Libya: European governments complicit in horrific abuse of refugees and migrants

European governments are knowingly complicit in the torture and abuse of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants detained by Libyan immigration authorities in appalling conditions in Libya, said Amnesty International in a report published today, in the wake of global outrage over the sale of migrants in Libya.

‘Libya’s Dark Web of Collusion‘ details how European governments are actively supporting a sophisticated system of abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants by the Libyan Coast Guard, detention authorities and smugglers in order to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean.

“Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants trapped in Libya are at the mercy of Libyan authorities, militias, armed groups and smugglers often working seamlessly together for financial gain. Tens of thousands are kept indefinitely in overcrowded detention centres where they are subjected to systematic abuse,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director.

“European governments have not just been fully aware of these abuses; by actively supporting the Libyan authorities in stopping sea crossings and containing people in Libya, they are complicit in these crimes.”

A policy of containment

Since late 2016, EU Member States – particularly Italy – have implemented a series of measures aimed at closing off the migratory route through Libya and across the central Mediterranean, with little care for the consequences for those trapped within Libya’s lawless borders. Their cooperation with Libyan actors has taken a three-pronged approach.

Firstly, they have committed to providing technical support and assistance to the Libyan Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), which runs the detention centres where refugees and migrants are arbitrarily and indefinitely held and routinely exposed to serious human rights violations including torture.

Secondly, they have enabled the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept people at sea, by providing them with training, equipment, including boats, and technical and other assistance.

Thirdly, they have struck deals with Libyan local authorities and the leaders of tribes and armed groups – to encourage them to stop the smuggling of people and to increase border controls in the south of the country.

Detention, extortion and exploitation of migrants

The criminalization of irregular entry under Libyan law, coupled with the absence of any legislation or practical infrastructure for the protection of asylum seekers and victims of trafficking, has resulted in mass, arbitrary and indefinite detention becoming the primary migration management system in the country.

Refugees and migrants intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard are sent to DCIM detention centres where they endure horrific treatment. Up to 20,000 people currently remain contained in these overcrowded, unsanitary detention centres. Migrants and refugees interviewed by Amnesty International described abuse they had been subjected to or they had witnessed, including arbitrary detention, torture, forced labour, extortion, and unlawful killings, at the hands of the authorities, traffickers, armed groups and militias alike.

Dozens of migrants and refugees interviewed described the soul-destroying cycle of exploitation to which collusion between guards, smugglers and the Libyan Coast Guard consigns them. Guards at the detention centres torture them to extort money. If they are able to pay they are released. They can also be passed onto smugglers who can secure their departure from Libya in cooperation with the Libyan Coast Guard. Agreements between the Libyan Coast Guard and smugglers are signalled by markings on boats that allow the boats to pass through Libyan waters without interception, and the Coast Guard has also been known to escort boats out to international waters.

While it is unclear how many members of the Libyan Coast Guard collaborate with smugglers, it is clear that, during 2016 and 2017, the Libyan Coast Guard’s increased capacity, due to support from EU member states, has led to an increasing number of operations where migrants are taken back to Libya. So far in 2017, 19,452 people have been intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard, taken back to Libya and immediately transferred to detention centres where torture is rife.

One man from the Gambia who was detained for three months told Amnesty International how he was starved and beaten in a detention centre: “They beat me with a rubber hose, because they want money to release me. They call the family while beating [you] so the family send money.” After his family paid the ransom he was taken to Tripoli by an assigned driver who demanded further payment. “I had to stay with him until I pay the money back, otherwise he will sell me.”

“One immediate way to improve the fate of refugees and asylum seekers in DCIM centres would be for the Libyan authorities to formally recognize UNHCR’s mandate, sign the Refugee Convention and adopt an asylum law. The automatic detention of migrants must also stop as that is when the worst abuses occur,” said John Dalhuisen.

Libyan coastguard endangering lives, intimidating NGOs

Libyan Coast Guard officials are known to operate in collusion with smuggling networks and have used threats and violence against refugees and migrants on board boats in distress.

Footage, pictures and documents reviewed by Amnesty International indicate that a boat donated by Italy in April 2017, the Ras Jadir, was used by the Libyan Coast Guard during a horrific incident on 6 November 2017, where their reckless actions contributed to the drowning of up to 50 people.

