Amnesty Turkey Chair kept in jail

Following a decision by an Izmir court last night not to release the chair of Amnesty Turkey and human rights defender Taner Kılıç, Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said:

“Over the space of 24 hours we have seen the twin hands of Turkey’s fickle justice system at play. While one grants liberty, the other, confronted with no less baseless charges, takes it away.”

“The release of the Istanbul 10 late on Wednesday night restored some faith in Turkey’s justice system. Now, that faith has been washed away.

“Turkish authorities have repeatedly and publicly presumed Taner Kılıç’s guilt, on the basis of innuendo and unsupported allegations.

“We will continue undaunted to campaign for the release of our chair and the dropping of the charges against all human rights defenders in Turkey.”

Manus Island: Authorities must not use abuse to force refugees into transit facilities

Amnesty International is warning that authorities in Australia and Papua New Guinea must ensure that a tense standoff with refugees on Manus Island does not descend into violence by security forces as the authorities try to move hundreds of people from the refugee detention centre to so-called transit facilities on Manus Island.

Tensions have continued to grow on Manus Island in recent weeks, as the hundreds of men living in the current detention centre have said that they will resist any move because they fear for their safety if moved to new locations on the island.

“The looming move to so-called transit facilities on Manus Island cannot become an excuse to use violence against refugees and asylum seekers. The authorities have a duty to ensure that the PNG security forces, who already have a chequered history of abuse, refrain from using excessive force.”

Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues.

“The looming move to so-called transit facilities on Manus Island cannot become an excuse to use violence against refugees and asylum seekers. The authorities have a duty to ensure that the PNG security forces, who already have a chequered history of abuse, refrain from using excessive force,” said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues.

The detention centre on Manus Island, where refugees and asylum seekers have suffered for four years as part of Australia’s cruel and illegal ‘offshore processing’ policies, will close on 31 October.

Australian government officials have said that water and electricity at the centre will be turned off after 31 October, and have refused to rule out forcibly transferring those who do not voluntarily leave the premises.

The closure of the detention centre does not mean the end of the ordeal for the refugees as they are being moved to other centres.

More than 600 people are due to be moved to transit facilities over the next few days, including to the East Lorengau Transit Accommodation Centre.

There are serious concerns that the various transit facilities are far too small to house the numbers of refugees, or are not yet completed.

The Lorengau Centre is also close to local communities which could make attacks on the refugees more likely. There have been several attacks by members of the local community – some wielding machetes – against refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in recent months, which have left individuals badly injured. Neither the PNG nor the Australian authorities have acted to adequately protect the refugees from such violence.

“The closure of the current centre is not a solution if people are simply being moved from one abusive location to another.”

“The closure of the current centre is not a solution if people are simply being moved from one abusive location to another. Reports that the new facilities are unfinished and leave refugees at risk of violence are extremely concerning. Authorities must ensure that the safety and well-being of refugees is given priority,” said Audrey Gaughran.

“The fact that the refugees – who the Australian government has trapped in a system amounting to torture for years – are resisting being moved because they fear for their safety in other locations on the island speaks volumes about the risks they feel they face.”

The closure of the detention centre was announced in 2016 following a ruling by the PNG Supreme Court that the Australian government’s detention of refugees and asylum seekers there is illegal and unconstitutional.

Amnesty International has documented a catalogue of serious human rights violations on Manus Island, including how people are kept in overcrowded compounds in stifling heat without access to adequate medical care, and has called for the centre’s closure, and for the refugees and asylum-seekers to be brought to safety.

“Shuttling refugees from one centre to another is simply papering over the cracks in an abusive system. It does nothing to address the central problem, and indeed may make it even worse. Authorities in Australia should do the only humane thing and immediately bring the refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island to safety in Australia,” said Audrey Gaughran.

“The Australian government must accept its responsibility to protect the human rights of all those who have come under its jurisdiction as people seeking refuge, and put an end to the use of offshore processing centres. The same violations will continue as long as the same cruel and inhuman refugee policies remain in place.”

 

Write for Rights is fast approaching!

Write for Rights runs from 25 November to 10 December, and we’ve got even more resources to help you gear up for your events.

Already getting out there!

Amnesty activists handed out the Write for Rights Activity Book and shared photos outside the Floriade Dogs Day Out in Canberra last weekend. This was a fantastic choice of event where they met loads of animals and had heaps of fun.

