Fed: Labor condemns government response to UN

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2000
Fed: Labor condemns government response to UN

CANBERRA, Aug 29 AAP - The federal opposition today condemned the government decision
to wind back its support for United Nations treaty committee system.

The government has announced it will no longer support UN committee visits to Australia
and accused the UN committees of losing their focus after reports critical of the treatment
of Aborigines and the detention of asylum seekers.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said the government move was deplorable.

"We deplore it. We think it is an astonishingly poor show by the government and to
be deplored by all thinking Australians," Mr Brereton told reporters.

"We've said from the start that this review process was a classic dummy-spitting exercise
by the government."

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said it was deeply disturbed by the government's
decision.

"This is an irresponsible overreaction to recent poor report cards," Amnesty's Australian
director Kate Gilmore said in a statement.

"It has clearly signalled its willingness to dismiss the rights of the vulnerable -
including indigenous Australians, women and refugees - as secondary to the needs of the
state."

AAP jg/mfh/hu

KEYWORD: UN AUST BRERETON

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