Aboriginal treatment comes under UN spotlight By news.com.au and AAP 11jul00 9.45am (AEST) MANDATORY sentencing, native title, Aboriginal deaths in custody and the Stolen Generation of indigenous Australians were among issues listed for discussion by the United Nation's Human Rights Committee as its 69th session, which opened today. The 18 independent experts who make up the committee will consider Australia's 500-page report covering the past 10 years and both Liberal and Labor administrations on July 20 in Geneva. Eminent Australian jurist Elizabeth Evatt will not play any active role in considering Australia's latest report or the more than a dozen submissions from non-government groups. But committee members including former British judge Lord Colville and United States human rights lawyer Louis Henkin want answers on 21 key points from the Australian delegation. Questions include the removal of indigenous children from their families under past governments, what has been done to remedy the situation and whether victims of the policy have received compensation. The committee, which meets next week as Australia's treatment of Aborigines and asylum-seekers faces for the second time this year, also wants information on mandatory sentencing, in particular whether the policy has "an inordinate effect on Aboriginals" and whether it is compatible with Australia's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In the light of Australia's high rate of Aboriginal deaths in custody, the committee wants to know what has been done to protect the right to life of detainees and prisoners. Australia will also be asked to explain whether Native Title amendments on behalf of farmers and miners limit future indigenous claims. On asylum-seekers, the committee will question Australia on arbitrary detention and ask how the law protects people from being deported to a country where they could face execution or torture. Australia's last grilling resulted in a damning report by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and prompted the Federal Government to announce a review of its participation in the committee system. Amnesty International Asia-Pacific researcher Dr Heinz Schurmann-Zeggel said he expected a session of "pretty uncomfortable questioning for Australia". "What is a risk for Australia is that (its appearance comes) at a time when international press attention is gearing up at maximum speed for the Olympics. "Australia has already faced some embarrassment overseas by saying that it wanted to review its cooperation with the UN over one single committee's observations." Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Dr Bill Jonas is expected to attend the meeting but membership of the Federal Government's delegation is unconfirmed. Aboriginal groups attending the UN's Working Group on indigenous people are expected to make their presence felt. Australia came under fire earlier this year when CERD's report singled out mandatory sentencing as a policy which particularly discriminated against indigenous people. Prime Minister John Howard labelled the report flawed and ill-informed and set up a review of the government's participation in the UN committee system - a move condemned by the Labor Party, the Greens, the Democrats and Amnesty International. -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ 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/
