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PM Turnbull fails Indigenous kids across Australia with weak NT Royal Commission response

Prime Minister Turnbull has wilfully ignored the cries of hundreds of children still being abused in Australian youth prisons outside the NT, by failing to show national leadership in the response to the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.

“The Federal Government’s response has supported in principle its shared responsibility for reforms within the NT, and committed funding for those reforms. But PM Turnbull’s government promised national leadership on widespread youth justice reforms, and today it has failed Indigenous kids around Australia,” said Roxanne Moore, Indigenous Rights Campaigner.

“Today the Turnbull Government has again ignored the calls from Indigenous leaders to commit to a National Plan that overhauls the broken youth justice system across the country. A nationally coordinated plan of action would hold States and Territories to account for supporting children and families to thrive in their communities, not traumatising them in prison.”

“Every day our Prime Minister sits on his hands, children as young as 10 years old are suffering in every jurisdiction – especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids, who are 25 times more likely to be locked up.”

A month ago, Minister Scullion stated that he would ensure every jurisdiction had a response to the Royal Commission and indicated Federal leadership on “everything from the training of guards to the level of amenities” inside youth prisons.

This followed his earlier commitment that the Commonwealth Government would provide leadership “not only … in the Northern Territory, but across every jurisdiction in Australia”.

Today’s response comes as the Federal Government is set to release the 10th Closing The Gap report.

“We welcome the Federal Government’s commitment to nationally lead on youth justice data collection as part of the Closing the Gap refresh. We hope this is an indication that justice targets will be included in the refreshed strategy.

“It’s well past the time for this Government to show national leadership on ending one of Australia’s greatest injustices – the rates that we lock up and abuse Indigenous kids in prison.”

Myanmar: Fresh evidence of ongoing ethnic cleansing as military starves, abducts and robs Rohingya

“An arms embargo and targeted sanctions are urgently needed to send a message that these violations will not be tolerated. There is also an urgent need for unfettered and sustained humanitarian access throughout northern Rakhine State.” – Matthew Wells, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International

The Myanmar security forces’ devastating campaign against the Rohingya population in northern Rakhine State is far from over, Amnesty International said today, as it published new evidence of ongoing violations that have forced hundreds more people to flee in recent weeks.

In late January 2018, the organisation interviewed 19 newly arrived Rohingya men and women in Bangladesh, who described how forced starvation, abductions and looting of property drove them to flee. Humanitarian agencies have documented thousands of new arrivals over the course of December and January, and many days still see scores of people streaming across the border.

“Shielded by official denials and lies, and a concerted effort to deny access to independent investigators, Myanmar’s military continues to get away with crimes against humanity,” said Matthew Wells, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International, who has just returned from the organisation’s latest research trip to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

“Myanmar’s security forces are building on entrenched patterns of abuse to silently squeeze out of the country as many of the remaining Rohingya as possible. Without more effective international action, this ethnic cleansing campaign will continue its disastrous march.”

The ongoing oppression appears to be designed to make northern Rakhine State unliveable for the tens of thousands of Rohingya still there, and follows the Myanmar military’s relentless campaign of violence, which has driven more than 688,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh since August last year.

On 25 August 2017, Myanmar’s army launched a military operation against the Rohingya civilian population across northern Rakhine State, after the armed group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), attacked around 30 security force outposts. Crimes against humanity committed by the military include the widespread killing of women, men, and children; rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls; mass deportation; and the systematic burning of villages.

Recent arrivals to Bangladesh had stayed in Myanmar throughout all of this, in a bid to protect their property and safeguard their right to live in their villages.

Forced starvation

The new arrivals told Amnesty International that the military’s persistent persecution finally broke their resolve, forcing them to join the exodus to Bangladesh.

Almost all of them blamed the Myanmar authorities’ forced starvation of remaining Rohingya communities for creating acute food insecurity, and eventually driving them to flee.

Many new Rohingya arrivals said the breaking point came when the military denied access to their rice fields at harvest time, in November and December. Myanmar security forces have also participated in, or facilitated, the theft of Rohingya livestock and have burned several local markets and denied access to others. All of this has devastated Rohingya livelihoods and caused food shortages.

The Myanmar authorities have further worsened the food insecurity by severely restricting humanitarian assistance to northern Rakhine State.