Ignoring basic security protocols, the Ras Jadir approached a sinking inflatable vessel about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Libya. When it failed to deploy its rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) to help facilitate the rescue, migrants were forced to climb the high sides of the ship and many fell into the water.

A nearby NGO vessel, Sea-Watch 3, deployed its own RHIBs to try and save people but footage shows those aboard the Ras Jadir throwing objects at these RHIBs to force them away. It also shows migrants aboard the Ras Jadir being whipped with a rope and others trying to jump into the water to try and reach the RHIBs.

Whilst reckless and dangerous actions by the Libyan Coast Guard have been documented before, this appears to be the first time a boat provided by a European government has been proven to have been used in such an incident.

“By supporting Libyan authorities in trapping people in Libya, without requiring the Libyan authorities to tackle the endemic abuse of refugees and migrants or to even recognize that refugees exist, European governments have shown where their true priorities lie: namely the closure of the central Mediterranean route, with scant regard to the suffering caused,” said John Dalhuisen.

“European governments must rethink their cooperation with Libya on migration and enable people to get to Europe through legal pathways, including by resettling tens of thousands of refugees. They must insist that the Libyan authorities end the policy and practice of arbitrary arrests and detention of refugees and migrants, immediately release all foreign nationals held in the detention centres, and allow the UNHCR to operate unhindered.”

BACKGROUND

The Ras Jadir was donated by Italy to the Libyan authorities in two ceremonies: the first in the port of Gaeta (Italy) on 21 April 2017, and the second in the port of Abu Sittah (Libya) on 15 May 2017. The boat is clearly portrayed in videos of the ceremonies, in the presence of the Italian Minister of Interior Marco Minniti.

At the end of September 2017, IOM had identified 416,556 migrants in Libya, of which more than 60% are from sub-Saharan Africa, 32% from other North African countries, and around 7% from Asia and the Middle East. UNHCR figures show that 44,306 people in Libya were registered as refugees or asylum-seekers as of 1 December 2017. The actual number is undoubtedly much higher.

New Queensland Govt must act immediately on outstanding human rights promises

The returned Palaszczuk Government must raise the age of criminal responsibility in Queensland, after Deputy Premier Jackie Trad rejected the recommendation to Amnesty International’s Human Rights Agenda for the Next Queensland State Government.

The Deputy Premier, in a written response to the agenda, supported some recommendations that Amnesty International said would contribute to a strong youth justice agenda that is based in evidence and ensures children’s rights are protected. This included committing the government to implementing the 20-year Our Way plan, supporting and expanding community-led justice reinvestment programs, and continuing to transition 17-year-olds out of adult prisons.

Trad wrote however, that the government “does not have any plans at the moment to change the age of criminal responsibility.

“The election result shows that Queenslanders support the State’s move towards evidence-based policies that help Queensland kids to thrive.”

Paul Toner, Queensland Branch President for Amnesty International.

“The election result shows that Queenslanders support the State’s move towards evidence-based policies that help Queensland kids to thrive,” said Paul Toner, Queensland Branch President for Amnesty International.

“It’s disappointing then to see the government reject a recommendation to change the age of criminal responsibility. Locking up kids as young as 10 is damaging for their development, places severe limitations  on them reaching their potential and is a clear breach of international law”.

Just last month, the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory recommended to raise the age of criminal responsibility to twelve. The ALP Gunner Government accepted the recommendation in-principle and will release an plan outlining its implementation in March.

The Queensland Greens accepted the Amnesty International’s recommendation to raise the age. The Liberal National Party, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, and the Katter Australia Party did not respond.

Philippines: Political and human rights activists killed with impunity

Amnesty International is alarmed by the rising killings of human rights defenders and political activists in the Philippines. In recent weeks, a growing number of activists, community and religious leaders have been fatally shot by unknown gunmen. Fatalities include long-term activists Elisa Badayos, Eleuterio Moises, and religious leader Marcelito ‘Tito’ Paez in Neuva Ecija, Luzon.

On 28 November 2017, Badayos, a coordinator at the NGO Karapatan and Moises, a member of a local peasants’ organisation, were gunned down by unidentified persons on motorcycles in Bayawan City, Dunagarte City. Activist Carmen Matarlo was badly injured in the shooting. The group of activists were reportedly investigating cases of harassment and other human rights abuses carried out by a local landed family clan against farmers and communities involved in a land dispute.

