Here are some of the top human rights new stories from the past week -
- Victoria Police has confirmed the Ethical Standards Department is investigating two deaths in custody, following the death of a 55 year old man on 12 May and a 23 year old man on 24 May: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/24/2907610.htm
- A Chinese man who was seen bleeding from his mouth and crawling from his police cell “like a dog” begged officers for help hours before he died in hospital, his interpreter claims: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/jailed-man-yelled-in-pain-before-death-interpreter-claims-20100524-w5he.html
- The Chinese man who died after crawling in agony out of his police cell was the second prisoner to die after being arrested by Dandenong police in the past six months: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/second-death-in-six-months-after-arrests-20100525-wb19.html
- The Federal Government has been accused of making the plight of refugees worse by ignoring its international legal responsibilities. A report by Amnesty International on the state of human rights around the world criticises Australia and other countries in the Asia Pacific for failing to establish a clear regional response to people fleeing from war zones such as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/27/2910784.htm
- The Federal Government has acknowledged its decision to suspend the processing of some asylum claims is putting pressure on its policy on detention times: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/26/2910309.htm
- Australian opposition gets tough on refugees – The opposition coalition on Thursday promised to pay other countries to take asylum seekers off Australia’s hands if it wins elections this year: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/05/27/australian-opposition-gets-tough-refugees.html
- A social justice advocacy group says it is concerned that both sides of politics are attacking asylum seekers in the lead-up to the federal election: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/28/2911605.htm
- “Aboriginal Women Need to Lead from the Front”: an interview with Megan David, the first Aboriginal Australian woman to be elected to a United Nations body: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51604
- Intravenous drug users in Aboriginal communities will be one of the major targets of a new national HIV strategy launched in Sydney: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/27/2910522.htm
