Human Rights in China: One Year On - Remembering the Nangpa la Shooting

Sunday 30th September, 12.30pm (EST) marks one year since Chinese border patrols opened fire on Tibetan refugees fleeing for Nepal via the Nangpa la pass, killing 17 year old Kelsang Namtso and capturing and detaining around 30 from the group including many children.

The anniversary of this tragic incident provides a poignant occasion for us to reflect on the daily struggle for basic human rights and freedoms in Tibet. Further, with the eyes of the world on China as it gears up to host the Olympics in Beijing next August, the coming year will be crucial for the Tibetan struggle. ATC is joining Tibet support groups around the world in an ambitious programme of initiatives to intensify pressure for genuine improvements in Tibet.

Keep an eye on the ATC website to find out how you can help make the coming year a turning point for the Tibetan people.

2008 - It's time for Tibet.

To blog or not to blog...and is that the question?

As I peruse my almost daily 'jousting with windmills' blog posts I wonder whether there is a method to my madness.

As human rights violations stack up and government hubris appears to know no bounds, I catch myself repeating the same phrases and sentiments. There is a limit to the lexicon one can tap to give vent to a growing disquiet at the casual indifference of so many toward the Howard Government's systematic use of fear mongering and populist xenophobia.

As I trawl through the blog-o-sphere I am amazed at how little overall attention is paid to the devaluation of civil and human rights and the ongoing flagrant violations against refugees and weaker sections of our society. The recent vote by Australia against the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) is a case in point.

I set out to raise awareness of human rights violations on Howard's watch, and to provide readers with a virtual archive of ready links to primary sources to enable research and to document this sad chapter.

My blog has been listed on an international human rights blogroll, which illumines international approaches to human rights and provides online resources for human rights advocates and activists.

By any measure, however, I'm doubtful I've met my mission statement, although time might happily prove me wrong.

There are a few blogs focussed exclusively on human rights. Most of the key rights based NGOs have websites that track human rights issues and developments, but few are updated regularly. Other blogs focus primarily on political, cultural, environment and economic themes.

The discursive political blogs are favoured by virtual trawlers, with others developing a core following of repeat readers. There are also bloggers that blog about blogging, which is a little like politicians taking 'bus man holidays' online.

Self-promotion through the blog-o-sphere comes in many guises, and some of it can have genuine motivation and an upside.

The trick with blogs is knowing when the message is more than the medium...

Indigenous rights need to be included in Victorian charter

An article in The Age opines "AUSTRALIA'S reluctance to sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People makes a mockery of our supposed renewed commitment to addressing the welfare of indigenous Australians. This month the UN General Assembly adopted the declaration, which reaffirms that indigenous people are entitled to all human rights recognised in international law without discrimination.

Australia opposed the declaration. How could this be so at a time when we have become so acutely aware of the health, welfare and social issues that plague our indigenous communities?

In Australia, indigenous children are more likely to be taken into state care than other children. They are more likely to become homeless and more likely to end up in jail.

Yet our Government has refused to sign a declaration that explicitly provides for the protection of indigenous women and children against violence..."

We have been poorly served by a over a decade of toadying up to the US administration in ignoring human rights considerations in responding to international developments in key welfare reform. Indigenous affairs is probably the most egregious area of neglect, undermining reconciliation progress.

Spot the morphing squid ...!

Howard's Australia, where its ok for distinguished defence officers to be likened to Nazi concentration camp guards, if they become an ALP candidate!

Crikey, we have struck a new low today, just when you thought it was'nt possible. The Chief of Staff of the Special Minister of State, Gary Nairn, thinks its ok to blacken the reputation of Gazza's political opponent in Eden Monaro,Colonel Mike Kelly, by likening his war service in Iraq to guarding a concentration camp in Nazi Germany.

So, now ALP candidates are a new category seeking asylum from the Howard Government. If this kind of bottom feeding is going to characterize the campaign we are going to need anti-nausea medication.

Does anyone else get the message that this nasty lot need to be consigned to political history, which, by the way, is not going to be kind to them?

UN declaration on the rights of indigenous people

After twenty years of work, the declaration passed by a vote of 143 to 4 against. The four who were against were Canada, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.

FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE STATEMENT OF VICTORIA TAULI-CORPUZ , CHAIR OF THE UN PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES ON THE OCCASION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES:

"It is a great honor and privilege to address you all in this historic day. Through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations marks a historical milestone in its long history of developing and establishing international human rights standards.

It marks a major victory for Indigenous Peoples who actively took part in crafting this Declaration. This day will forever be etched in our history and memories as a significant gain in our long struggle for our rights as distinct peoples and cultures.*

The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as a day when the United Nations and its Member States, together with Indigenous Peoples, reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the future on the path of human rights. I thank very warmly all the States who voted for the adoption of the Declaration today. All of you will be remembered by us."

Australia's opposition to what is essentially an aspirational declaration to recognize the primacy of human rights in managing reconciliation processes will be another scar in the consciousness of fair-minded Australians. Howard has cooked up a toxic stew of punitive paternalism that sets reconciliation back decades.

Who is seeking asylum from the Howard Government?

The title of this blog suggests an emphasis on the ill treatment of refugees. While that is an open sore in our body politic, it is clear that growing numbers of groups in Australia need asylum from the Howard Government.

Following is a list of internal asylum seekers in urgent need of sanctuary:

1. Aboriginal communities in remote areas of the Northern Territory
2. Immigrants running the gauntlet of the new 'citizenship test'
3. Young people battling to get a tertiary education
4. Muslim groups grappling with mandatory acculturation
5. Drug users and their families faced with proposed bastardization strategies
6. Old people in need of quality aged care
7. Union members resisting an assault on the right to bargain collectively
8. Young people discriminated against under the AWA regime
9. Regional Australians sold a lemon over & over again by right wing ideologues
10. Anyone who has'nt signed up to Howard's new political correctness

If we had a dream, it got trashed by a decade of brutish social Darwinism that saw human rights considerations traduced and trivialized. It will take concerted political and community action to restore the balance. G'day & good luck!

Sri Lankans on Nauru win asylum case - but don't have a home

Despite the worst efforts of certain of the right-wing commentariat (Andrew Bolt and Kerry Chikarovski come to mind) 72 of the 83 Tamils, who were intercepted in international waters in February, have been assessed as being refugees.

Ill-informed comments along the lines of supporting Government action for "doing the right thing because they had come here illegally", and "not giving people priority over people in refugee camps overseas" flowed from denizens of Howard's zone of political correctness.

I find it hard to believe that I live in a country that spawned this specious brew of fear, intolerance and spin-doctoring, let alone see it become a mainstream political device of the incumbent to wedge political adversaries and divide a credulous electorate.

'Fear and gain', 'fear and gain', comes the mantra, and, in pursuit of power we have been sold down the river by ruthless politicians. Our standing in international fora on human rights issues has plummeted.

Although these people are genuine refugees Australia has dumped them on Nauru and refused them sanctuary. To their enduring shame, the media (with some notable exceptions such as the Fairfax Press) has been largely compliant with this low-rent populism.