Days later, on 5 December 2017, Marcelito Paez, an elderly former parish priest and religious leader, who campaigned for the release of political prisoner and peasant organiser Rommel Tucay, was gunned down by several motorcycle gunpersons in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.

Under President Duterte, activists and human rights defenders in the Philippines have come under increasing attack.

President Duterte has launched targeted attacks on human rights defenders critical of his ‘anti-drugs’ campaign. The President’s most vocal critic, Senator Leila de Lima, has been held in police detention on trumped-up drugs charges since February 2017. Amnesty International has called for her unconditional and immediate release. Jose Luis “Chito” Gascon, the current Chair of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), has been verbally attacked by the President, and the budget of the CHR has also been threatened.

In August 2017, during his speech at the 19th founding anniversary of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, President Duterte made a statement in which he told police to ‘shoot’ human rights defenders – not the first of his threats against their safety.

Human rights NGO Karapatan has reported an increase of arbitrary arrests, detention and killings by security forces and unknown armed persons of individuals aligned with the political left.

In November 2017, President Duterte terminated peace talks between the communist New People’s Army and the Philippine Government, following several breakdowns in negotiations and an increase in killings by both sides. Human rights NGO Karapatan has subsequently reported an increase of arbitrary arrests and detention and killings by security forces and unknown armed persons of individuals aligned with the political left.

Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the shrinking space for human rights defenders and worsening climate of impunity in the Philippines. The organisation calls for the authorities to unequivocally condemn all harassment, threats and violence against human rights defenders, community leaders and religious leaders in the Philippines and provide for their adequate protection.

Amnesty International also calls for prompt, independent impartial and effective investigation into the killings of activists Badayos, Moises and Paez, as well as other killings and for those responsible, including those with command responsibility, to be held to account in fair trials.

Background

On 5 December 2017 Amnesty released a report on the failure of states around the world to effectively protect human rights defenders titled ‘Deadly but Preventable Attacks: Killings and Enforced Disappearances of Those who Defend Human Rights’. The report highlights the growing risks faced by people from all walks of life who work tirelessly for the protection and promotion of human rights.

Marriage Equality: Great result, horrendous process

In reaction to the Australian Parliament passing into law the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, Amnesty International Australia’s NSW LGBTQI Network Convenor Lizzi Price said:

“Marriage Equality is a human right and human rights should never be subject to popular vote. While we celebrate this amazing moment, we will continue to stand in solidarity with LGBTQI Australians and their families who have faced such a confronting and challenging experience throughout the postal survey. The Government should commit to never using such a process again.

“This is a historic and long-overdue moment for Australia. This outcome is due to the hard work, determination, and courage of so many people. LGBTQI Australians, community groups, activists and allies stood up, spoke out and built an unstoppable movement for equality. For that alone, there is such a lot to celebrate here.”

What managing social media at Amnesty has taught me about having better online conversations

On Human Rights Day, Amnesty’s Jessie Mawson shares her actionable and hard-won advice for protecting, defending, and promoting human rights in contested online spaces.

“Don’t read the comments”.

“Don’t feed the trolls”.

Erm, okay. Good advice, I guess. But what if talking to people in comment threads (about contentious human rights issues, no less) is literally part of your job description?

That was me, a few years back, when I walked into a brand new job at Amnesty International’s Aussie HQ in Sydney. Among other things, I’d been tasked with managing and growing the organisation’s presence on social media.

The following days and months, spent knee-deep in Facebook comment threads and Twitter mentions, got me thinking a lot about the nature and value of conversing with people who disagree with us. Particularly online (as distinct from privately or face-to-face). And particularly about high-stakes and often complex issues like the death penalty, offshore detention of people seeking asylum, justice for Indigenous people, the legal status of sex work, and the sovereign rights of nation states.

As human rights defenders, is this the best use of our time and energy?

By engaging our opponents, do we risk legitimising and perpetuating their views?

It is actually possible to change someone’s mind in this way, using this medium?

This year, I’ve found myself revisiting these same questions in the context of an increasingly polarised political landscape, characterised by partisan slogans, inflammatory tweets, and media mudslinging; and a series of bottom-up social media ‘moments’ like #MeToo and the Australian marriage equality debate that really seemed to ratchet up the frequency and intensity of political debate in my timeline.