Dildar Begum, 30, arrived in Bangladesh in early January 2018 after leaving Ka Kyet Bet Kan Pyin village, near Buthidaung town. She told Amnesty International that her family was put in a dire financial situation when the authorities came to their house and extorted considerable money, threatening to arrest her husband if they did not pay. Then, the military stopped them and other Rohingya villagers from harvesting their rice fields. “We weren’t able to get food, that’s why we fled,” she said.

Abductions of girls and women

Amnesty International also documented three recent incidents of the Myanmar military abducting girls or young women.

In early January, soldiers forced their way into a house in Hpoe Khaung Chaung village, Buthidaung Township. As the soldiers searched the house, Hasina, 25, said they demanded at gunpoint that her uncle hand over her 15-year-old cousin, Samida. The family has not seen the girl again. The same is true of the other abducted girls and young women, making them victims of enforced disappearance.

Rohingya families from villages where the military recently abducted women and girls said they fled in fear that the abductions would continue.

Given the pervasive sexual violence that has marked this and previous military campaigns against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State, the abduction of women and young girls raises serious concerns of rape and sexual slavery.

Systematic theft from fleeing Rohingya

Fleeing Rohingya typically have to walk for days before reaching the coast to cross to Bangladesh by boat. Myanmar security forces have set up checkpoints along these paths where they often deal a final blow: the systematic theft of money and other valuables from each person who passes through.

More than a dozen Rohingya new arrivals described the worst such checkpoint as being near Sein Hnyin Pyar village tract, where many Rohingya cross the mountains that divide Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships. They consistently described a barbed-wire fence having been erected across a creek path there. When groups of families arrive, soldiers and Border Guard Police descend from a security force outpost on a hillside and surround them, separating men from women.

The security forces then systematically rob the Rohingya of valuables. Mohammed Salam, 37, said that when his family passed through the checkpoint near Sein Hnyin Pyar in early January, soldiers stole more than 600,000 kyats ($451 USD) from him and his wife, along with gold, a portable solar panel, and some clothes – essentially their entire wealth.

Many Rohingya said that, after robbing them, the security forces took down their names and the villages they were from. At later checkpoints, in Maungdaw Township, some new arrivals also described being photographed and, in a few cases, recorded on a video camera saying the military had not mistreated them.

Sexual violence

Rohingya women, particularly young women, attempting to flee also told Amnesty International that Myanmar soldiers subjected them to sexual violence during searches at checkpoints.

Khateza, 22, arrived at the same checkpoint near Sein Hnyin Pyar on around 25 January. After searching the men from head to toe and robbing them, the security forces searched the women.

“They searched our bodies. They took off our [outer] clothes. All the young women, including me, they searched us like this – they put their hand inside [on our breasts]… I was really uncomfortable. It was so embarrassing. I was crying.”

International response ‘weak and ineffective’

“The extent and range of these ongoing attacks in northern Rakhine State show how Myanmar’s military continues to assault and undermine not just individuals, but the dignity of the Rohingya population as a whole. This lays bare why plans for organised repatriation are woefully premature,” said Matthew Wells.

The governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation arrangement in late November 2017, then announced they would begin returns on 23 January 2018. The Government of Bangladesh delayed executing the first phase of that plan hours before the deadline, but Myanmar continues to say it is ready to start.

“Since the beginning of the crisis, the international community’s response to the atrocities against the Rohingya population has been weak and ineffective, failing to grasp the severity of the situation in northern Rakhine State or put sufficient pressure on Myanmar’s military to stop the ethnic cleansing,” said Matthew Wells.

“An arms embargo and targeted sanctions are urgently needed to send a message that these violations will not be tolerated. There is also an urgent need for unfettered and sustained humanitarian access throughout northern Rakhine State.”

Cambodia: Supreme Court upholds deeply flawed conviction against land activist Tep Vanny

Reacting to the news that the Cambodian Supreme Court today upheld the conviction and a 30 months’ prison sentence for land rights activist Tep Vanny, James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said:

“With today’s ruling, Cambodia’s judiciary has once again failed to prove that it can act independently, choosing to do the government’s bidding instead. Tep Vanny is a brave social activist who has done nothing but peacefully stand up for her community. She should be released immediately and unconditionally, not forced to spend two and a half years in jail.

