Australia Defends Decision to Oppose U.N. Anti-Torture Convention
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Downer
dismissed the criticism, saying Australia obviously does not
engage in torture, which is illegal, but does not accept
inspectors arriving without notice at jails in the country
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SYDNEY,
July 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Australian government
defended Friday, July 26, its decision to vote against a U.N. protocol
on torture, saying it does not want inspectors arriving unannounced in
local jails.
Australia
was among eight countries including Japan, China, Cuba, Libya and
Sudan which voted against the draft protocol to the U.N. Convention
Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.
The
United States, criticized by civil liberties groups for its treatment
of hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda detainees at its Marine base in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had also strongly opposed the protocol, but was
among 10 abstentions.
But
the protocol was eventually accepted by a large majority of countries,
including the European nations, in the U.N.'s economic and social
committee meeting on Wednesday, July 24.
Canberra's
decision to oppose it drew immediate strong condemnation by the Labor
opposition which said it effectively supported authoritarian regimes
around the world that applied torture.
However,
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer dismissed the criticism, saying
Australia obviously does not engage in torture, which is illegal, but
does not accept inspectors arriving without notice at jails in the
country.
He
said Australia's concerns should be discussed and negotiated more
fully, and the government was disappointed those procedures had been
circumvented.
"We
think UN officials should seek the agreement of the federal, as well
as in this case the state governments, to have access to our
prisons," he told ABC radio.
Asked
if it was concerned about UN inspectors visiting the detention centers
where it locks up illegal immigrants, Downer said UN inspectors had
visited the centers, but had given advance notice, which would not be
the case under the UN protocol on torture.
"We
probably wouldn't have any objection to somebody coming and having a
look, but we would want them to seek our agreement to do so," he
said.
Nor
was Australia concerned about being linked with countries notorious
for their human rights record, he said.
Japan
had also opposed and voted against the protocol. "It's a very
important country in our own region," he said. "I am not
concerned that we should end up voting with a country like
Japan."
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