I don’t have any definite answers to these questions yet.

What I have is this: A (somewhat motley) list of tactics and principles that I do feel sure about. Collected over the last four years, I like to hang this list up next to my desk and keep it close to hand as a kind of litmus test for my choices, big and small. I use it as a tool to help me focus my effort on being good and being effective.

Today is Human Rights Day, so I’m sharing this list to encourage you to start or join a conversation about the human rights issues that matter to you today.

1. Tell your own story

We all know from experience that hearing someone speak from their heart, in their own words, about how a human rights issue affects them personally is incredibly powerful.

Academic and organiser Marshall Ganz talks about this idea as the ‘public narrative’ approach, and teaches people to share their own unique ‘story of self’ as a way to connect with and persuade others.

A good place to start is by simply using ‘I’ statements in online conversations about the big issues; or example, “I was shocked when I learned how awful conditions on Manus Island are for refugees”.

© XKCD
© XKCD

2. Values first, information second

Is there anything more frustrating than seeing someone be just objectively, factually wrong on the internet? It’s lucky I’m here to correct them with all my credible facts!

But wait. The studies show that just presenting someone with different information rarely works. As cognitive linguist and philosopher George Lakoff says, “facts bounce off frames”, so the key to persuasion is really to re-frame the way a person thinks and feels about an issue.

One way to do this is to connect people with their highest values (like compassion, justice, equality – ideas everyone subscribes to) and prompt them to reason from there.

3. Be a good ally

If you’re not impacted directly by a specific human rights issue, make sure you’re being a good ally to folks who are.

That sometimes means stepping up; involving yourself in difficult conversations and shouldering some of the weight of that work in a way that lessens the burden for affected communities.

At other times, it means stepping back; creating space so that the voices of affected communities can be heard loudest.

To figure out which, listen. If you’re still not sure, ask. If you get it wrong, say sorry and try to do better next time.

4. Be kind – to yourself and each other

Kurt Vonnegut’s, ‘Be kind, babies’ is pretty much my go-to advice for all things in life, including comment threads.

Kindness is good because, well, it’s just inherently good. But also because it’s effective. Nobody is inclined to listen to the opinions of someone making them feel awful. That’s why I’m generally wary of public shaming and social media ‘pile-ons’ as tactics for social change.

Being kind to myself means knowing when to turn off my phone for for a bit, and when to walk away from online conversations that have turned nasty and unproductive.

5. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Amnesty has been around for more than 50 years. We’re the world’s biggest human rights organisation. We’ve won a Nobel Peace Prize. So yeah, that old candle has some street cred for sure.

But for the people in your social network, hearing about an issue from Amnesty will be less persuasive than if they hear about it from you: their aunt or cousin or former classmate or hairdresser or sports club member or friend-of-a-friend or however you fit in.

So remember that, while talking to strangers is fine, the biggest impact you can make in advocating for human rights online in within your own social circle.

Inspired to put these ideas into practice? Great! Today is Human Rights Day so it’s the perfect time to get chatting about the issues important to you over on Amnesty’s Facebook page.

USA: Recognition of unified Jerusalem ‘reckless’ and undermines Palestinians’ human rights

 

  • Australia’s bipartisan condemnation of President Trump’s move welcomed

 

Condemning yesterday’s announcement by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that the US is recognising unified Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and will move its embassy there, Amnesty International USA’s Middle East Advocacy Director, Raed Jarrar, said:

“This is a reckless and provocative decision by the Trump administration that further undermines the human rights of the Palestinian people and is likely to inflame tensions across the region.”

In Australia, Amnesty International welcomes the bipartisan condemnation of President Trump’s move, and joins with both Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong in supporting international law and the rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Amnesty International Australia’s Crisis Campaigns Coordinator Diana Sayed said:

“We urge the Australian government to demonstrate leadership on this issue and use all diplomatic ties with the U.S. President to urge him to reassess this decision.

“By recognising unified Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announcing the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv, President Trump has shown yet again his blatant disregard for international law.

“There is international consensus, including UN Security Council resolutions, on the illegality of Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem. With this move, the United States is violating its own international legal obligations not to recognise or assist an illegal situation and to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions.