Take a leaf out of their book, and target your Write for Rights events to reach loads of new people and their pets. Here’s an easy Write for Rights events guide to help. Human rights defenders around the world are behind bars. Every action you encourage someone to take will help release them and protect them from further harm.

Get online

You too can share photos of your pets and the animals you meet along the way with the #HumanRightsArePawesome #W4R17 @AmnestyOZ poster.

Snap, Send, Reply. Remember to submit your completed petitions by snapping a photo and sending them to activism@amnesty.org.au. We’ll get back to you to confirm that we have received them. You can then rest assured that your actions will be sent to the target at the best possible time, protecting and saving more lives.

Pet bandanas and activity books

Use the pet bandana poster and remind people to include their email address to go into the draw for one of 10 bandanas. Winners will be notified by email in February, and will be asked for the size details of their pet to make sure they get a bandana that fits.

Remember to give away as many Write for Rights Activity Books as you can. People who email us the actions they take in the activity books will also go into the draw for a bandana!

International Human Rights Day is on 10 December

If you are holding an event on this day, we need to know about it. National media will be focused on human rights, which makes it a great chance for us to reach people across Australia. But only if we can show that there are people all across the country working to protect human rights.

Please remember to put all events, big or small, into the Host an Event form. If you’re planning for a handful of people to meet for lunch, or are planning a festival with thousands of people in attendance — fill out the event host form. We need this so we know and can show how strong our movement is.

This is the day that the Amnesty movement — YOU  — will shine! We can’t wait to see what you get up to.

Turkey: Court releases human rights defenders including Amnesty International’s Turkey Director

 

  • Campaigners vow to continue fight to free Amnesty International’s Turkey Chair

Following a decision by a court in Istanbul to conditionally release eight human rights defenders while their trial continues, Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said:

“Today, finally, we celebrate that our friends and colleagues can go back with their loved ones and can sleep in their own beds for the first time in almost four months.

“But any joy is tainted by the ongoing detention of Amnesty International’s chair, Taner Kılıç, whose separate trial is due to start tomorrow.

“These politically motivated prosecutions are an attempt to silence critical voices within Turkey but have only served to highlight the importance of human rights and those who dedicate their lives to defending them.

“Tonight we take a brief moment to celebrate, but tomorrow we will continue our struggle to ensure that Taner, İdil and their colleagues are acquitted of these baseless charges. We will not stop until the charges are dropped and all of them are free.”

Background

Ten activists, including İdil Eser, the Director of Amnesty Turkey, were arrested on 5 July, whilst Amnesty International’s Turkey Chair, Taner Kılıç, was arrested a month earlier. They are accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”.

Taner Kılıç will also appear at a hearing tomorrow in Izmir on a separate charge of “membership of the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organisation”.

Iraq: Fresh evidence that tens of thousands forced to flee Tuz Khurmatu amid indiscriminate attacks, lootings and arson

  • Amnesty team analysed satellite imagery, videos, photos and dozens of testimonies
  • Lootings, arson and house demolition targeted predominantly Kurdish areas
  • At least 11 civilians killed by indiscriminate attacks
  • Tens of thousands now displaced afraid to go back home

Satellite images, videos, photos and dozens of testimonies collected by Amnesty International show that civilians were forced to flee their homes after fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi government forces, supported by the Popular Mobilisation Units, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq’s multi-ethnic city of Tuz Khurmatu on 16 October 2017.

Residents reported that at least 11 civilians were killed by indiscriminate attacks, while hundreds of properties were looted, set on fire and destroyed in what appears to be a targeted attack on predominantly Kurdish areas of the city.

“Within hours the lives of countless men, women and children were devastated in Tuz Khurmatu. Thousands have lost their homes, shops and everything they owned. They are now scattered in nearby camps, villages and cities, wondering whether they will ever be able to return,” said Lynn Maalouf, Director of Research for the Middle East at Amnesty International.

“The Iraqi authorities already stated they would not tolerate any attacks against civilians, and would hold perpetrators accountable. They must now put word to action, and promptly initiate impartial investigations into these violations. Victims must receive full reparation and those responsible held to account.”  

Between 18 and 23 October, Amnesty International interviewed 42 displaced residents of Tuz Khurmatu, conducted analysis of satellite imagery of the city and analysed and authenticated photos and videos provided by residents showing damage to homes and other civilian property caused by arson and looting.

