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Young people around Australia ask the government the question:
"how can you justify locking up children?"
Children
and young people from around Australia express their concern about
the government policy of detaining asylum seeker children.
When the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC)
announced its Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention,
the United Nations Youth Association (UNYA) sent out a request
for young people to send their opinions on this issue to UNYA.
Amnesty International Queensland Schools network also invited
children from 140 Queensland schools to write their own submissions
to HREOC on this issue. These opinions have since been compiled
into a submission of "youth voices".
The
young people who wrote to UNYA and Amnesty International were
unanimous in their belief that children who have committed no
crime should not be detained.
A
girl from St Michael's College in Brisbane wrote As young people
we feel accountable and guilty for the young people so similar
to ourselves. Why should we be the lucky ones born outside the
fence?
According
to UNYA Human Rights spokesperson May Miller-Dawkins, not only
are the current Australian Government policies lacking in compassion,
but they breach fundamental human rights obligations Australia
owes these children under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the Refugee Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. According to Ms Miller Dawkins: Children detained have
inadequate schooling, inadequate health care and there are credible
reports of children being hit with batons. Not only does this
breach their human rights and Australia's international law obligations
but detention of children is itself is a form of torture.
UNYA
urges the Australian Government to be active in ensuring that
all children in Australia have their human rights guaranteed.
At the moment these rights are not guaranteed for child asylum
seekers. Young people around Australia ask the government the
question: "how can you justify locking up children?"
For
more information contact May Miller-Dawkins on 0414 820 662
From
The United Nations Youth Association of Australia http://www.unya.asn.au/ |