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Indigenous-led solutions: Red Dust Healing

Red Dust Healing in Townsville works in detention centres and schools to deliver cultural healing programs for children at risk of being sent to prison, with a focus on dealing with rejection and providing positive role models.

Randall Ross is the proud Juru/Erub and Kanaka man behind Red Dust Healing. Here he talks about why Indigenous-led programs are key to keeping kids happy and healthy, and why our government needs to support Indigenous leaders to make their solutions a reality.

“Red Dust gives young people the tools to fix the problems in their own lives. We provide people with an opportunity to identify the rejection in their lives and name it so they can then begin healing using cultural tools. We know that once we address these issues, then we can start to heal our generations.

Red Dust uses concepts like the tree and the pouch of a kangaroo to teach young people about identity, responsibilities, relationships and problem solving. We empower people to make the right choices for them and their families.

Our motto is: ‘When the dust is settled on our lives all we get to keep and take with us is our dignity, our integrity and the love and respect we share with people.’”

Our motto is: ‘When the dust is settled on our lives all we get to keep and take with us is our dignity, our integrity and the love and respect we share with people.’

Randall Ross

How does Red Dust help children stay out of the justice system?

“We had a huge success with our program in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. In 2006, we ran the program there with 40 boys.

Their progress was monitored for two years: none of the children returned to detention in that time and only eight boys reoffended, on minor offences.”

Why is culture important for young people?

“Culture is about knowing where you come from. Many of our young people don’t have the opportunity to experience their culture.

Many of them are looking for identity, but don’t know where to look. And we always say, if you do not know where you come from, then how are you supposed to know where you are going?”

“Many of them are looking for identity, but don’t know where to look. And we always say, if you do not know where you come from, then how are you supposed to know where you are going?”

Randall ross

“Our children need to see their own people running programs. Many of our own people have been through the experiences that young people are going through today.

It’s important that Indigenous people run them for our people because many mainstream organisations don’t understand the transgenerational hurt of our people. They may know our history, but they’ve never felt it. We use that same feeling and experience to help our next generation.”

We’re calling on the Queensland Government to fund more Indigenous-designed and led programs for kids at risk of being sent to prison.

USA: Congress should oppose Trump’s 30,000 refugee cap

Reacting to news that US President Donald Trump plans to restrict the country’s refugee admissions number to 30,000 for the 2019 fiscal year, Ryan Mace, Amnesty International USA’s Grassroots Advocacy and Refugee Specialist, said:

“The Trump administration is abandoning this country’s promise to refugees.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates another undeniable political attack against people who have been forced to flee their homes.

“This is the lowest goal in the history of the programme, and compounded by this administration’s history of creating roadblock after roadblock for refugees to arrive, this must be perceived as an all-out attack against our country’s ability to resettle refugees both now and in the future.

“There is absolutely no excuse for not accepting more refugees in the coming year.

“We urge Congress to make clear their opposition to this, especially as they finalise FY19 appropriations.”

Under George W Bush figure was 70,000

Every year, the US president determines the number of refugees who should be resettled in the US in the upcoming fiscal year, signalling US commitment to protect those fleeing violence and persecution. Last year, President Trump lowered the refugee admissions quota to 45,000, the lowest refugee goal since the country’s Refugee Act was enacted in 1980.

Following the 9/11 attacks in 2011, George W Bush set the figure at 70,000, showing that the administration recognised the importance of strong US support for refugee protection even during a time of national calamity. Since 1980, the yearly refugee target has averaged 95,000.

Yemen: 24 Baha’i people, including a child, facing possible death penalty

Responding to news that 24 Yemenis from the Baha’i faith – including eight women and a child – are facing charges that could result in death sentences by the Huthi-controlled Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a, Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director of Research, said:

“Once again, we are seeing trumped up charges and flagrantly unfair proceedings used to persecute Yemeni Baha’is for their faith. And it is particularly abhorrent that some of these men and women could face the death penalty for their conscientiously held beliefs and peaceful activities.

“Once again, we are seeing trumped up charges and flagrantly unfair proceedings used to persecute Yemeni Baha’is for their faith. And it is particularly abhorrent that some of these men and women could face the death penalty for their conscientiously held beliefs and peaceful activities.”

“The group, which includes a teenage girl, were charged with various serious offences including espionage for foreign states, some of which can carry the death penalty. The Huthi authorities should drop these bogus charges, release those who are arbitrarily detained and end their abuse of the justice system to punish freedom of belief and persecute political critics, journalists, activists, Baha’is and other minorities.”

Background

Since 2015, Amnesty International has documented a number of incidents in which members of the Baha’i community in Yemen were detained by the Huthi authorities. At the moment, six Baha’is are detained by the Huthis in Yemen, including some who have been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture and incommunicado detention.

