Asylum Seekers Around the World – turning back the political tides
Kellie Tranter suggests WikiLeaks cables help to explain the rising global political tide against “illegal” asylum seekers.
Opinion – Page 42
Shedding Light on Closed Institutions: Why OPCAT is needed now more than ever
Rebecca Minty and Amy Rogers examine the implications of the Optional Protocal to the UN Conventional Against Torture OPCAT and call for Australia to ratify the treaty.
A call to disarm
Gun violence is seemingly far removed from Australia, but by investing in the weapons industry and indulging in recreational drugs, we fuel ongoing drug wars in Mexico. Disarm, by Pedro Reyes, creatively calls arms companies to account, writes Erin Handley.
EDITORIAL – Institutions
This month Right Now will consider the responsibility of Australian institutions to uphold and respect human rights principles.
Smoking in Prisons: Whose Rights?
Banning smoking in prison seems to make sense – prison is punishment and smoking is unhealthy. Bronwyn Naylor exposes the flaws in this approach, and potential violation of prisoners’ rights.
Women in the Institutions of the Law
How are women represented in institutions of the law? Kate Galloway finds out.
Tempering Tribalism
Ben Wadham on the need to govern military fraternity.
Anguish of the unknown – Detention as Torture
Is detention punishment? Is detention torture? Steph Murphy asks these questions and more in this article on the relationship between torture, violence, politics and detention.
Balan’s story
Tom Greenwood has directed a short film about the story of Balan, a Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker living in western Sydney.
West Papuans in the consulate
On Sunday, three West Papuans entered the Australian consulate in Bali. Dr Clinton Fernandes explains the human rights issues complicated by Australia’s relationship with Indonesia.
A Right to Violence?
Are liberty and violence morally irreconcilable? Isabella Royce asks us to ask again in this think piece on the relationship between the right to protest, violence as a political technique and violent government reactions.
Dear Australia
Are you “Australian enough?” Fed up with that question, and what it implies, Yasmin Hassen writes an open letter to Australia.