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Why Indonesia Should Not Resume Executions
Yesterday, following reports and rumours from two weeks ago, Indonesian police confirmed that the country is about to lift its de facto moratorium on the death penalty. This is a clear step backwards, both legally and morally. It has been a year since the “drama” (as the Indonesian Security Minister calls it) surrounding the executions…
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Deterring and denying asylum seekers in Australia
By Azadeh Dastyari Australia has long prided itself on its commitment to fairness. It is a signatory to a range of international conventions intended to protect the vulnerable and has in the past provided sanctuary for those seeking refuge, most notably in the wake of the Vietnam War. In recent years, however, successive Australian governments…
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Explainer: the legal implications of ‘tow-backs’
By Azadeh Dastyari Australia has been engaging in “tow-backs” of asylum-seeker boats. This has involved intercepting boats carrying asylum seekers at sea, before they reach Australia, and forcing them to return to Indonesia. It has also emerged that Australia entered Indonesian territorial waters during at least some of these “tow-backs”. Indonesia has responded strongly, stating…
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Abbott’s copycat tow-back plan won’t stop the boats
By Azadeh Dastyari This piece critiques the opposition’s claim that its plan to “tow back” boats to Indonsesia is similar to the United States’ tow back policy. On 18 July, our associate Maria O’Sullivan published this piece considering whether the opposition’s plan complies with Australia’s international law obligations. In recent weeks, the Opposition Leader, the shadow immigration…
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law 