Tuz Khurmatu residents told Amnesty International that heavy clashes broke out after midnight on 16 October. Most of the civilians interviewed reported that they fled the city between 2am and 6am as a result of the fighting. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) informed Amnesty International that nearly 35,000 civilians have fled Tuz Khurmatu since 16 October.

Burning, looting, and house demolitions

“I can’t describe what I saw. There is so much destruction – you can’t even imagine this was a city.” Zargos

Residents who are still in the city, as well as others who fled and then attempted to return, described how Iraqi government forces, as well members of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Turkmen fighters and Turkmen civilians engaged in rampant arson, looting and demolition of civilian homes.

Witnesses reported receiving threatening messages or phone calls from their Turkmen neighbors. Those who had returned briefly to the city reported seeing extensive damage to homes in al-Jumhuriya and Hai Jamila, both Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods. Amnesty International authenticated photos and videos it received from witnesses showing the damage caused to civilian homes and property by looting and arson in Tuz Khumatu.

“Sangar” returned briefly to the city to check on his house. He told Amnesty International: “I was creeping through the city, trying to avoid seeing anyone…The market in al-Jumhuriya was completely burned out. And I saw some houses that had been exploded. They were completely collapsed. My house was burned, too…It looked like 90% of the buildings in al-Jumhuirya were burned.”

“I was creeping through the city, trying to avoid seeing anyone… The market in al-Jumhuriya was completely burned out. And I saw some houses that had been exploded. They were completely collapsed. My house was burned, too… It looked like 90% of the buildings in al-Jumhuirya were burned” – ‘Sangar’

“Hameed”, a 68-year-old man, told Amnesty International that on 19 October he travelled from Zinana, the village to which he had fled on 16 October, to Tuz Khurmatu to check on his house, which is located near Sitar Mosque in al-Jumhuriya neighbourhood. He described what he saw:

“When I got to my house, I saw that the door was broken, and the TV and the refrigerator were burned…When I went in, I realised my house was still on fire… We went to my son’s room, and it was like a pressure cooker inside. I fell over from the shock of the heat, and I almost fainted. My house was beautiful – it had two storeys. I loved that house. I kept trying to put out the fire, but finally my nephew said, ‘Uncle, we have to go – it’s not safe for us here’.”

According to “Sarhang”, who stayed in al-Jumhuriya neighbourhood until 6pm on 16 October: “More than 100 people on motorcycles were riding around the neighborhood… They knew the houses [and entered them] one by one. They took anything valuable or worth something. Then they set fire to a blanket and threw it into the house. The fire is [then] lit, and the whole house catches fire. They leave it to burn. I saw trucks and lorries [driven by] the PMU and Turkmen. The Turkmen are PMU anyway. They would take kitchen counters, fridges, stoves – whatever they can.”

Residents also mentioned the history of clashes and revenge attacks between Kurdish and Shi’a Turkmen residents of Tuz Khurmatu. In a chilling example of the tension between the two groups, “Sherine” a resident of al-Jumhuriya neighborhood told Amnesty International that on 15 October, her Turkmen neighbour saw her buying plates and pots in the market. She told her: “Keep buying. I want Kurds to buy things, because in the end it will be left behind for me.”

Indiscriminate attacks

Tuz Khurmatu residents reported that the weapons used in the densely populated city included mortars, RPGs, DShk heavy machine guns and Kalashnikov assault rifles. Civilians interviewed by Amnesty International were unable to determine whether the attacks they experienced were attributable to Kurdish or Iraqi government forces; however, in several of the cases documented by Amnesty International, the indiscriminate fire was launched into crowds of Kurdish residents fleeing the city.

According to “Sherine”:

“One [mortar] fell very close to our front door. It was about 2am and very dark. The children started screaming and I screamed too. I didn’t take anything. I’m still wearing the same dress as I wore that night. It’s so filthy, but what can I do? I don’t know how I managed to get the children into the car. Everyone was on the street. People were running and in their cars. It was so dusty. The mortars kept coming. We heard the Peshmerga were running away, and that really frightened us. We drove into the emptiness and didn’t stop until Qala Dawoodi [a village about 12km from Tuz Khurmatu]. We slept outdoors until dawn.”

“Sherine” told Amnesty International that there are no military installations near her house.