“The criminal proceedings against Tep Vanny have been deeply flawed from the start. She has become a symbol for the fight for justice in Cambodia and is someone the authorities have been determined to take off Cambodia’s streets by any means necessary.

“Today’s ruling is just the tip of the iceberg. The Cambodian government and Prime Minister Hun Sen have intensified a disturbing crackdown on any form of dissent over the past year. The world must wake up to what is happening in Cambodia and push the government to change course away from repression and towards respect for human rights, in particular as general elections due in July are approaching.”

Background

On 23 February 2017, Phnom Penh’s First Instance Court convicted Tep Vanny of “intentional violence with aggravating circumstances” under Article 218 of the Cambodian Criminal Code, and sentenced her to two years and six months’ imprisonment, based on her peaceful participation in a March 2013 protest in front of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s house, calling for the release of one of the arbitrarily detained Boeung Kak Lake Community members.

Tep Vanny was also ordered to pay a fine of five million Cambodian Riel (around USD 1,250), as well as compensation payments to the plaintiffs, both of whom are members of Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district para-police – four million Cambodian Riel (around USD 1,000) to the first plaintiff and five million riel to the second. The day of the trial was marked by para-police using unnecessary force against her peaceful solidarity-showing supporters outside the court.

On 27 July 2017, Phnom Penh’s Appeal court heard her appeal and upheld both the conviction and prison sentence.

Tep Vanny is a prisoner of conscience who has spent, as of today, 541 days in arbitrary detention.

Submission: Inquiry into Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill 2017

Amnesty International has lodged a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters Inquiry into the draft Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017.

Read our submission here

Amnesty is concerned at the likely negative impacts on the work of various civil society organisations by virtue of the proposed definitions of “political expenditure” and “political purpose”. These definitions are too broad and can create uncertainty around their application.

Consequently, organisations whose work entails advocating for the vulnerable in our society, protection of our environment or the promotion of human rights may be unsure as to whether their advocacy activities are captured by the Bill.

If activities are captured, an extra layer of administrative compliance will be added to already stretched resources of the sector. Alternatively, organisations may choose to abandon their important work in bringing evidence and other insights to assist governments in making policy determinations.

This year is the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote, and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Article 13 of the Declaration stresses the right of associations to solicit, receive and utilize financial resources. This Bill will operate in a manner that is contrary to this Article. Amnesty has further concerns that the rights to freedom of expression and of association as set out in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, to which Australia is a party, are being impacted.

Also of concern is the precedent this Bill sets for the international community. It has the potential to help justify such measures being introduced – as has already happened in several states – in other countries in order to stifle the voices of human rights defenders. Amnesty is very concerned that this Bill is example of Government overreach impacting on the vibrancy of Australia’s civil society and the capacity for human rights organisation in Australia to effectively advocate for their cause.

Syria: Witness testimony reveals details of illegal chemical attack on Saraqeb

The Syrian government’s use of internationally banned chemical weapons was laid bare once again on 4 February when a chlorine gas attack on the town of Saraqeb left 11 people in need of emergency treatment, according to testimony gathered by Amnesty International.

The Syria Civil Defence said that barrel bombs containing chlorine gas had been dropped by helicopter and caused the casualties to gasp desperately for air, suffer severe irritation to their skin and eyes, vomit and collapse. The casualties included three Syria Civil Defence volunteers who had rushed to the scene to assist.

“Once again, Syria’s government has shown its utter contempt for international law by deploying illegal chemical weapons,” said Lynn Malouf, Director of Research for the Middle East at Amnesty International.

“Direct attacks on civilians are absolutely prohibited and are war crimes. The fact that the government feels free to flagrantly carry out such attacks using internationally banned chemical weapons reflects the complete impunity enjoyed by those who order war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.”

Crying for help

Amnesty International spoke to a volunteer with the Syria Civil Defence who described arriving several minutes after a barrel bomb – the apparent source of the gas – landed in a field 50 metres from an agricultural warehouse. There was no sign of any military targets in the vicinity of the bombing in Saraqeb, which lies in the northwestern province of Idleb and is 41 km from the nearest front-line.

“We heard people crying for help somewhere on the road and others on the roof of a house. Around eight people were barely able to breathe and coughing non-stop. We gave them oxygen and transferred them to the hospital,” the volunteer said.

