Tim, I could be wrong, but my understanding of the UN
conventions on human rights to which Australia is a signatory is
that individuals can use them to appeal to the relevant UN
committee if they believe that the Australian government has not
fulfilled its obligations under the convention. So if Australia is a
signatory to the "torture convention", and decides to start speeding
up refugee claims by not investigating assertions of torture, then
the claimant can go to the UN. If Australia isn't part of the "torture
convention", then Australia's decision to send the guy back can't
be appealed anywhere. Is that it?
The other reason "it's terrible" what the Australian government is
doing in relation to these UN conventions and committees is this:
One of the main points of the UN Convention on Human Rights is
that no country should roll back rights already acknowledged. And
that's what Australia is doing, in effect, by disavowing conventions
it has already signed on to. At least that's how I understand it.
Sandy
>
> Hi Laurie - yeah, it is beyond obvious that it is, if, as you say, the
> claim is true. My question is really to do with how the torture
> convention fits into this. Don't our immigration procedures allow
> investigation of such claims? I'm happy that a mechanism to
> investigate torture claims should exist - and yeah, so what if some
> abuse them; you're analogy works fine for me. But I guess my question
> is: is this what is happening, people are claiming to be torture
> victims and they're being sent back without investigation? And where
> does the UN convention fit in? I'm pretty clear on the broad
> principles, but completely ignorant of the technical detail.
>
> Thanks
>
> Tim
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