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Australia: Aboriginal boys’ deaths could have been prevented

Amnesty International has today expressed sincere condolences to the families of five teenage boys who were chased by police in Perth overnight, tragically ending in the passing of two Aboriginal boys who drowned in the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). Police are still searching for a third boy.

Alison Gibbins, Amnesty International Australia Deputy National Director, said, “Two months after Police Commissioner Chris Dawson admitted that practices and policies of the WA police deeply affected the lives of Aboriginal people, two Aboriginal boys have drowned after being chased by police”.

“This is a tragedy that should have never happened. The community have been telling the WA Government how to fix the justice system so kids are safe and living healthy lives in their communities. We need to restart the review of the youth justice system that the WA Government has left on the shelf gathering dust since they were elected.

“To stop tragedies like this occurring, the Government needs to commit to working with Aboriginal young people to make real reforms in youth justice. This includes restarting the review of the youth justice system, changing the way Police work with Indigenous young people, and merging Youth Justice into the Department of Communities. These are all initiatives that should be rolled out immediately.

“It’s a sad sign when children would rather jump into a cold river in the middle of the night than face police.”

Amnesty International is calling on the WA Government to treat this incident as death in custody, and for a Coronial Inquest to begin as soon as possible.

Amnesty stands with survivors of sexual orientation change efforts

Amnesty International stands with survivors of gay conversion therapy and sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) to call for its abolition in every state and territory, for awareness around the practice, and for better support for survivors.

The SOCE Survivors Statement has been endorsed by Amnesty International Australia, survivors of SOCE, community leaders, community organisations, health professionals and churches.

READ THE Statement

Amnesty International calls on Australia’s decision-makers in every state and territory to:

Improve awareness about SOCE to minimise its influence in schools, media, the health sector, and the broader community
Investigate, regulate and legislate for the banning of SOCE
Resource LGBTIQ and mental health organisations to better support SOCE survivors

Tell Australia’s decision-makers that there is no place for SOCE and gay conversion therapy in our community:

Viet Nam: Amnesty International senior official refused entry amid growing intolerance of freedom of expression

Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Global Operations, Minar Pimple, has been refused an entry visa to speak at this week’s World Economic Forum on ASEAN event in Hanoi, further evidence of the Vietnamese government’s ongoing crackdown against freedom of expression.

Minar Pimple, who is part of Amnesty International’s senior leadership team, was due to speak on diversity and pluralism, yet has been refused permission to attend.

World Economic Forum (WEF) officials who communicated with the Viet Nam government were told Pimple’s visa had been earmarked for refusal.

Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said, “We condemn this decision to stifle debate from a regular contributor to the WEF who has spoken at the highest levels on human rights issues around the world. This comes at a time when freedom of expression is under deep threat in Viet Nam. The government’s actions undermine an event that depends on a plurality of views, and they are giving ASEAN a bad name.”

“This comes at a time when freedom of expression is under deep threat in Viet Nam. The government’s actions undermine an event that depends on a plurality of views, and they are giving ASEAN a bad name.”

Over the past year, the crackdown on freedom of expression in civil society in Viet Nam has intensified, with many activists being arrested, tried unfairly and sentenced to years in prison, leading scores of others to flee the country.

Human rights defenders, peaceful political activists, and religious communities have also been subjected to a range of repressive measures including arbitrary detention, prosecution on national security-related and other vaguely worded charges in unfair trials, and heavy sentences. Prominent activists face restrictions on movement and are subject to surveillance, harassment and violent assaults.

Amnesty International has also warned that a new Cyber Security Law passed in June this year threatens freedom of expression on online platforms.

“Viet Nam’s government should reverse increasing restrictions on expression and immediately cease persecuting and suppressing those engaging in reasoned debate.”

“Viet Nam’s government should reverse increasing restrictions on expression and immediately cease persecuting and suppressing those engaging in reasoned debate,” Kumi Naidoo said.

“Countries with significant engagement with Viet Nam, including the United States, members of the European Union, ASEAN members, as well as businesses and others attending the WEF, should not ignore the urgent human rights issues plaguing the country, and insist that debates at the Forum are open and address global and regional human rights concerns.”

