(Note the letter from John Bond)
The Sydney Morning Herald
Letters: Restricting the right to have a child Why it's safer in
the shadow of UN protection
Date: 03/08/2000
It is nothing short of amazing that the Prime Minister, who cannot bring
himself to terms with the "lost generation" among the
Aborigines, lost no time in assuring us that every (white?) child needs
two parents.
V. Savra, Sydney
John Howard directly intervened with States' rights to stop euthanasia
legislation in the Northern Territory, because it upset his
ethics. He is now changing (watering down) one of the most solid and
important pieces of legislation at Federal level to stop
IVF for single women because it upsets his ethics.
Yet he defies international condemnation and refuses to intervene to
amend mandatory sentencing laws in WA and NT because
he supports this unfair and discriminating law.
John Howard, if he is remembered at all in history, will be remembered
as the most sexist, racist and uncaring prime minister
this country has had the misfortune to suffer. His arrogance knows no
bounds.
Palmira Arias Simson, Sutherland
I was appalled by the opinions expressed by some of your readers in
relation to the role of the UN and the international regime
for the protection of human rights (Letters, August 1).
This regime exists for a reason - to protect the rights of citizens,
often against the undemocratic and sometimes violent policies
of their governments. I, for one, feel safer because of its existence.
True, Australia is by no means a significant offender in this area, but
this should not make us immune from criticism. Even
more importantly, it does not give us the right to condemn the UN and
the role of international law in regulating international
affairs.
It is precisely because of attitudes like that expressed by John Kennard
that the UN found itself impotent to stop the human
rights atrocities in such places as Rwanda and Bosnia. The UN can only
do what its member countries authorise, and the will of
states to act to protect human rights requires a mandate from the
people.
I am embarrassed by the childish "I don't like the rules any more, so
I'm going to pack up my toys and go home" attitude of
some Australian politicians in relation to the mandatory sentencing
issue.
What has happened to the tremendous moral leadership and courage shown
by Australians through our successful, if somewhat
belated, intervention to help the East Timorese whose human rights had
been trampled for far too long?
Wendy Reid,
Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies,
University of Sydney,
Sydney, August 1.
John Kennard says that the United Nations should concern itself with
Rwanda, not with Australia (Letters, August 1).
Does he realise that Aboriginal Australians are dying 20 years younger
than non-Aborigines? If we took machetes and killed
Aborigines when they reached the age of 54, no doubt Mr Kennard would
agree to UN intervention.
But we achieve the same result by neglecting Aboriginal needs in a way
we would not tolerate were the victims non-Aboriginal.
That is why we need the UN to point this out.
John Bond, National Sorry Day Committee, Hughes (ACT)
If the Human Rights Documents have no bearing in Australia, then why do
we enforce the GATT treaties and Convention on
Drug Controls? These are made LAW by the same processes that the
Covenant of Civil and Political rights was made LAW -
an act of Parliament (HREOC 1976).
An act of Parliament gave the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Mr
Denis Burke, the authority to govern the Territory - I do
not see him questioning the Parliament's authority to pass legislation
on that issue.
The Prime Minister is all too keen to implement zero tariffs and hound
drug users but when it comes to defending the law on
human rights where is he?
How can we expect people to respect the law when our "leaders" treat the
law with contempt?
Patrick Ryan, Redfern
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