“Soran”, an 18-year-old man from Hai Jamila, told Amnesty International:

“A mortar fell near my house, and because of that, we fled. I was with my family. We are six people – my mother, father, my brother, two sisters and me. I saw at least a thousand people fleeing with us – it looked like a sea of people. We had to get through the irrigation project to get out. There are all of these ditches and small ponds we had to get through. The mortars were falling around us, and snipers were shooting at us. Some of the elderly people were left behind. Others were carried in blankets – we had to carry them so they didn’t fall in the water. I saw one man who was hit in the leg by a sniper’s bullet. He fell down, and I don’t know what happened to him. Another man was shot in the head and died instantly, in front of me.”

“There are all of these ditches and small ponds we had to get through. The mortars were falling around us, and snipers were shooting at us. Some of the elderly people were left behind. Others were carried in blankets” – ‘Soran’

“Soran” told Amnesty International that there were no military installations near his house and that the crowd fleeing was made up solely of civilians.

“Jamil” also fled Tuz Khurmatu with his family, around 3:30am on 16 October. He explained:

“We left on a tractor. It was all we had. We had to go out by a route that goes by the mountains and the irrigation system. It was really difficult – there were bullets whizzing by our head and mortars flying around us. We were so scared. I was with my wife and four children. When we left, I thought to myself: I will definitely lose my house to the burning and the looting, so now I need to take care of my family.”

“Jamil” told Amnesty International that there were no fighters near him during his flight outside the city.

Nowhere to Turn

Of the 42 civilians interviewed by Amnesty International who fled the city and are now sheltering in nearby villages, camps and cities, none felt safe enough to return to Tuz Khurmatu. Amnesty International spoke with four Tuz Khurmatu residents who had returned briefly to check on their homes or shops, but all had returned within hours, citing concerns for their safety. Tuz Khurmatu residents who had fled the city also consistently reported that none of their Kurdish neighbours have returned to the city permanently after 16 October or had any plans to do so.

“Abbas” told Amnesty International:

“I want you to know that for us as Kurds, we can’t go back to Tuz Khurmatu… At any moment they can come in a car and pick me up, for any reason… If I need to get a national ID or get some official documents, I would have to go to the intelligence. If I go there, I might never come back… They could kill me, or hold me hostage. We are afraid. And we are sure this is what will happen.”

“Othman” added: “I will never go back until we have guarantees for our safety. They even burn our mosques – how can we be safe there?”

“Residents of Tuz Khurmatu have suffered repeated cycles of violence in past years, and violations such as these lead to future cycles, unless the Iraqi government sends a strong signal – not only in word, but by way of concrete action – that perpetrators will be held to account, victims compensated and that the authorities will take all necessary steps to protect the displaced civilians,” said Lynn Maalouf.

“Humanitarian support for the tens of thousands of people who have fled Tuz Khurmatu must be earmarked and provided as a matter of urgency, both by the international community and the Iraqi government. It is also essential that the authorities swiftly restore security and the rule of law and establish conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of tens of thousands of displaced residents.”

Background

Tuz Khurmatu was under the joint control of the Kurdistan Regional Government forces, the Population Mobilization Units (PMU) and local police, until Iraqi government forces supported by factions of the PMU took control of the city on 16 October. Its population of more than 100,000 is multi-ethnic, comprised of Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs. The city has been the site of sporadic clashes and communal violence since 2003.

The most recent clashes had occurred between October 2015 to January 2016, when Kurdish Peshmerga and members of Shia Turkmen militias killed, wounded and abducted civilians and destroyed hundreds of homes and shops.

Turkey: Eyes of the world on show trial of human rights activists, including Amnesty International staff

  • Trumped-up terrorism charges against 11 human rights defenders exposed

  • Forensic analysis shows Amnesty Chair did not download Bylock

Trumped-up terrorism charges against 11 human rights defenders, including both Amnesty International’s Turkey director and chair, do not stand up to the slightest scrutiny, said Amnesty International as court proceedings begin in Istanbul and Izmir.

The charges against them – carrying jail terms of up to 15 years and set out in two indictments to be heard in two separate trials – are entirely baseless.

“From the moment of their detentions, it has been clear that these are politically motivated prosecutions aimed at silencing critical voices within Turkey,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director.