Hope Courage Action Conference

Julia Hansen Holme from the Victorian University Network shares the action from the 2018 Hope, Courage, Action Human Rights Conference.

On 12 August, the Victorian University Network proudly presented the Hope, Courage, Action Human Rights Conference 2018, celebrating International Youth Day and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Featuring three one-hour sessions and nine amazing guest speakers, the conference engaged young people from across Victoria in thought-provoking conversations about key human rights issues. This is the third time this type of conference has been hosted by the Victorian University Network, but the first time for its current coordinators.

Refugee Rights Panel Discussion @AmnestyInternational

Session 1: Be Brave

The day kicked off with session focused on an introduction to human rights and Amnesty International. A beautiful Welcome to Country from Aunty Georgina Nicholson, an Elder from the Wurundjeri Council was first, before Amnesty’s own Susanna Ritchie spoke about the importance of human rights, showcasing both key human rights issues and some of Amnesty’s success stories. Spoken word poet Abe Nouk finished off the session by moving us all with his poetry.

Session 2: Supporting Refugee Rights

The panel featured four human rights activists with a refugee background who have made invaluable contributions to the human rights movement. The panellists shared their perspectives and experiences on the refugee crisis through images, experience and stories. Within seconds, questions started coming in from the audience. For the Q&A session, we used the online tool Sli.Do that allows people to anonymously ask questions via their phone. The audience could then “like” the questions they wanted answered, and the top questions were asked to the panel. At the end of the session, the audience went outside to take a photo showing their support of refugee rights.

Session 3: Community is Everything

The last session was focused on the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The first speaker was Jessica Cantari from the Community is Everything Network who spoke about the different campaigns Amnesty International is running. Following this, Charles Williams from the City of Melbourne joined us to talk about issues and experiences of the local communities in Melbourne. He also showed a powerful documentary about Aboriginal communities in Fitzroy. Charles finished his presentation with a Q&A session a really wonderful Q&A session and a discussion about how we can get involved with the work of the City of Melbourne.

The Merger film

The Merger film has been making its way across the country spreading positive messages of welcome. Amnesty is proud to be in partnership with this film that highlights the positive welcome communities can offer refugees and take a strong message of inclusivity to cinemas around Australia.

The Merger is a tale of a struggling, small town footy team that recruits refugees to survive. Director Mark Grentell and producer Anne Robinson have joined with comedian/actor/writer Damian Callinan to adapt to the screen his award-winning, stage show of the same name.

The Merger premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 11 August and then took off around the country. Activists have not missed this fantastic opportunity to join in this spirit of welcome and talk to film goers about why we need an expanded and improved community sponsorship program.

Kathleen Herbert Amnesty refugee activist organiser said “The Merger was heart warming and hilarious! It’s the perfect message of hope and achievable community action that those fighting for refugee rights need. It also has the ability to change the minds of those who are on the fence when it comes to refugee rights. It communicated complex issues in a simple and funny way, I’ve been recommending it to anyone who’ll listen!”

Communities want to be able to open their arms and their hearts to refugees and this movie exemplifies that. If you want to check this amazing heartfelt movie out find out when and where it’s screening in your state the full list of dates.

Egypt: 75 death sentences and heavy prison terms handed down in disgraceful mass trial

Amnesty International has condemned as “disgraceful” a series of sentences handed down in Egypt today in a mass trial related to participation in the Rabaa sit-in in Cairo during August 2013.

Earlier this morning, Cairo Criminal Court’s handed down 75 death sentences, 47 life sentences and heavy prison sentences for another 612 people.

Among those sentenced was prominent photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as “Shawkan”, who was sentenced to five years – a period he has already spent behind bars. Amnesty has been campaigning for Shawkan’s release.

Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International’s North Africa Campaigns Director, said:

“These sentences were handed down in a disgraceful mass trial of more than 700 people, and we condemn today’s verdict in the strongest terms.

Najia Bounaim, Amnesty International’s North Africa Campaigns Director

“These sentences were handed down in a disgraceful mass trial of more than 700 people, and we condemn today’s verdict in the strongest terms.

“The death penalty should never be an option under any circumstances.

