Monday, March 9, 2015

Tony Abbott Says Australians Are "Sick Of Being Lectured By The United Nations"

PM questions UN report accusing Australia of breaching torture convention.


Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed a report by the UN that finds Australia's treatment of asylum seekers breaches the Torture Convention.


Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed a report by the UN that finds Australia's treatment of asylum seekers breaches the Torture Convention.


The report, prepared by independent UN expert Juan Mendez, looks into the conditions on Manus Island and Australia's recent amendments to maritime law.


Eoin Blackwell / AAPIMAGE


The report says Australia's indefinite detention of asylum seekers, the harsh conditions and frequent outbreaks of violence inside the Manus Island detention centre violates its obligations under the Convention against Torture.


The report says Australia's indefinite detention of asylum seekers, the harsh conditions and frequent outbreaks of violence inside the Manus Island detention centre violates its obligations under the Convention against Torture.


Daniel Webb from the Human Rights Law Centre says “The Torture Convention prohibits subjecting people to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The report confirms that by leaving people locked up indefinitely in appalling conditions on a remote island, Australia is failing to meet this basic standard.”


Handout / Getty Images


Here's an advance copy of the report.


Here's an advance copy of the report.


UN Human Rights Council/BuzzFeed


Tony Abbott says "Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations."


Tony Abbott says "Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations."


"I really think Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations, particularly given that we have stopped the boats, and by stopping the boats, we have ended the deaths at sea," the PM said at a press conference in Perth.


Rebecca Le May / AAP




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