“Without substance or foundation the Turkish authorities have tried and failed to build a case against İdil, Taner and the other nine human rights activists. It took the prosecutor more than three months to come up with nothing. It should not take the judge more than half an hour to dismiss the case against them.”

Ten activists, including İdil Eser, the Director of Amnesty Turkey, were arrested on 5 July, whilst Amnesty International’s Turkey Chair, Taner Kılıç, was arrested a month earlier. They are accused of “membership of a terrorist organisation”.

The charges against the 11 include outlandish claims that standard human rights protection activities amount to assisting terrorist organisations. These include appealing to stop the sale of tear gas, making a grant application, and campaigning for the release of hunger-striking teachers. According to the indictment, İdil Eser is linked to three unrelated and opposing terrorist organisations and some of the allegations against her refer to two Amnesty International documents which were issued before she even joined the organisation.

The prosecution unsurprisingly offers no evidence to support their allegations that the Büyükada workshop, where the arrests took place, was a “secret meeting to organise a Gezi-type uprising” or that any of the defendants were engaged in wrongdoing. Amnesty International has made a detailed analysis of the indictment, addressing each of the allegations made against the 11 defendants.

As well as the hearing against the 10 which begins in Istanbul today, Taner Kılıç will also appear at a hearing tomorrow in Izmir on a separate charge of “membership of the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organisation”.

This charge is based on the allegation that he downloaded and used the ByLock messaging application, claimed to have been used by the Gülen movement to communicate. However, two independent forensic analyses of Taner’s phone commissioned by Amnesty International found that there is no trace of Bylock ever having been on his phone.

The trials come as international pressure mounts on Turkey to release the human rights defenders. Worldwide protests marked 100 days imprisonment for the Istanbul 10 and the birthday of Idil Eser. Last week, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the Chair of the Human Rights Committee in the European Parliament, Pier Antonio Panzeri, all called for their release.

They join a long list of governments, institutions and political figures that have demanded their release including European Commission, the US State Department, UN officials, Angela Merkel and the German government as well as the Austrian, Irish and Belgian governments.

“These two trials will be an acid test for the Turkish justice system and will demonstrate whether standing up for human rights has now become a crime in Turkey,” said John Dalhuisen.

“If justıce can be subverted by a dystopian fiction woven from absurd and baseless allegations, it will be a dark day for Turkey’s justice system and a grim omen for the future of human rights in the country. With the eyes of the world on these courtrooms in Istanbul and Izmir, the time has come for the long overdue unconditional release of our colleagues.”

Background

The Istanbul 10 are set to have their first hearing in Istanbul on 25 October at the 35th Heavy Penal Court. Taner Kiliç is set to have his first trial hearing on the other indictment in Izmir on 26 October 2017, 10am at the 16th Heavy Penal Court.

Amnesty International will have teams monitoring the trials.

The Istanbul 10 were attending a workshop on wellbeing and digital security on 5 July when police raided the building and detained them all. They were held in Istanbul’s police headquarters until 18 July when they appeared before a judge following the prosecutor’s request that they be sent to prison pending their trial. On 4 October an Istanbul prosecutor filed an indictment against the so-called Istanbul 10 and Taner Kılıç, who, it claims was aware of preparations for the Büyükada workshop and was in contact with İdil and another of the defendants.

The eight jailed human rights defenders are İdil Eser (Amnesty International), Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association), Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens’ Assembly), Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association), Ali Gharavi (IT strategy consultant), Peter Steudtner (non-violence and wellbeing trainer) and İlknur Üstün (Women’s Coalition) and Nalan Erkem,(Citizens Assembly). Two other human rights defenders arrested at the same time were released on bail. They are Şeyhmus Özbekli (Rights Initiative) and Nejat Taştan (Association for Monitoring Equal Rights).

Several high profile figures have called for their release.

Many governments and institutions have called for their release. :

Edward Snowden’s has made a video appeal for their release.

Seven times marriage changed and the world didn’t end

In Australia, the definition of marriage has changed 20 times. On average, that’s an amendment to the Commonwealth Marriage Act nearly every three years.

Without exception, changes to marriage that we now take for granted were controversial at the time. Change is usually incremental and lagging behind the currently accepted societal norms. But we change our laws for a reason: to strengthen equality and human rights.

Yet here we are, in the middle of the Marriage Equality Postal Survey, still being told that marriage can’t be expanded to give the LGBTQI community equality before the law because of the history and traditions of ‘the institution’.

