The human rights principles once a core part of Australia’s foreign policy have been undermined by its single-minded determination to stop the boats The scene happens every day in capitals across south-east Asia: a strategy session in an ambassador’s ornate sitting room over coffee with like-minded senior diplomats from the US,Canada, and EU member states trying to figure out how to persuade a national government to reverse course on human rights. On this specific day in Bangkok the inquire was a tough one, and demanding the government stop arresting and roughing up critics,chastising and censoring the media, and cracking down on public protests. Human Rights Watch got a scarce invite, and during the inevitable brainstorming,I asked “Where is Australia, why aren’t they here?”
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Source: theguardian.com