“The fact that not a single police officer has been brought to account for the killing of at least 900 people in the Rabaa and Nahda protests shows what a mockery of justice this trial was.

“The Egyptian authorities should be ashamed. We demand a retrial in an impartial court and in full respect of the right to a fair trial for all defendants, without recourse to the death penalty.

“Shawkan has already spent more than five years in prison simply for doing his job as a photojournalist and documenting the police brutality that took place that day. He has already spent more than five years in prison.

“The Egyptian authorities’ disgraceful attacks on press freedom and freedom of expression must stop, and they must immediately and unconditionally release Shawkan. He is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for doing his journalistic work.”

Rabaa massacre

Not a single security official has been held to account for the events on 14 August 2013, widely known as the “Rabaa massacre”, where a violent police dispersal left at least 900 dead in two sit-ins at Rabaa al Adawiya and al-Nahda squares. According to official statistics, six security officers were also killed that day.

In the Rabaa trial, the group of 739 protesters were collectively prosecuted for the killing of 17 men, including seven members of the police force, as well as other charges including “illegal gathering”, “incitement to break the law” and involvement in violence.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally, for all cases and under any circumstances.

Myanmar: I.C.C. decision opens a clear avenue for justice for the Rohingya

Following the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s ruling on Thursday that it has jurisdiction over Myanmar’s deportation of the Rohingya population to Bangladesh, a crime against humanity, Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, said:

“During the Myanmar military’s horrifying campaign of ethnic cleansing, more than 725,000 Rohingya women, men and children were deported to Bangladesh.

“This decision is a significant step in the right direction which opens up a clear avenue of justice for the Rohingya who were driven out of their homes, often as soldiers opened fire on them and burned down their villages. The Court has sent a clear signal to the Myanmar military that they will be held accountable.

“Forced deportation is just one of a raft of crimes committed against the Rohingya. Amnesty International has documented extensively how the military’s crackdown also included murder, rape, torture, forced starvation, the targeted burning of Rohingya villages and the use of landmines.

“While we welcome the ICC’s decision, the international community must see it as a spur to further action. In particular, the United Nations Security Council should still refer the situation in Myanmar to the ICC, so that the Court can investigate all crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya, as well as the military’s crimes against other ethnic minorities in Kachin and northern Shan States.”

Background

On 9 April 2018, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested a ruling to clarify whether the Court has jurisdiction to investigate the alleged deportation of more than 725,000 Rohingya women, men and children from Myanmar to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017.

As Myanmar is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, serious violations taking place within its borders do not typically fall under the Court’s territorial jurisdiction, barring acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction by the Myanmar authorities or a referral by the United Nations Security Council.

However, Bangladesh is a State Party to the ICC, and the Court found that it had jurisdiction over the crime against humanity of deportation as an element of that crime was completed on the territory of Bangladesh.

The Court also found that as the Rohingya had been unlawfully compelled to remain outside their own country and to live in appalling conditions in Bangladesh, the ICC may have jurisdiction over the crime against humanity of persecution and / or ‘other inhumane acts’ which it said constituted a severe deprivation of the Rohingya’s human rights.

INDIA: Decriminalisation of consensual same-sex relations marks new era for LGBTI rights

The landmark ruling by India’s Supreme Court decriminalizing consensual same-sex relations is a historic step, which sends a message of hope not only to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, but to everyone fighting for justice and equality, Amnesty International India said today.

“The judgment closes the door on a dark chapter of Indian history. It marks a new era of equality for millions of people in India. The remarkable victory today is a milestone in the three decade old struggle by the LGBTI community and their allies in India”, said Asmita Basu, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India.

On 6 September, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court decriminalized consensual same-sex relations between adults. The Court’s unanimous verdict has upheld the right to equality, privacy, dignity and freedom of expression of all people regardless of their sexual orientation. The apex court added that any discrimination on basis of sexual orientation is a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

“As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice’. Section 377 as it stood, violated basic human rights standards on equality, privacy and dignity. While today’s judgement answers the constitutional invalidity of Section 377, the struggle for the rights of LGBTI people continues, including in relation to marriage, adoption or inheritance,” said Asmita Basu.