“No country in the world recognises Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem, making the decision to confer US recognition deeply troubling. Not only does this decision contribute to undermining the international rule of law, it also shows a total disregard for mass human rights violations that Palestinians are facing as a result of Israel’s annexation policies.”

Background

The areas of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem that came under Israeli control in 1967 and were included in Israel’s municipal areas for Jerusalem, are universally acknowledged to be occupied territory, where international humanitarian law is applicable.

Israel’s illegal annexation of occupied East Jerusalem was formalised in domestic law in 1980. It has been repeatedly condemned by the international community through various UN Security Council resolutions.

Australia’s silence on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar is deafening

Diana Sayed is the Crisis Response and Tactical Campaigner at Amnesty. She gives us an update on the long-standing crisis in Myanmar, where over 620,000 Rohingya people have been forced to flee for their lives to neighbouring Bangladesh.

What has happened over last three months?

In late August, a Rohingya armed group launched a series of attacks against several security forces posts in the North of Myanmar. The military retaliated with a systematic and entirely disproportionate operation of gang rape, forced abductions, the burning of entire villages and the murder of people fleeing the violence. This forced more than half of the 1.1 million Rohingya people who had been living in northern Rakhine state to flee to bordering Bangladesh.

This is not the first time that such systematic human rights abuses have been unleashed on the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Amnesty has been documenting human rights abuses and forced displacement of the Rohingya people for decades. Although Amnesty wasn’t permitted entry into Rakhine state during the latest crisis, our researchers were in Cox’s Bazaar documenting the horrific testimonies of newly-arriving Rohingya refugees, who shared horrific stories of whole families being burned alive in their homes.

Fathers were forced to watch their daughters being gang raped in front of them before being brutally killed. Elderly people who were carried away to safety by villagers were shot in the back as they fled.

The strategic placement of landmines by the Myanmar military along the border with Bangladesh to further maim those fleeing for safety reveals an even more sinister approach, not only denying the right of Rohingya people to exist, but attempting to systematically kill them all in one fell swoop. This isn’t an exaggeration or an emotional account — Amnesty has satellite images showing the razing of villages, and medical experts have examined Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to verify that the injuries sustained directly relate to their personal testimonies.

The United Nations has described these events as “textbook ethnic cleansing”.

The question that cannot be ignored is: how far have we come in history, when people still refuse to act in the face of such overwhelming and damning evidence?

Amnesty Australia has been campaigning to amplify the voices and stories of those who have survived, and to call for accountability for the perpetrators of these war crimes. That Rohingya people are living with increased uncertainty in camps in Bangladesh with limited access to humanitarian aid or safety remains an ongoing concern, particularly for the women and children who account for over 70% of the population.

Both the UK Prime Minister and the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have called this crisis in Myanmar a campaign of ethnic cleansing. The UK has cut all ties to the Myanmar military, while the EU and US have taken steps to sanction Myanmar’s military leaders from travel to their countries. Why has Australia, an ally and close neighbour in the region, refused to do the same? Although necessary, pledging $30 million in humanitarian aid and assistance is not enough right now.

Amnesty has called Myanmar an “apartheid” state – what does that mean?

Just last week, Amnesty published an extensive report — following a two-year investigation and in-depth legal analysis of Myanmar — to conclude that the Rohingya people are trapped in a system of state-sponsored, institutionalised discrimination. Every aspect of their lives is so heavily restricted, that it amounts to the crime against humanity of apartheid. Their lives are akin to living in an open-air prison, arbitrary curfews and tight lock-downs in villages heavily restrict their ability to seek work. The very thought of traveling to a neighbouring village is met with checkpoints, bribery and intimidation.

The Rohingya people are unable to access healthcare in specific state hospitals, and when they can they are relegated to “Muslim wards”. Certain schools are segregated, with opportunities for higher education virtually non-existent. Participation in political life or the freedom to practice their religion freely is not an option for the Rohingya. Any gathering of more than four people is illegal.

The whole system is designed to make their lives as humiliating and hopeless as possible.

The refusal to acknowledge their very existence in the 1982 Citizenship Law of the state underpins the whole system which amounts to apartheid.