“While driving, I started to feel a shortness of breath, as if I couldn’t breathe alone, and itchiness in my eyes. I felt nausea as if I wanted to throw up. My friends felt the same but we weren’t sure what was going on. I vomited when I arrived at the hospital.”

A second member of the Syria Civil Defence team in Saraqeb told Amnesty International that he witnessed the casualties being brought to a medical post.

“When they arrived, I saw the rescue team also breathing with difficulty, and they collapsed. The doctors told me that the symptoms of the 11 people – including the three civil defence volunteers – were consistent with a chemical attack, probably chlorine,” he said.

A nurse working at the medical post also confirmed that the casualties had suffered symptoms from a chemical attack.

“They couldn’t breathe, they were coughing non-stop, they had red eyes and some were vomiting severely…Thankfully there were around 20 of us medical staff, so we quickly removed their clothes, washed them and gave them oxygen and a bronchodilation session to open the airways in their lungs,” the nurse said.

The casualties, all of whom were men, have since been discharged.

Dozens of attacks

Syrian government forces are suspected of carrying out dozens of attacks with chlorine and other chemical weapons on opposition-held areas since 2012, killing hundreds and inflicting terrible injuries on others. All such attacks are prohibited by international humanitarian law.

In September 2013, after hundreds of people died in alleged sarin gas attacks on Ghouta, outside Damascus, Syria acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention and President Bashar al-Assad pledged to destroy the country’s stockpile of prohibited chemical agents.

However, a year later, in September 2014, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission found “compelling confirmation” that a toxic chemical was used “systematically and repeatedly” as a weapon in villages in northern Syria.

The OPCW also said it is confident that government forces used the nerve agent Sarin in an attack on the town of Kahn Sheikhoun in Idleb province in April 2017 in which more than 80 people were killed.

Australia: Poll reveals alarming impact of online abuse against women

New research by Amnesty International has revealed the alarming impact that abuse and harassment on social media are having on women in Australia, with women reporting stress, anxiety, or panic attacks as a result of these harmful online experiences.

The organisation commissioned an Ipsos MORI online poll which looked at the experiences of 502 women between the ages of 18 and 55 in Australia.

Three in 10 women (30%) surveyed said that they had experienced online abuse or harassment. This includes nearly half (47%) of respondents aged 18-24. Alarmingly, 37% of women who had experienced online abuse or harassment said that on at least one occasion, these online experiences made them feel that their physical safety was threatened.

“The internet can be a frightening and toxic place for women. It’s no secret that misogyny and abuse are thriving on social media platforms, but this poll shows just how damaging the consequences of online abuse are for the women who are targeted,” said Azmina Dhrodia, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Technology and Human Rights.

“This is not something that goes away when you log off. Imagine getting death threats or rape threats when you open an app, or living in fear of sexual and private photos being shared online without your consent. The particular danger of online abuse is how fast it can proliferate – one abusive tweet can become a barrage of targeted hate in a matter of minutes. Social media companies need to truly start taking this problem seriously.”

Stress, anxiety, panic attacks

Amnesty International polled women in Australia describing themselves as moderate to active internet users about their experiences of online abuse and harassment.

Two-fifths (42%) of women responding to the survey who had experienced online abuse or harassment said it was misogynistic or sexist in nature, and a fifth (20%) said it had included threats of physical or sexual violence.

Nearly half (48%) of survey participants who had experienced online abuse or harassment said it had included racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia.

About one in 14 (7%) survey participants who had experienced online abuse or harassment had experienced the posting of intimate images of themselves online without their consent and more than one in 10 (11%) of women responding to the survey who had experienced abuse or harassment online said personal or identifying details of them had been shared online (also known as “doxxing”).

More than half (54%) of women who had experienced abuse or harassment online said it came from complete strangers. About a third (32%) said that the abuse they experienced online came from people they knew offline, with about half as many (15%) saying it came from a current or former partner.

Around a quarter (24%) of women surveyed who said that they had experienced abuse or harassment online said that it had made them fear for their family’s safety.

The psychological impact of online abuse can be devastating.