In January 2018, the Huthi authorities sentenced 52-year-old prisoner of conscience Hamid Haydara to death for allegedly collaborating with Israel and forging official documents. This sentence came after Hamid Haydara had been detained since December 2013, and was the result of a fundamentally flawed process, including trumped up charges, an unfair trial and credible allegations that he was tortured and ill-treated in custody.

City of Sydney Council passes unanimous motion supporting community sponsorship for refugees

City of Sydney Council tonight stepped up Australia’s response to the global refugee situation by unanimously passing a motion in support of expanding and improving the Australian Government’s current refugee community sponsorship program.

“This is a fantastic show of support for welcoming refugees and Amnesty International is so grateful to have City of Sydney Council getting behind expanding this neighbourhood-led solution to the global refugee crisis,” said Shankar Kasynathan, Refugee Campaigner at Amnesty International Australia.

Community sponsorship is a model where ordinary members of the community are able to sponsor visas for refugees, who wish to begin the process of rebuilding their lives in safety in Australia.

The motion, proposed by Liberal councillor Craig Chung, calls on the Federal Government to step up and ensure that the intake of refugees under community sponsorship is above and beyond any existing humanitarian or visa quotas, and to lower the program’s prohibitive visa fees.

City of Sydney Council is one of almost 150 local councils across the country that have already declared themselves Refugee Welcome Zones.

“Every day communities around Australia welcome new neighbours into their neighbourhoods. Sometimes those new neighbours are refugees and the role councils play in welcoming them so that they can rebuild their lives in safety is crucial, so it’s fantastic to see City of Sydney Council step up with the passing of this motion,” said Shankar Kasynathan.

The community sponsorship model has worked successfully in Canada for almost 40 years, welcoming over 280,000 refugees through the program, in addition to its humanitarian intake.

In contrast, in Australia, the community sponsorship program is capped at only 1,000 places this year and for every privately sponsored refugee, the government takes a space away from the annual humanitarian intake of 18,750.

“We can see from Canada’s example that the kindness of neighbours can help people who have lost everything to start again. An expanded and improved community sponsorship program in Australia would allow more people seeking safety to rebuild their lives, and set up a home here where they can prosper and thrive as new arrivals,” said Shankar Kasynathan.

“We hope that other councils around the country will take their lead from Sydney and take their commitment one step further by adding their voices to the call for a greater community sponsorship program.”

Myanmar/Reuters journalists: Aung San Suu Kyi’s defence of conviction ‘disgraceful’

Responding to comments by Myanmar’s State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, at the World Economic Forum in Hanoi defending the conviction of Reuters journalists Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo, Minar Pimple, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Global Operations, said:

“This is a disgraceful attempt by Aung San Suu Kyi to defend the indefensible. To say that this case had ‘nothing to do with freedom of expression’ and that Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Oo ‘were not jailed for being journalists’ is a deluded misrepresentation of the facts.

“These two men were convicted under a draconian, colonial-era law that was deliberately misused to halt their investigations into the appalling atrocities that took place in Rakhine State. From start to finish, the case was nothing more than a brazen attack on freedom of expression and independent journalism in Myanmar.

“To argue that the letter of the law was followed is to wilfully ignore all of these glaringly obvious shortcomings. It’s also eerily similar to the line taken by the military generals when Aung San Suu Kyi herself was locked up. The international condemnation heading Aung San Suu Kyi’s way is fully deserved, she should be ashamed.”

Background

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Yangon, Myanmar’s main city, on 12 December 2017. At the time, the two men had been investigating military operations in northern Rakhine State. These operations were marked by crimes against humanity against the Rohingya population, including deportation, murder, rape, torture and burning of homes and villages.

The two journalists were held incommunicado for two weeks before being transferred to Yangon’s Insein prison. They were convicted on 3 September 2018 under the Official Secrets Act – one of a number of repressive laws in Myanmar – and each sentenced to seven years in prison.

Submission: OPCAT in Australia

Amnesty International has submitted to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s consultation on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).

READ OUR SUBMISSION

Amnesty welcomes the governments move to ratify OPCAT. Having campaigned for its implementation for many years, Amnesty celebrates this event as a historical milestone. It is a big step towards strengthening the country’s commitment to upholding and protecting human rights.

Amnesty has made nine recommendations that support the implementation of OPCAT in Australia.

Torture and other forms of ill treatment have no place in Australia. If the implementation of OPCAT is done with regard to the recommendations of civil society, Australia is set to take real steps to prevent torture and ill treatment in places of detention.

AIA’s newest Human Rights Action Centre

Amnesty International Australia last week launched its newest Action Centre in Perth. The official launch event featured a Noongar smoking ceremony performed by Noongar elders Uncle Ben Taylor, Uncle Alf Taylor, Auntie Mingli McGlade and Michael (Mick) Fuller.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe

The spaces we occupy often help to define the shape, colour and movement of our lives.

