>From Heinz...
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ, United
Kingdom
News Service: 054 /99
AI Index: ASA 12/03/99
19 March 1999
Australia: government's dismissal of UN criticism
undermines hard-earned credibility in human rights
diplomacy
The Australian government's inappropriate attitude to United Nations
criticism
on its "racially discriminatory" practices puts at stake the credibility
of
Australia's human rights diplomacy, Amnesty International said today.
"How can Australia play a credible role in responding to UN efforts
on
human rights protection in Indonesia, East Timor or elsewhere, if it
fails to
consider seriously the findings of the UN's oldest and most experienced
specialist committee on human rights?"
The Australian government has refused to take any action in
response to
yesterday's decision by the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms
of
Racial Discrimination to keep Australia on its urgent action agenda. The
committee recommended a review of Australian laws on Aboriginal land
rights and
moves to abolish all specialist Australian Human Rights Commissioners.
While Amnesty International takes no position on the UN committee's
findings on "Australia's racially discriminatory land [rights]
practices", the
organization is concerned about the government's reported claim that the
findings ?discredit' the UN human rights committee system.
"Like any other government, Prime Minister John Howard's
administration
must accept the scrutiny of its human rights record by UN mechanisms
which were
established and promoted through decades of commendable Australian
diplomacy."
"The sweeping dismissal of the committee's findings is regrettably
in line
with the government's previous negative responses to UN recommendations
on
Australia's human rights practices. This dangerous trend risks
undermining
international efforts to allow specialist UN human rights scrutiny in
Australia's Asian neighbourhood."
The government reaction to the Geneva findings -- describing them
as ?an
insult to Australia' -- could damage Australia's hard-earned reputation
on the
international human rights stage.
"Yesterday's findings should lead to a careful examination of all
the
committee's past and present comments on race discrimination in
Australia, and
on the national Human Rights Commission," Amnesty International said.
"Legislation currently before parliament to restructure Australia's
national Human Rights Commission and abolish specialist commissioners
should be
urgently reconsidered -- as recommended by the UN committee."
Background
The committee's decision of 18 March 1999 -- made under its early
warning
procedures -- calls on the Australian government "to address as a matter
of
utmost urgency" the committee's concerns about "proposed changes to the
overall
structure" of Australia's Human Rights Commission, and about specific
provisions
under the newly-amended Native Title Act 1993 "that discriminate against
indigenous title-holders".
ENDS.../
For more information, to arrange an interview, please call:
Amnesty International - International Secretariat Press Office: (+44)
171 413
5729 / 5566
Amnesty International Australia Press Office (+61) (2) 9217-7640 or 0411
140
077.
_________________________________________________________________________________
International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ, United
Kingdom
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