Background

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code – criminalizes “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”- is a 157-year-old archaic law. In the early 90s, rights groups began their tireless campaign to repeal Section 377.

In a historic judgement in July 2009, the Delhi High Court ruled that the outlawing of consensual adult same-sex relations violates basic human rights. The case challenging the constitutionality of Section 377 was initially brought by the Naz Foundation, an organization working on sexual health issues.

The pride struggle for equal rights further continued with the Delhi High Court judgement being overturned by the Supreme Court in 2013 stating that repeal is a matter for the Parliament and not the Judiciary. Several curative petitions were filed but not heard. The present verdict by the Supreme Court relates to a case comprising of a fresh petition that was filed by five petitioners, along with previous appeals and curative petitions that have been filed over the years.

Pacific Islands Forum: Australia must tackle refugee crisis in Nauru as regional summit closes

The Australian government must urgently evacuate the 107 refugee children and their families trapped in appalling conditions in Nauru, or else accept New Zealand’s offer to provide safe haven, said Amnesty International, as the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) comes to a close in Nauru today.

The four-day meeting, which brought together leaders from across the region, comprehensively failed to address the needs of refugees, with the approved draft Forum Communiqué featuring no mention of an improved, human rights-oriented approach to refugee policy.

“The dire situation for refugees and asylum-seekers in Nauru requires urgent action and the Australian government can still uphold its responsibility by evacuating them to Australia,” said Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

“However, if Australia refuses to change course, it must not stand in the way of others who are willing to offer these people the protection they so desperately need. New Zealand’s Prime Minister this week reaffirmed a longstanding offer to take in 150 refugees per year from Manus Island and Nauru – Australia must facilitate, and not obstruct this process.”

Roshika Deo, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

“However, if Australia refuses to change course, it must not stand in the way of others who are willing to offer these people the protection they so desperately need. New Zealand’s Prime Minister this week reaffirmed a longstanding offer to take in 150 refugees per year from Manus Island and Nauru – Australia must facilitate, and not obstruct this process.”

Amnesty International is also dismayed that Pacific Leaders failed to address Australia’s cruel and abusive refugee policy at the forum meeting. An open letter co-signed by Amnesty International and more than 90 other civil society organizations last week called on PIF leaders to prioritize the escalating health crisis for refugee children on Nauru and demanded an end to the shameful policy.

“The Pacific Islands Forum was an opportunity for leaders in the region to say enough is enough and show that they would no longer stand by while the Australian Government’s abusive policies continue to risk more lives,” said Roshika Deo.

“This chance has been completely squandered. Instead we saw the Government of Nauru release despicable claims about the nature of the reported self-harm by children and the detention of a New Zealand journalist for speaking with a refugee.”

On Saturday Nauru’s President, Baron Waqa, claimed during a TV interview that children were being pushed into self-harming by their families and refugee advocates, saying: “It’s the way of working the system, probably short-circuiting it, just to get to Australia.” This was followed by the detention of TV New Zealand journalist Barbara Dreaver by Nauruan police on Tuesday, after she interviewed a refugee.

Background

On 19 July 2013, Australia enacted a policy that meant anyone who arrived by boat anywhere in Australia – including the mainland – would be barred from seeking asylum in the country. Instead, they would be forcibly transferred to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or Nauru, and even those recognised as refugees would never be allowed to settle in Australia.

More than 1600 people remain on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea and Nauru, with the majority being assessed as refugees. Under a bilateral agreement, whereby the US government agreed to settle up to 1,250 refugees, nearly 400 refugees have been sent to the US so far. However, hundreds of people are likely to remain on Manus Island and Nauru in abysmal conditions indefinitely, with no clear plans for their future.

In Papua New Guinea, refugees and people seeking asylum have been violently attacked by locals, contractors and the authorities. In Nauru, there have been widespread reports of physical and sexual abuse, including against women and children. Nauru and Papua New Guinea are unable to provide protection for refugees and people seeking asylum and the Australian government refuses to accept responsibility for them, despite the fact that they remain under its effective control in these territories.

The Palestinian children who went back to school early to stop it being demolished

By Laith Abu Zeyad, Amnesty International Campaigner on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

The children of Khan al-Ahmar school in the occupied West Bank curtailed their vacation this year – instead they went back to school early to try to prevent the Israeli army destroying it.