Amnesty continues to call on the Australian government to immediately cut all ties to the Myanmar military, and to take a leadership role in working to dismantle the whole system of apartheid. Any further delay will only embolden the current military regime, who continue to target the Rohingya people and deny them the right to exist. Decades of slowly dehumanising the Rohingya people as interlopers and illegals has led to where we find ourselves today. The Rohingya, like all people, deserve to feel safe and live their lives in dignity.

Campaign update: Community is Everything

Since we launched our Community is Everything campaign, more than 115,000 people in our Amnesty community have taken action to end the over-representation and abuse of Indigenous kids in prison.

Together, we’ve achieved so much – with wins across the country. We know when people stand together and speak out, we can create change. So, let’s keep up the pressure. Together, we can give Indigenous kids a bright future.

Amnesty activists attend a candlelit vigil outside a Youth Justice Precinct in Victoria as part of the Community is Everything Blitz
Amnesty activists attend a candlelit vigil outside a Youth Justice Precinct in Victoria as part of the Community is Everything Blitz © Amnesty International

The issue

Indigenous children represent 1 in 15 kids in Australia – but make up half of all kids in Australia’s youth detention centres. Kids as young as 10 are behind bars and the number of young Indigenous girls in prison is growing rapidly.

By locking away children and separating them from their families and communities, our governments limit children’s potential and cause them lifelong, psychological harm. Once these kids are in the justice system, too often their childhood is lost forever. In prison they are mistreated, neglected and abused.

Three years ago, Amnesty launched the Community is Everything campaign to put an end to this injustice. We work closely with Indigenous organisations in the Change the Record Coalition to advocate for Indigenous-led solutions and better laws that don’t discriminate against Indigenous kids.

Kids who take part in Indigenous-led programs, like bush camps, are far more likely to stay out of trouble than kids who are locked up.

Dancers at the launch of the Community is Everything campaign in Western Australia
The number of young Indigenous girls in jail is growing rapidly © Amnesty International

Shocking abuse revealed

Last year, an episode of the ABC’s Four Corners revealed shocking abuse in the Northern Territory’s Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. Shortly after, the Federal Government launched a Royal Commission to investigate. The Commission released its findings last month and its recommendations, if put in place, would end unjust and abhorrent practices in the youth justice system in the Northern Territory.

But it’s not just Don Dale. Reports of abuse have emerged across the country in every state and territory. This is a national issue that needs a national solution.

What we need is for Prime Minister Turnbull to work with state and territories to lead national reform that makes the justice system in every state and territory fair for all kids.

A grey concrete building with guard tower, seen through razor wire fencing.
Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in the Northern Territory © AAP Image / Neda Vanovac

What has Amnesty done so far?

For the last three years, activists across the country signed petitions, donated, written letters and emails, called and met with elected representatives, held candlelit vigils and discussion forums and had hundreds of conversations with people in their communities.

We reached thousands of people through social media and news outlets, with hashtags like #RaiseTheAge and #NotJustDonDale trending, and amplified the voices of community and rights holders through blogs and videos.

And in the last few months, we turned it up a notch with the Community is Everything campaign blitz with over forty events.

CIE Blitz Puzzle pieces
Amnesty supporters call on the Prime Minister ti make injustice fair for all kids © Amnesty International

Amnesty at Parliament House

Last week our Indigenous Rights campaigners Roxanne Moore and Belinda Lowe took your voices to Parliament House in Canberra.

Together with the Change the Record Coalition, we launched the Free to be Kids National Plan of Action and met with members of every party to discuss the plan, deliver your signatures and ask them to be part of the solution.

We made sure our elected representatives heard loud and clear – it’s not just Don Dale. We want a national plan of action that makes justice fair for all kids.

Our successes so far

Together, we’ve achieved so much already. It’s a testament to the power and passion of the Amnesty community. Here are just some of the successes we’ve had so far.

Amnesty activists speaking at Indigenous rights event in Darwin
Amnesty activists speaking at a Community is Everything event in Darwin © Amnesty International

What’s next?

Next year, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) will bring state and territory leaders together with the Prime Minister to discuss refreshing the Close the Gap strategy.

This is a key opportunity to hold our state and federal leaders to account and push for them to adopt Change the Record’s national plan that makes justice fair for all kids.

Together, we are building an unstoppable movement of Indigenous Rights defenders. We’ll keep the pressure up until we have a national plan of action to end the abuse and overrepresentation of Indigenous kids in prison.

