The Hindu : Australia asked to end detention of refugees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2002

International

International

Australia asked to end detention of refugees

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE MARCH. 12. Amnesty International has called on the Australian Government to end its policy of mandatory detention for asylum-seekers. The Amnesty Secretary-General, Irene Khan, said in Melbourne that Australia's policy was wrong and should stop.

``Australia has been very active and vocal in supporting the refugee cause around the world....Australia has been vocal in promoting human rights institutions....and there for we expect Australia to practice what it preaches,'' Ms. Khan was quoted as saying.

The Amnesty functionary said that detention centres, where asylum-seekers were held, should come under the same scrutiny as prisons.

``It would be an improvement if the Government's decisions to detain were reviewed — at the moment the Government is judge and jury,'' she said.

Referring to a recent injury suffered by an inmate at the Woomera detention centre after he threw himself at razor wire on Friday night, Ms. Khan said: "It just shows the situation is going from bad to worse and something has to be done before more people take this kind of desperate action.''

She used strong words for the Australian Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, who has led the propaganda charge against defenceless refugee-seekers. The Minister's Amnesty membership was at odds with the Government's mandatory detention policy, Ms. Khan said.

``I think he should be asking himself whether it is right to punish people who have already faced oppression in their own country....all they're seeking is safety for very good refugee reasons....reasons which the Australian Government recognises because most of these people are recognised as refugees,'' she said.

The Immigration Minister, however, said that 1,700 people were being held across Australia — of which 700 had no claims and were to be deported and another 700 had had their claims rejected.

This just left about 300 people, who were still to be given security clearance.

Speaking at the National Press Club earlier in the week, Ms. Khan said that in a world reeling from the effects of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the need to uphold human rights and humanitarian principles had never been greater.

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