So here’s a reminder of seven times that marriage in Australia changed and the world didn’t end.

  1. When we criminalised forced marriages

In March 2013, forced marriage was included in Australia’s criminal code. Hang on. That’s only four years ago.

SBS reports that, for decades, Australian girls (and a small number of boys) have been married off to much older partners against their will, in large and lavish ceremonies, that are rarely reported.

The change in the law gave the Australian Federal Police greater powers to investigate suspected cases and prosecute anyone who assists in the arrangement of a forced marriage or had prior knowledge (parents, the celebrant, family friends, etc). Encouragingly, reporting of forced marriages to authorities is now on the rise.

  1. When people from different races were allowed to marry

Interracial marriage in Australia has been limited by entrenched racism and the White Australia Policy.

In the 1850s, during the gold rush, there were around 2000 legal marriages between white women and migrant Chinese men in Australia’s eastern colonies. By late 1878 this number fell to 181 marriages as a result of widespread rallies by white men who viewed such marriages as a threat to the white race.

More recently, the White Australia Policy also limited interracial marriages. After the Second World War, the Australian Government refused to sanction marriages between Australian servicemen and Japanese women they had met while stationed overseas. The couples were also prevented from returning to Australia together. Many men, who had risked everything for Australia, migrated to Canada to start new lives with their families.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 42 per cent of marriages in Australia today involve at least one partner who is not Australian-born.

Mick and Gladys at church. © Kim Lockwood Photograph
Mick and Gladys at church. © Kim Lockwood Photograph

  1. When Indigenous Australians didn’t need permission to marry anymore

Indigenous Australians, up until the 1960s, could only marry with government permission.

In the late 1950s the case of Gladys Namagu and Mick Daly, known as the ‘Outback Romeo and Juliet’, made headlines. The NT couple were denied marriage, sparking an outpouring of public sympathy. When the matter was raised in federal parliament, MPs demanded an assurance from the government that discrimination would never be written into the landmark national marriage legislation they were poised to pass.

  1. When ‘no fault’ divorce was introduced

In 1975, the Family Law Act ensured that for the first time, either party of a marriage didn’t need to front a court and set out a particular wrongdoing of the other to get a divorce.

Proving fault in an extremely adversarial environment was important because it often influenced property settlement. This had a major impact on children whose parents had to prove or defend themselves against fault.

The principle of no-fault divorce, which applies today, means that 12 months of separation is sufficient evidence of a marriage breakdown.

  1. When rape within marriage was abolished

Until 1987, rape within marriage was not prosecuted in Australia. States and territories had ‘marital exemptions’ in their definitions of rape which basically stripped the ability of married women to say no to sexual intercourse.

In 1991, in R v L, the High Court of Australia ruled that if the common law exemption had ever been part of the Australian law, it no longer was.

A woman seated on a wooden bench with a red skirt and her hands in her lap
Amnesty International works to end forced marriage in Burkina Faso where most girls are married before they turn 19. © Sophie Garcia / AI

  1. When children as young as 12 were no longer allowed to marry

Tasmania was the first state to stop child marriages. But this didn’t happen until 1942!

The minimum age of marriage was raised from 12 for women and 14 for men to 16 and 18 respectively.

Western Australia followed suit in 1956 and South Australia in 1957. And in 1961, the Marriage Act set the minimum age at 18.

  1. When married women were allowed to work for the government

In 1966, the bar on employment of married women in the Commonwealth Public Service was abolished. The bar was designed at the beginning of the 1900s to keep women from “stealing” men’s jobs and also to boost birth rates.

Marriage equality and human rights

Marriage in Australia has continuously changed over the years to strengthen human rights. And every time marriage laws have changed there was a vocal minority saying that it was wrong to do so.

In each of these cases, we can now look back and say that these opponents were on the wrong side of history. The postal survey is just another chapter in Australia’s marriage history that will hopefully end in equality before the law for more Australians.

This article was based on Paul Ritchie’s 2016 book Faith, Love & Australia: The Conservative Case for Same-Sex Marriage.

Myanmar: Rakhine state crisis update

In the early morning of Friday 25 August, a Rohingya armed group — the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) — launched a series of coordinated attacks on several dozen security force posts in the north of Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Since then, Myanmar’s security forces have engaged in an unlawful and disproportionate campaign of violence against the Rohingya.