Speaking of one of the prison complexes on Manus Island (Mike prison), Kurdish journalist and human rights defender Behrouz Boochani described the whitewashed rooms and their effect on the men living in the complex; “Over these three years it is the white colour that has become the main factor of torture.”

The work we do to defend human rights is vital, and, as Arthur Ashe said, we must start where we are. For many, that starting place is not one of peace or safety. There are people like Behrouz Boochani around the world, who have had to find ways to transcend the dangerous, paralyzing confines of the spaces around them, to build pathways of hope and understanding across physical boundaries. Many across the world must find and forge their own space.

At Amnesty International Australia last week we had the privilege of launching our newest site of human rights activism.

The new Amnesty International Perth Action Centre is located on Noongar country at the edge of Kaarta Koomba (Kings Park). As I write this the sun is setting in WA. From the window in front of me I can see the golden sunlight glowing off the windows of the building opposite. I have spent the day surrounded by colour and light, meeting with the passionate volunteers who occupy these walls.

The setting up of this office was not without difficulties, but our privilege in being able to share this beautiful space with so many powerful human rights activists is considerable.

If we need a place to start – this is a good one.

We are proud of this new office, but more than anything we would like to honour those who have had to find and forge their own spaces when doing the often times dangerous work of defending human rights. And so we hope that our new action centre will become a site to share their words, power and bravery, and let local activism flourish.

“Our Action centre is the hub for the activism in this region. On any given day you can walk in and find activists developing campaigning plans, painting banners, hosting training for their fellow activists and planning events and meetings with MPs. It is inspiring every single day to be in their presence and I am thankful for their commitment and determination. If you want to see what I mean come and get amongst it.” – Sarah Gooderham, AIA WA Community Organiser

“The opening of our new action centre marks the beginning of a new chapter for human rights activism in WA, and we welcome our partners and allies to work with us to uphold justice and to protect and defend human rights for all.” Leonie Alexander, AIA WA Branch President

“There’s so much Indigenous Rights work from Amnesty coming out of this office and we should be incredibly proud of that.” Tammy Solonec, AIA Indigenous Rights Manager

Amnesty WA Branch Committee launch the new Perth Action Centre.

Viet Nam: Activist Nguyen Trung Truc given disgraceful 12 year jail sentence must be released

Responding to the news that activist Nguyen Trung Truc has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of “carrying out activities to overthrow the people’s administration” by a court in Dong Hoi City, Minar Pimple, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Global Operations said:

“Yet again, a Vietnamese court has decided to punish peaceful activism by meting out a hefty prison sentence.

“All Nguyen Trung Truc is guilty of is speaking out for human rights and advocating for democracy in Viet Nam. He has been deliberately targeted simply because he has expressed views and taken up causes that the country’s authorities disapprove of.

“Nguyen Trung Truc must be immediately and unconditionally released and Vietnam’s government must stop dealing with dissent by throwing its critics in jail.”

Background

Nguyen Trung Truc, 44, is a member of Brotherhood of Democracy, a non-registered organisation that aims to promote human rights and advocates for democracy in Viet Nam.

Brotherhood of Democracy has been one of the main targets of the Vietnamese government’s crackdown on dissent, with 40 of its members arrested in 2017. In 2016, Nguyen Trung Truc was abducted, along with seven others and beaten by plainclothes security agents.

On 4 August 2017 he was arrested and charged with “carrying out activities to overthrow the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code. Amnesty International also has concerns about whether Nguyen Trung Truc received a fair trial. He was held incommunicado for almost a year following his arrest and only granted access to a lawyer little more than a month before his trial began.

Bangladesh: Denial of bail to Shahidul Alam a cruel affront to justice

Responding to the denial of bail to Shahidul Alam, a celebrated Bangladeshi photographer and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, the organisation’s South Asia Campaigner, Saad Hammadi, said:

“The decision to deny Shahidul Alam bail is a cruel affront to justice. He should never have been detained in the first place, since all he did was peacefully exercise his right to freedom of expression. Now, he is being subjected to prolonged detention for no justifiable reason whatsoever.

“Beyond the injustice to Shahidul Alam himself, the case risks tarnishing Bangladesh’s reputation globally. There has been a widespread outcry against the appalling treatment of this much loved photographer. He must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Background

Shahidul Alam was arrested by the Bangladeshi authorities on 5 August and has since been charged under the draconian Section 57 of Bangladesh’s Information Technology Act for comments he made in an Al-Jazeera English interview about student protests for road safety and the authorities’ use of excessive force. If convicted, Shahidul Alam would face a minimum sentence of seven years.

Human rights groups, media freedom organisations, photographers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, actors, writers and academics have called for his release.

