Amnesty: Don’t sign a deal with country that canes people

(AFP) – Amnesty International criticised Australia’s plan to send boatpeople to Malaysia saying that Malaysia did not have a good human rights record, with caning at “epidemic” levels and refugees dying from disease.

Amnesty Australia’s Claire Mallinson said: “They (Australia) need to show leadership in the region, ensure that (as part of) any regional deal in terms of refugees the participants have signed up to the (UN) refugee convention and they treat people with dignity and respect,” she said.

“And don’t sign a deal with a country that canes people.”

“People have a legal right to seek asylum and the numbers coming into Australia are incredibly low,” she told AFP.

“In the last year the number who came by boat was about the same number that went to Italy last week.”

More than 6,500 boatpeople arrived in Australia in 2010 and 1,279 have arrived so far in 2011, according to immigration department figures.

In its  latest annual report the organisation singled out Australia’s refugee policy and the treatment of indigenous people as in need of improvement.

“It’s been a disappointing year for human rights and missed opportunities and backward steps, particularly in terms of refugee policy, indigenous policy as well as the broader human rights legislation and framework,” she said.