The UN Human Rights Commission ruled today that Australia is violating the rights of asylum seekers, including refugees from Myanmar. The 18-member UN Human Rights Commission is investigating the detention of refugees, including minors, on the island of Nauru outside the country’s borders, where they are denied adequate water and healthcare.
The commission is considering two cases of 25 refugees who were wrongfully detained on Nauru. The first involves 24 unaccompanied minors from Myanmar, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Australian government said it was reviewing the commission’s findings and would respond as appropriate.
The report warns other countries that are opening processing centres for refugees outside their borders against human rights abuses, the UN Human Rights Commission said. It warns that human rights violations cannot be dismissed as irrelevant just because they are not within one’s own territory.