More than 3 in 5 (62%) of those who said they had experienced online abuse or harassment said they had experienced lower self-esteem or loss of self-confidence as a result.
A similar proportion (59%) said they had experienced stress, anxiety or panic attacks after experiencing online abuse or harassment.
And again, a similar proportion (62%) said they had not been able to sleep well as a result of online abuse or harassment.
About half (49%) said online abuse or harassment had meant that they had been unable to concentrate for long periods of time.

A silencing effect

Social media platforms, especially for women and marginalised groups, are a critical space for individuals to exercise the right to freedom of expression. Online violence and abuse are a direct threat to this freedom of expression.

Two-fifths (40%) of women who said that they had experienced abuse or harassment on a social media platform either ceased or decreased their use of the platforms. Some women are also restricting what they post about: 27% of those with an experience of online abuse or harassment said they had stopped posting content that expressed their opinion on certain issues, and 23% said they stopped sharing content that expressed their opinion on certain issues.

“Social media has helped enhance freedom of expression, including access to information in many ways. But as offline discrimination and violence against women have migrated into the digital world, many women are stepping back from public conversations, or self-censoring out of fear for their privacy or safety,” said Azmina Dhrodia.

Although these experiences do create a silencing effect, whereby women withdraw or modify their behaviour online as a result, another important finding of the survey is one of resilience: having had the experience of abuse or harassment on social media, 44% stated that they did not change the amount that they use social media at all.

Social media companies not doing enough

All types of violence and abuse online require responses from governments, companies, or both, depending on their type and severity.

Significantly more women said government policies to respond to abuse were inadequate (38%) versus adequate (22%).

The survey also indicates that women feel social media companies need to do more. Just a fifth (20%) of women polled said that the responses of social media companies were fairly, very or completely adequate.

“Social media companies have a responsibility to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression. They need to ensure that women using their platforms are able to do so freely and without fear,” said Azmina Dhrodia.

Amnesty International notes that the right to freedom of expression protects expression which may be offensive or deeply disturbing. However, freedom of expression does not include advocacy of hatred or violence. What’s more, the right to freedom of expression must be enjoyed equally by everyone, and includes the right for women to express themselves and live free from violence and abuse, both online and offline.

Social media platforms explicitly state that they do not tolerate targeted abuse on the basis of a person’s gender or other forms of identity, and they now need to enforce their own community standards. They should also enable and empower users to utilise individual security and privacy measures such as blocking, muting and content filtering. This will allow women, and users in general, to curate a less toxic and harmful online experience.

Social media companies must also ensure that moderators are trained in identifying gender and other identity-related threats and abuse on their platforms.

Amnesty International is also calling on governments to ensure that adequate laws, policies, practices and training are in place to prevent and end online violence and abuse against women. However, it is critical that no undue restrictions or penalties are placed on the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression. Tackling online violence and abuse must not be used as an excuse to reduce the enjoyment of freedom of expression.

Twitter & Facebook

A quarter of survey respondents (25%) have a Twitter account, although fewer than half (12%) are active users – i.e. regular browsers – and only a third of those (4%) post regularly.

Regarding Facebook, 82% of respondents have an account, with more than half of those (43%) posting on the platform regularly, and about a third (32%) using their accounts to keep up with goings on, but do not post on them regularly.

Methodology

The research was carried out by Ipsos MORI, using an online quota survey of 502 women aged 18-55, via the Ipsos Online Panel system.

Fieldwork quotas were set on the age, region and working status of the women surveyed according to known population proportions.

Data were weighted using a RIM weighting method, to the same targets to correct for potential biases in the sample.

The survey sample was designed to be nationally representative of women in Australia. The margin of error for the total sample is 4%.

Of the 500 women surveyed, 151 said that they had experienced online abuse or harassment and 117 of whom said that they had experienced this on a social media site.

	Total number of women 18-55 surveyed	Total number of women who say they have experienced online abuse or harassment	Total number who say they have experienced online abuse or harassment on a social media platform
Australia-wide	n=502	n=151	n=117

Response to attacks on Tarneen Onus-Williams

Responding to the attacks in the media and online of Tarneen Onus-Williams, Amnesty International’s Director of Communications and External Affairs Claire O’Rourke said:

“Amnesty International is concerned that the nature of the abuse levelled at young Yigar Gunditjmara and Bindal woman Tarneen Onus-Williams, regarding a phrase in her speech on 26 January, has been of a racist, sexist and body-shaming nature.

