Amnesty warns Australia over human rights approach ABC Radio AM - Friday, March31, 20008:04 PETER CAVE: Well, in London Amnesty International has warned what it calls an over-reaction by Canberra could severely embarrass Australia. Over the next 12 months four specialist United Nations human rights committees will be examining Australia's performance or lack of it. At the same time - as Matt Peacock reports - Australian trade with Europe may be suffering because of Mr Howard's refusal to accept human rights provisions in a treaty with the EU. MATT PEACOCK: Amnesty International's Heinz Sherman Zegal [sic] finds it truly bizarre that Australia of all countries should start to walk away from the UN committees. After all, he says, up until very recently Australia had been a model UN citizen whose diplomatic efforts have played a large part in enhancing the roles of the treaty committees. HEINZ SHERMAN SIEGLE [sic]: I think it's an embarrassing over-reaction that will only make Australia look silly. It hurts Australia's reputation and influence in the international refugee world and it looks a little bit like a tennis player refusing to play by the rules because it doesn't like the decision by a referee. It's 55 years of hard work by Australian human rights diplomats in the international forum building up the very treaty system which is now becoming under attack by Australia. It is Australia who is electing who sits on committees. Like anybody else, it's Australia who has given these committees clout. And now when the committees sometimes use this clout, Australia says 'no we won't have that'. MATT PEACOCK: 'And', says Mr Sherman [sic], 'the irony is that this year of all years Australia is under intense scrutiny by UN human rights committees'. HEINZ SHERMAN SIEGLE [sic]: It happens that there are four United Nations treaty committees on human rights - specialist human rights committees looking at Australia within 12 months. This is an accident of history, and it happens to be in Olympic year, so it's a big embarrassment for Australia. MATT PEACOCK: And the embarrassment will be greater no doubt if the government refuses to cooperate with the committee examining, for example, our compliance with the covenant on civil and political rights or the committee against torture. HEINZ SHERMAN SIEGLE [sic]: I can only hope that the next opportunity by a United Nations committee to look at Australia's record will be grabbed by the government to try and polish its performance. It has been abysmally failing last year and this year before the race discrimination committee in delivering a professional performance there, you know. You cannot go in there and not play by the rules. You cannot ignore the way these committees operate or the convention where they come from. You've got to speak their language in order to have a dialogue. PETER CAVE: Amnesty's Heinz Sherman Siegle [sic]. © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation -- _________________________________ Truth is a pathless land. --- Krishnamurti ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
