether the UK is a member of the EU or not, it remains beholden …
Continue reading “UK vote to leave EU: Time to focus on what unites us”
Queensland has passed two Bills that will better protect children’s rights and help keep children out of the criminal justice system. Youth Justice and Other Amendments Bills The Youth Justice and Other Amendments Bills, passed over the weekend, are the first step towards a fairer justice system for kids in Queensland. The Bills remove military-style …
A new decree by the governor of Rio de Janeiro authorizing spending cuts ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games must not be used as an excuse to cut short basic services and training for security forces to be deployed in favelas. “The decision to cut down on social services and security ahead of the Rio …
The Indonesian authorities in Aceh are endangering lives of a group of more than 40 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers by firing warning shots and threatening to push them back out to sea in flagrant violation of international law. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the scene but denied access Aceh authorities undermine Indonesian Vice President …
Amnesty International welcomes the new Crimes Act 2016, which came into force in Nauru on 12 May. The new law replaces the archaic Criminal Code from 1899 and includes a number of positive steps towards improving human rights such as: The substitution of the death penalty with life imprisonment as the punishment for murder. Following …
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The attack in Orlando demonstrated utter contempt for human life, and the US government is obligated to protect people from gun violence. “Last night’s shooting in Orlando demonstrated utter contempt for human life, and our thoughts are with the victims of these attacks and the city of Orlando. But thoughts must be backed up with …
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The UN Human Rights Committee’s ground-breaking decision that Ireland’s law prohibiting and criminalizing abortion violated the human rights of a woman who had a diagnosis of fatal foetal impairment will advance women’s rights in Ireland and beyond. Denied abortion despite fatal diagnosis The UN Committee’s ruling today said Ireland’s laws prohibiting abortion violated the rights …
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The shooting of students peacefully protesting in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is a disgraceful attack on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Amnesty International has received information that there are 38 people injured, including four in critical condition. Three people are still being assessed in emergency. “The shooting …
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A surge in killings of people with albinism, whose body parts are used in ritual practices, has exposed a systematic failure of policing in Malawi and left this vulnerable group living in fear. The report, “We are not animals to be hunted or sold”: Violence and discrimination against people with albinism in Malawi”, exposes how …