Shahidul Alam publicly claimed that he was tortured during his detention and was made to wear the clothes he was arrested in, blooded during the torture but then washed to remove the stains when he was produced at the court on 6 August 2018. No investigation has been ordered or initiated against the police officials into his claim and on 12 August a magistrate court ordered Shahidul Alam to be sent to jail on request of the police investigation officer.

Australia / United Nations: International NGO coalition calls for justice for Myanmar’s Rohingya people

The Australian Government should immediately end military ties with Myanmar, Australia’s foremost international human rights and development organisations jointly said today. They called on the Australian government to impose targeted sanctions on military commanders responsible for atrocities committed against ethnic Rohingya, and to press for an international mechanism to assist future prosecutions.

As Australia commences its third session as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Government should step up and press for accountability for those responsible for grave international crimes in Myanmar, the Australian Council for International Development, Amnesty International, Human Rights Law Centre and Human Rights Watch said.

The final report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which recommends that Myanmar’s top military generals should be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, will be submitted to the Human Rights Council for its consideration during the Council’s 39^th Session, which began on 10 September, 2018 in Geneva. The report is expected to be presented on 18 September.

The UN report named six high-ranking military commanders, including Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, as among those responsible for “a failure to take necessary and reasonable measures to prevent and punish crimes, and a causal link between these failures and the atrocities committed.” (An Amnesty International investigation concluded in June named the same six plus seven others who played a key role in murder, rape and deportation of Rohingya.)

“Faced with such a damning report, there is no excuse for inaction,” said Elaine Pearson, Australia Director at Human Rights Watch. “Australia needs to urgently act by ending ties with Myanmar’s military, imposing targeted sanctions on abusive generals, and pressing for justice in Myanmar.”

The four organisations called for Australia to publicly support a UN Security Council referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, and to use its seat on the Human Rights Council to sponsor a resolution to establish an International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to preserve evidence and assist in investigations for future prosecution of those responsible for atrocity crimes in Myanmar.

“Those with blood on their hands, for the explosion of violence perpetrated by Myanmar’s security forces against Rohingya villagers across northern Rakhine State, must be held to account,” said Diana Sayed, Crisis Campaigns Coordinator at Amnesty International Australia. “The Australian government must explore all avenues to achieve this, in particular an immediate mechanism for evidence collection and preservation for future criminal prosecutions at the International Criminal Court.”

“Those with blood on their hands, for the explosion of violence perpetrated by Myanmar’s security forces against Rohingya villagers across northern Rakhine State, must be held to account. The Australian Government must explore all avenues to achieve this, in particular an immediate mechanism for evidence collection and preservation for future criminal prosecutions at the International Criminal Court.” – Diana Sayed, Crisis Campaigns Coordinator at Amnesty International Australia

On 27 August, the UN-mandated Fact-Finding Mission issued a report that documented Myanmar security force abuses against the Rohingya population, including, but not limited to, murder, rape, and torture, and concluded that they amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes. It also found that the systematic oppression and discrimination amounted to the crimes against humanity of persecution and possibly apartheid. (An Amnesty International investigation concluded in November 2017 that the system controlling Rohingya people in Rakhine state is indeed one of apartheid.)

The Fact-Finding Mission report also concluded there was sufficient information to warrant prosecution of senior military officials to determine liability for the crime of genocide, and named six senior commanders. The report also detailed abuses committed by militants of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and called for them to be held to account.

On 29 August, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the government “is deeply disturbed by the conclusions of the Fact-Finding Mission.” Her statement said, “Perpetrators must be held to account. We will continue to work internationally to this end, including through our position on the Human Rights Council and at the UN General Assembly.”

While Australia ultimately supported the establishment of the Fact-Finding Mission, its recent statements on Myanmar at the Council have been weak compared with the stance taken by traditional allies such as the United Kingdom and European Union.

“Time and time again we see our Government’s cruelty to refugees compromising its stance on global humanitarian emergencies,” said Daniel Webb, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre. Webb has been attending Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva to monitor the Australian Government’s role.

Since the Myanmar military’s campaign of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State began in August 2017, several countries and multilateral institutions – including the United States, Canada, and the European Union – have imposed travel and financial sanctions on several Myanmar security force commanders, units, and individuals implicated in atrocities, the vast majority in Rakhine State.

The US, UK and EU have all taken steps to suspend military training and cooperation with the Myanmar military. While the Australian Government maintains an arms embargo on Myanmar, the Department of Defence spent approximately A$400,000 in defence cooperation with Myanmar last fiscal year covering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and peacekeeping and English-language training. The estimate for military cooperation with Myanmar in FY2017 is A$270,000.

“The time has come for Defence Minister Christopher Pyne to end Australia’s defence cooperation with Myanmar’s military,” said Marc Purcell, CEO of ACFID. “As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Australia has a responsibility to send a strong signal that it has a zero-tolerance approach for gross human rights violations in our region, including the abhorrent use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.”