“This type of abuse and bullying too often is particularly levelled at young women of colour who express their views publicly, and can have a silencing effect, leading them not to exercise their freedom of speech.

“It would be concerning if other young women became hesitant to participate in public debate, after they saw the treatment of Ms Onus-Williams.

We call for a systemic, cultural shift in media and online discourse, away from resorting to racist and sexist comments, which can serve to silence already marginalised voices.”

Rohingya Crisis thank you for helping

Thank you for your ongoing support as an Amnesty Human Rights Defender. Your regular gifts and actions help expose the violence and abuse like that see in Myanmar and Bangladesh all over the world.

The Amnesty Crisis Team has been on the ground in Bangladesh documenting and monitoring the situation from the beginning.

We have gathered first-hand evidence that has proven to the world that this was a planned, deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE: Right now the 650,000 people who survived the targeted violence in Myanmar are still in Bangladesh.

The government of Bangladesh announced last week that it will postpone the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. This is a welcome relief for hundreds of thousands people currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

As it stands, this ‘return agreement’ could put the safety and rights of more than 650,000 Rohingya people – who fled a brutal military crackdown last year – in serious jeopardy.

Amnesty believes that any arrangement on returns must first address the conditions within Myanmar that the Rohingya have fled from.

With your ongoing support, we will continue campaigning hard to stop the repatriation until these conditions meet the standards for safe, voluntary and dignified returns of Rohingya refugees.

If you haven’t had a chance to take action to stop the violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar, sign this petition now.

Manus Island: Australia abandons refugees to a life of danger

New centres offer less protection than previous camp
New centres do not meet refugees’ basic needs
Refugees live with constant fear of violence
Australia must end policy of cruelty and neglect

The Australian government’s abandonment of hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea is a form of prolonged punishment, Amnesty International said in a new report.

Punishment not protection: Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea documents how, since refugees were forcibly evicted from the Manus Island detention centre in November 2017, the Lorengau centres they were moved to have proven inadequate and even less safe, with violence from the local community a constant threat.

The psychological trauma of prolonged detention has taken a serious toll on refugees, with 88% suffering from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, the new centres are only served by one small medical clinic and a public hospital, which are far from adequate to meet the refugees’ needs.

“Moving refugees and asylum seekers from one hellish situation to another is not a solution, it is just prolonging these desperate men’s suffering. The new centres on Manus Island are not just a safety risk but also leave those who live there without basic services,” said Kate Schuetze, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher.

An unsafe situation

Amnesty International’s research – based on on-the-ground interviews with 55 refugees and asylum seekers – reveals that the new facilities are far from safe and fail to address the fundamental problems with Australia’s offshore processing.

Several refugees have been violently attacked by locals in recent years on Manus Island, in cases that have not resulted in any prosecutions. The newer facilities offer even less protection than the previous centre – they are not only closer to Lorengau town, but also lack basic security infrastructure such as fences.

Many refugees told Amnesty International that they were too afraid to leave the centres due to the risk of violent attacks or robberies by locals. The police’s repeated failures to investigate attacks or hold those responsible to account has created a climate where attackers can expect they will not be caught or punished, which has further undermined refugees’ trust in the authorities.

Joinul Islam, a 42-year-old Bangladeshi man, said: “I’m not coming to Lorengau because Lorengau is a very dangerous place. Three months ago, I came to Lorengau and someone cut my [arm]. They took my mobile and my money. It’s a very dangerous place… I don’t like to come to Lorengau.”

The refugees have been caught in a hostile situation, where there have been repeated roadblocks by the landowner, disputes between service providers and protests by local residents.

In recent weeks, a stand-off between rival security companies has added to the sense of instability. Guards from a Manus company have reportedly driven guards from a company contracted by the Australian government out of some of the facilities. This has resulted in confusion about who is in charge of providing security to refugees.

“Refugees told us they had been robbed and assaulted in both Manus Island and Port Moresby. The police have refused to act even on the most serious cases of violence. The bottom line is that Papua New Guinea does not provide a safe or sustainable solution for the refugees sent there by Australia,” said Kate Schuetze.

On 21 January 2018, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also noted “while no formal curfew is in place, local police have advised all refugees and asylum-seekers to return to their accommodation by 6pm each evening to mitigate security risks”.

