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Tag Archives: Malaysia

Refugee policy is a human rights issue, not a law and order one

July 6, 2009 – 10:33 am

The irrational obsession with pulling out all stops to prevent asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia is placing our country at risk of being party to human rights abuses on refugees much worse than those of the Howard era.
This week , the federal government is taking the unusual step of having the Prime Minister [...]

By Andrew Bartlett | Posted in human rights, international issues, refugees | Also tagged , , | Comments (4)

Why don't all asylum seekers just stay in Malaysia?

April 24, 2009 – 9:16 pm

It is often asserted that the refugees arriving in boats to Australia could safely stay in countries such as Malaysia that they pass through on the way.  Before giving credence to such an idea, it is worth examining some of the evidence.
The Chapter on Malaysia from the most recent World Report of Human Rights Watch states:
As [...]

By Andrew Bartlett | Posted in human rights, international issues, refugees | Also tagged , , , | Comments (6)

Why it matters how Australia treats asylum seekers

January 28, 2009 – 1:33 am

Many people continue to assert that asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat should be rejected because they (allegedly) pass through other countries where they are supposedly safe.  See some of the public comments made in response to this recent piece on the ABC website by Rachel Ball from the Human Rights Law Resource Centre [...]

By Andrew Bartlett | Posted in human rights, international issues, refugees | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)