In the crisis brief My World Is Finished: Rohingya Targeted in Crimes against Humanity in Myanmar, Amnesty International outlines evidence that the Myanmar military has killed at least hundreds of Rohingya women, men, and children; raped and perpetrated other forms of sexual violence on Rohingya women and girls; and carried out organized, targeted burning of entire Rohingya villages.

This briefing builds on the findings we have already published since the crisis began, including on the Myanmar military’s use of landmines. In seven weeks, the relentless human rights violations have forced more than 600,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. More people cross the border each day.

This attack on the Rohingya population in northern Rakhine State has been both widespread and systematic, constituting serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity under international law. Amnesty International has documented the following crimes against humanity:

  • Unlawful killings including through the use of landmines.
  • Deportation and forcible displacement through armed attacks, killings, rape, the burning of buildings, looting and other acts threatening civilians and forcing them to flee.
  • Torture, including rape, beating, and rape and killing in front of family members.
  • Rape and other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity.
  • Persecution based on ethnic and religious grounds, through burning of homes, other buildings and whole villages.
  • Looting and denial or severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.
  • Other inhumane acts including denial of access to life-sustaining provisions.

This list may not be complete. Other crimes against humanity were committed in Rakhine State before the current crisis, and we’re doing further research into crimes that have been committed since August.

To date, the Myanmar authorities have shown no sign of being willing to stop these violations and crimes, much less to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Several units, and in particular the Myanmar Army Western Command, have been repeatedly implicated by witnesses in some of the worst atrocities.

Our briefing is based on more than 150 interviews conducted in person in the Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh and by phone with people inside northern Rakhine State. We have had a consistent research presence in Bangladesh for most of September, interviewing Rohingya who have fled, medical professionals, aid workers, journalists and Bangladeshi officials. We have also met with Myanmar government officials, foreign diplomats, aid workers, and journalists.

In addition, the briefing draws on an analysis of satellite imagery and data, as well as photos and videos taken inside Rakhine State that we have verified as authentic.

We can make a difference. Please take action with us below to help end the violence.

Bangladesh: Donors must pledge support for Rohingya refugees

More countries need to step up and pledge their support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

The meeting of high-level representatives of donor countries at the UN’s office in Geneva on Monday must include pledges of new money, including from countries in the region, to support rising numbers of Rohingya refugees who have sought shelter in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district.

The recent influx estimated to be nearly 600,000 people has brought the total Rohingya refugee community in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district to more than 800,000.

“This is an unprecedented crisis that needs an immediate and sustained response from the international community. This means that more countries, particularly those from the region, need to play a much bigger role and share the burden of responsibility. Bangladesh, a poor country which has shown extraordinary generosity, cannot be left to deal with this situation alone,” said Omar Waraich, Deputy South Asia Director at Amnesty International.

“These deeply traumatised refugees are subsisting in extremely difficult conditions, with no prospect of being able to return home any time soon. The international community must mount a response that addresses both their immediate and long-term needs.”

An Amnesty International delegation visiting the refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox Bazar district this week found overcrowded camps where nearly 600,000 new arrivals are squeezed into flimsy bamboo and tarpaulin tents with severely constrained access to life-saving assistance, medical facilities, safe areas for women, and schooling for the children who make up more than 61% of the refugee population.

Humanitarian agencies have identified high levels of severe acute malnutrition, particularly among children, as well as risk of diseases, such as cholera, due to poor water and sanitation conditions.

There are also clear needs for comprehensive psychosocial assistance or support programmes for a deeply traumatised population, who will need help over the short, medium and long term if their full physical, mental and emotional recovery is to be assured.

Urgent needs

The international community should address a range of urgent needs of Rohingya refugees, from transportation to camps, to medical and life-saving assistance at every stage.

Refugees interviewed by Amnesty International recalled harrowing journeys from their villages, where they came under attack, to the camps in Bangladesh. Many said they had been forced to pay extortionate sums to be transported in boats to Bangladesh. Those without money told Amnesty International that they were forced to part with jewellery and other valuable possessions to pay for the boat crossing.

“Rohingya refugees who walked for days – often barefoot, hungry and injured, depleting all reserves – are faced with extortion to make the last leg of their journey,” said Charmain Mohamed, Amnesty International’s Head of Refugee and Migrant Rights.