How to protect yourself as a whistleblower

Whistleblowers expose unlawful or immoral activities conducted by people, organisations, corporations or governments. Too often, they risk their own safety to bring human rights abusers to account and to achieve justice for the abused.

Chelsea Manning, whistleblower and human rights activist, jeopardised her freedom in order to raise public awareness of human rights abuses in the US-led Iraq war.

Edward Snowden leaked classified information from the NSA about global surveillance programs impeding on individuals’ rights and freedoms all over the world.

Many people with special information about human rights violations are afraid of the repercussions of coming forward with their information. However, the work of whistleblowers is vital for making perpetrators accountable and preventing further human rights abuses.

Amnesty activist Taylor Toovey describes seven ways to protect yourself as a whistleblower.

1. Document everything

Document all of the information you have gathered and store it in a safe place. This is to ensure any information you come forward with can be backed up by hard evidence. It will also help you avoid being sued for defamation. So document everything. Reports, video footage, letters, emails, phone calls, face-to-face conversations. Everything. And keep a hardcopy record in case you ever get hacked or experience technical issues with your computer or hard drive.

2. Be reliable and credible

Make yourself a reliable and credible source. Don’t overexaggerate the information you’ve gathered. You want to ensure your credibility so your information is taken seriously. You could be sued for defamation if you make false claims publicly. Being honest and transparent about those not being honest and transparent says good things about your character and makes you a reliable source.

3. Raise the issue

Consider filing a complaint against the perpetrator but only if it’s safe to do so. It’s worth voicing your concerns to the perpetrators of wrongdoing if you believe that your safety is not at risk. Raising the issues with them could also help achieve positive change.

4. Be careful who you disclose to

Research which authorities could be beneficial to contact with your information. They may be able to provide you with protection and investigate the information you’ve provided. However, you must prioritise your safety and ensure that you won’t be at risk by contacting the authorities.

5. Choose a trustworthy journalist

Reach out to trustworthy journalists who regularly report on human rights or related issues. Journalists are a fantastic resource for whistleblowers and good journalists will never disclose a source without the source’s permission. Journalists have a large audience at their disposal which could be beneficial in ensuring public awareness and outcry over your information.

6. Transmit safely

Find a safe way to transmit your information. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has a SecureDrop server to encourage whistleblowers to come forward and securely submit their information. Once they receive your tip-off, they assess the information and make the decision as to whether or not to investigate it. The ICIJ guarantees the protection of their sources. Many well known media outlets also have a similar tool on their websites.

7. Know your rights

Read up on your rights and any whistleblower protection laws in your country. Consider consulting a legal professional for more information – knowing your rights is essential in protecting them.

The world needs whistleblowers

Without whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, evidence of large-scale human rights violations would never surface. We would be oblivious to the crimes of governments, organisations and individuals around the world.

Chelsea Manning said, “I prefer a painful truth over any blissful fantasy.”

The truth is often all that drives a person to become a whistleblower.

Philippines: Police reinstatement in ‘drug war’ threatens catastrophic return to mass killing

Responding to the news that President Duterte has ordered the police to resume their role in supporting his administration’s so-called “war on drugs,” James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said:

“In returning police to his anti-drug operations yet again, President Duterte has consigned the poorest and most marginalised people in the Philippines to another catastrophic wave of violence, misery and bloodshed.

“Since the police were withdrawn from anti-drug operations in October, there has been a marked decline in the number of deaths resulting from these operations. We can only expect that to reverse, as the police have the opportunity to pick up where they left off and resume their indiscriminate killing with impunity.

“It is now time for international justice mechanisms including the International Criminal Court to step in where the Philippines’ criminal justice system has failed. The ICC should open a preliminary examination into the thousands of unlawful killings that have taken place, which may constitute crimes against humanity. Those responsible, including those who ordered the killings, must be brought to justice.”

Background

On 12 October 2017, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte reduced the police’s role in drug-related operations in favour of the Drug Enforcement Agency. On 22 November however, President Duterte said in a national speech that he was considering revising that decision.

This is the second time the police have been removed, then reinstated to the anti-drug operations. The last time the police were removed from operations was in January 2017, before their re-involvement in March 2017.

The Drug Enforcement Agency is mandated under the law to enforce all legal provisions on prohibited drugs.