Restrictions on freedom of movement and ability to work

Refugees remain subject to severe restrictions on their freedom of movement. Most are unable to leave designated accommodation facilities on Manus Island or in Port Moresby. They are reduced to surviving on a basic living allowance that is insufficient to cover their food, medicine and other expenses.

PNG authorities have failed to provide refugees with regular status, access to travel and identity documents or the ability to obtain work long-term that is essential for the meaningful integration of refugees. Settlement in Papua New Guinea has proven near impossible for those refugees who have attempted it, given the difficulties of earning a living and the constant threat of violence.

Australia must provide a real solution

After nearly five years, the Australian government has provided no viable or sustainable options for the refugees it forcibly transferred to Papua New Guinea. The refugees are effectively forced to choose between returning to grave risk of human rights abuses in their own country or moving to a similarly abusive environment on Nauru.

A lucky few – around 83 so far – have received the “lottery ticket” of being settled in the United States, but this is a lengthy and arbitrary process that is not open to everyone.

“In the short term, authorities in Papua New Guinea and Australia must do everything they can to ensure protection for the refugees. They must ensure their basic needs are met and their safety is not at risk,” said Kate Schuetze.

“Instead of implementing new and creative ways to shirk its responsibility and violate international law, the Australian government must end this wilful policy of cruelty and neglect. It must do the only safe and legal thing, which is to bring these men to its own shores – or, failing that, to a safe third country – and offer them the protection they need and deserve.”

Background

Australia withdrew all services to the initial refugee detention centre on Manus Island – where it has sent hundreds of men since 2013 as part of its illegal “offshore processing” policies – from 31 October 2017. After the men in the centre staged peaceful protests and refused to leave, PNG police forcibly evicted and transferred them to three newer facilities in November.

Thailand: End escalating crackdown on peaceful protests

The Thai military government must end its far-reaching crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, Amnesty International said as nine activists – including the first person arrested for protesting after the military coup in 2014 – are facing criminal proceedings.

They join hundreds of people who have been harassed or jailed simply for speaking out peacefully against military government or its policies over the past three years. Just yesterday, authorities announced plans to charge a further seven activists with sedition for staging pro-democracy protests.

“Thailand’s military rulers are not only continuing to tie up hundreds of real or perceived critics with long-running criminal proceedings, but have escalated a crackdown on peaceful dissent in recent months. Authorities must honour their promise to lift the absurd and unjustifiable restrictions they have now been imposing for almost four years, ostensibly in the name of national security,” said James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The Appeal Court will today deliver its verdict in the case of law student and Amnesty International Thailand Board member Apichart Pongsakul, who faces a potential six months in prison and a fine for violating the junta’s blanket ban on “political” gatherings of five or more people. Apichart Pongsakul was arrested on 23 May 2014 – the day after the military coup d’état – for holding a sign in central Bangkok that read “I will not accept barbaric power.”

Eight social activists will also report to police in Bangkok to learn whether or not they will be charged under the same ban on peaceful protest. The eight took part in a peaceful march that began in Bangkok on 18 January in support of a range of economic, social and civil rights.

“Apichart Pongsakul has become a symbol of peaceful resistance against military rule. He and others charged for peaceful protest have done nothing wrong and all criminal proceedings against them should be dropped immediately and convictions expunged. It is tragically symbolic that he is appearing in court on the same day that eight other activists could be slapped with charges under the same repressive ban,” said James Gomez.

Since taking power in May 2014, the Thai military-led government has outlawed peaceful “political” gatherings and used vaguely worded legislation to target the political opposition, media, academics and students engaging in peaceful criticism of authorities.

Since taking power in May 2014, the Thai military-led government has outlawed peaceful “political” gatherings and used vaguely worded legislation to target the political opposition, media, academics and students engaging in peaceful criticism of authorities.

On 30 January, authorities announced that they would file charges of sedition – under a law allowing for a maximum of seven years’ imprisonment – and unlawful assembly, on activists and a human rights lawyer. They had all protested the military government’s reported postponement of general elections to February 2019.

“The Thai military has made repeated promises to respect human rights and allow peaceful criticism since seizing power, but has completely failed to turn these into reality. The international community must push the authorities to ensure that there is concrete action to end these long-running violations,” said James Gomez.