“When they finally reach Bangladesh, some of the refugees have been left to make a miles-long walk further still, to reach the camps. Their journeys should not be made any more difficult than they already are. They need to be supported at every stage of their search for safety.”

Helping the Rohingya going forward

Given the failure of accountability in Myanmar when it comes to human rights violations against the Rohingya, including crimes against humanity, many Rohingya refugees told Amnesty International of their fear of returning to Myanmar unless conditions allow them to do so safely and with dignity.

Beyond the immediate needs, the international community must help Bangladesh cope with the humanitarian crisis going forward. This includes calling for accountability for crimes against humanity and the dismantlement of the entrenched system of discrimination that the Rohingya have long endured in Myanmar.

Donors should think longer term when it comes to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, starting with the following steps:

  • As the first step to help refugees build resilience and independence over the medium and longer term, donors should scale-up cash assistance programming, so that refugees can be helped to access other necessities and begin reclaiming their dignity.
  • They should immediately fund education programming for refugee children, who constitute at least 61% of the recent influx.
  • Provide expert psychosocial support to heal a deeply traumatised population
  • Address severe acute malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable children
  • Ensure a comprehensive approach that includes support for host communities.
  • Include both the local and refugee communities in the design and implementation of programmes, making sure that people receive the aid most appropriate to their needs.
  • The currently overcrowded camps, sprawling across a hilly topography on a single site, needs to be replaced with adequate land and infrastructure, including proper site planning that will enhance humanitarian access and diminish the possibility for conflict and other problems.

“Donors should think longer term when it comes to Rohingya refugees. The scale of this humanitarian crisis is such that the international community is continuously failing to anticipate the response needed. The Bangladeshi authorities and humanitarian groups are in a desperate scramble to scale up their operations. They must be helped not just over the next few months, but for as long as it remains unsafe for people to return home voluntarily and with safety and dignity,” said Charmain Mohamed.

Dire humanitarian situation in Rakhine

While Monday’s pledging conference is focused on the humanitarian needs in Bangladesh, the international community must not forget the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Myanmar.

“The humanitarian community must be granted full and unimpeded access to areas of Rakhine State affected by the conflict, allowing them to assess and provide for their shelter, food, medical and protection needs,” said Charmain Mohamed.

‘Love In Taylor Square’: Solidarity event for the LGBTQI community

The marriage equality debate has been a very stressful and difficult time for many people in the LGBTQI community, and until the result is announced, there will be continued negative commentary that will affect particularly young people and families. That’s why Amnesty International Australia is hosting a special solidarity sunset event Love in Taylor Square! this evening between 6.30pm-8pm.

The MC at the even will be Prof Kerryn Phelps, with speakers Alex Greenwich (Independent Member for Sydney), Gabe Kavanagh (President & Board Director, Amnesty International Australia), Lizzi Price (LGBTQI NSW Network Convenor, Amnesty International Australia) and Matt Howard (Rainbow Families).

This event is about communicating messages of love and solidarity to show young LGBTQI people they are loved, and to show rainbow families that they belong and are valued.

“The postal survey has been a hurtful and challenging experience for many  LGBTQI Australians. ‘Love in Taylor Square’ is a chance to bring people together in a really positive way, a chance to show our support and solidarity with those impacted by this survey,” said Naomi Vaughan, Marriage Equality Campaign Coordinator at Amnesty International Australia.

“We want to make sure that all LGBTQI Australians know that they are loved, they are valued and that they have the support of so many people across Australia.”

Messages will be passed on to LGBTQI youth and community groups across the country.

What will be at the event?

  • Giant, colourful, glittered styrofoam letters LOVE (2.5metres high)

  • 2 x giant, colourful, glittered styrofoam love hearts

  • The solidarity station – where attendees write their messages of support on and decorate heart-shaped cards, to be displayed on the elevated grass area in the middle of Taylor Square in front of the giant LOVE sign

  • The ‘selfie station’ where attendees can pose in front of one of the giant hearts

  • As the sun sets, lights will shine on the display of hearts filling up Taylor Square

“There is still time to add your vote to the 11 million already collected. Amnesty International Australia holds marriage equality to be a human rights issue and we are so proud to be a part of the fight for marriage equality in Australia. We call on all Australians who believe in fairness, love, commitment and equality to say YES to marriage equality,” Naomi Vaughan said.