In June when I visited the village of Khan al-Ahmar, established by the Jahalin Bedouin tribe more than 60 years ago, those children told me their worst fear was the arrival of Israeli forces to demolish their homes and school. A month later, that fear began to come true.

Khan al-Ahmar is one of 46 Palestinian communities in the West Bank that Israel wants to forcibly transfer to make way for illegal Jewish-only settlements. On 24 May, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of demolishing the village. And on 4 July, the army forcibly evicted its residents, violently attacking them and solidarity activists ahead of the forced displacement of the entire community.

It was in response to this attack that the villagers took drastic measures. On 16 July, the Palestinian Ministry of Education declared the beginning of the school year for Khan al-Ahmar would start two months early. The students sacrificed their summer holiday in protest against the school’s impending demolition – and in an attempt to protect it from the bulldozers.

Khan al-Ahmar is located east of Jerusalem, near the illegal Israeli settlements of Maale Adumim and Kfar Adumim. Israel’s transfer of its citizens to live in these settlements, along with over 200 others, violates international law and is a war crime.

The first thing you notice as you approach Khan al-Ahmar is that you can’t get there by car. There is no access from the main highway which seamlessly connects the settlement blocs with the rest of Israel.

Forced from their tribal lands in the Negev/Naqab desert in the 1950s, they have been continually harassed, pressured and resettled by successive Israeli governments seemingly intent on squeezing them out of existence.

Instead we had to park our car, cross the highway and jump over a small barrier to get into the village. In addition to being surrounded by Israeli settlements, Khan al-Ahmar also sits next to an Israeli army base and a settlement industrial zone.

For more than six decades, the village’s Jahalin Bedouin community have been struggling to maintain their way of life. Forced from their tribal lands in the Negev/Naqab desert in the 1950s, they have been continually harassed, pressured and resettled by successive Israeli governments seemingly intent on squeezing them out of existence.

The latest Israeli decisions to expand illegal settlements in the area east of Jerusalem, effectively dividing the occupied West Bank in two, will mean further hardships for these communities.

There are 20 such Jahalin Bedouin communities in the area, made up of 2,300 refugees, many of them children.

These communities are located in the area designated as Area C under the Oslo Accords signed in 1993 by Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). In these areas, which make up more than 60% of the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army retains complete control over the Palestinian population living there. The Israeli Civil Administration, a military body, controls planning and zoning, which prevents Palestinians from building and developing their communities.

Israel’s civil administration has refused to provide Khan al-Ahmar (and other Palestinian communities in Area C) with water, electricity, roads or a sewage system. It blocks construction of homes and has demolished more than 25 homes in Khan al-Ahmar in the past 10 years. The village has more than 160 structures, including a school, a mosque and a clinic, mostly made of corrugated metal and wood.

Israel’s civil administration has refused to provide Khan al-Ahmar (and other Palestinian communities in Area C) with water, electricity, roads or a sewage system.

The Khan al-Ahmar school, which was built in 2009 out of mud and used rubber tyres, serves more than 150 students (aged 6-15 years) from five villages who would otherwise have no access to education.

“Kids have nowhere to play here but at the school. The school is the place where they study, play and enjoy the most,’’ Abu Khames, the spokesperson of the community, told me while he was taking me around his village.

But all that is set to be destroyed.

The children of Khan al-Ahmar did not have the luxury of time off this summer, and soon they may not have the luxury going to school in peace and comfort at all.

“Kids have nowhere to play here but at the school. The school is the place where they study, play and enjoy the most.”

Abu Khames, spokesperson of the Khan al-Ahmar community

Khan al-Ahamr residents should not be left to fight this alone. Raise your voice and take action to stop Israel from forcing thousands of Palestinians off their land, and then illegally using it to create settlements that exclusively house Jewish Israeli settlers.

Israel must immediately scrap plans to forcibly transfer the Jahalin from their land and cancel all demolition orders against their homes. Instead, Israel must transfer responsibility for planning and building policies and regulations in the OPT from the Israeli authorities to the local Palestinian communities.