It's time for UN sanctions on Australia. Our government deserves nothing less
After 20 years of steadily increasing cruelty towards refugees, it’s time to admit that we’ve reached a stalemate. Enter the need for a new approach: sanctions against the Australian state
Antony Loewenstein
Monday 20 January 2014 09.54 EST
284 comments
This month, the United Nations accused Canberra of
potentially breaking international law by forcibly repelling refugee boats back to Indonesia. Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for refugees,
said that the international body was “concerned by any policy or practice that involved pushing asylum-seeker boats back at sea without a proper consideration of individual needs for protection.” He continued: “any such approach would raise significant issues and potentially place Australia in breach of its obligations under the
1951 refugee convention and other international law obligations.”
The comments were brushed aside as soon as they were uttered. Prime minister Tony Abbott’s administration insists that its policies are
legal and safe, and the vast bulk of Australians apparently back even
harsher methods against asylum seekers. It is now clear who has won this battle, and it isn’t the forces pushing for moderation.
After 20 years of steadily increasing cruelty towards refugees, it’s time to admit that we’ve reached a stalemate. Simply arguing for a more humane approach has failed. Reason, international law and common sense are no match against inflammatory media reporting, false fears about asylum seekers living in the community, and politicians proudly punishing the most vulnerable in the name of “deterrence.”
Enter the need for a new approach, one that seriously ups the ante: sanctions against the Australian state for ignoring humanitarian law. Australia deserves nothing less. A price must be paid, in a political and economic sense, for flagrantly
breaching Australian and international conventions. This could be directed at both the multinationals such as Serco and G4S, who are administering the government's policies, and the bank accounts and assets maintained by government ministers and officials.