Human Rights panel

The Northern Territory intervention and asylum seekers were the main subjects discussed at the Human Rights 2011 panel at Town Hall on Monday Night.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navy Pillay, and other guest speakers criticised the government for violating human rights law with the indigenous population and asylum seekers.
Pillay said:
“I have to appeal to the Australian government to treat these people humanely, to the same standard it holds other countries to.”
“The law should apply to all without discrimination”, she added.
Catherine Branson, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission said there isn’t enough debate on the intervention and asylum seekers:
“There is pressing need for debate, there must be effective engagement with aboriginal people”, she said.
Branson then welcomed the government’s plan to hold national consultations about the recognition of indigenous Australians within the Constitution:
Aboriginal Elder, Professor Patrick Dobson praised this change:
““There has never been a discussion, never been consultation… There is no real dialogue on this issue.” He said.
Dobson said the peak of Australia’s commitment to human rights was the reconciliation bridge walk in 2000 but since then we have slipped back and the main purpose of the intervention was to gain votes.
Immigration and human rights expert, Paris Aristotle said the government seeks electoral gain rather than any long term political commitments to human rights.
Branson said the democratic nature of events like Human Rights 2011 spark change and lauded the success of the event:
“This is the first time in a while a human rights event has been held in this venue rather than on its steps or on the street.” She said.
The annual event was hosted in Town Hall to an audience of over 2000 people.
A public consultation for the recognition of Indigenous people in the constitution will be held on the 25th of May in Canberra.

By Nicholas Jordan