India

UN raises serious human rights concerns over Australia’s India travel ban

Daniel Hurst

‘Nobody’s going to be jailed … at this time,’ deputy PM Michael McCormack says

The UN has questioned whether Australia’s India travel ban is consistent with the country’s human rights obligations. Photograph: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

The UN has questioned whether Australia’s India travel ban is consistent with the country’s human rights obligations. Photograph: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

UN human rights officials have raised “serious concerns” about the Morrison government’s ban on Australians returning from India, and the severe penalties attached to breaches.

The office of the UN high commissioner for human rights has questioned whether the controversial temporary measure – which can attract maximum penalties of five years’ imprisonment or $66,600 – is consistent with Australia’s human rights obligations.

“We have serious concerns about whether the Biosecurity Determination – and the severe penalties which can be imposed for its breach – meets Australia’s human rights obligations,” a spokesperson for the office, Rupert Colville, said early on Wednesday.

“In particular, article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which is binding on Australia, provides that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.”

In response to a request for comment from Guardian Australia, Colville said the UN human rights committee “has emphasised the narrow authority to refuse nationals’ return, and considers that there are few, if any, circumstances in which deprivation of the right to enter one’s own country could be reasonable.

“In assessing the issue of arbitrary deprivation, key factors to be taken into account are its necessity to achieve a legitimate end and its proportionality, including whether it is the least intrusive approach to accomplish its public health objectives.

“We note that the measure is scheduled to be reconsidered on 15 May.”

The determination – criminalising the return to Australia of anyone who has been in India in the past 14 days – was put in place by the health minister, Greg Hunt, late last Friday night, using existing biosecurity laws, but has triggered a backlash.

Amid mounting pressure over its hardline approach, including from within Coalition ranks, the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, is scheduled to meet community leaders on Wednesday to discuss the ban that is blocking 9,000 people, including 650 who are considered vulnerable, from returning to Australia.

Scott Morrison and senior ministers have said they are acting in the interests of keeping Australians safe and have played down the prospect that the harsh penalties would actually be imposed.

The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, said the prime minister had “made it quite clear yesterday that nobody’s going to be jailed”.

“Obviously, there needs to be a hardline taken as far as the overall act being in place, but nobody’s going to be jailed ... at this time,” McCormack told ABC News Breakfast on Wednesday. “The prime minister made it clear.

“We have taken this pause. We have made it in the national interests. We have done it, based on the best possible medical advice. It’s until May 15. We review it constantly, as you’d expect us to do.”

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, described the government’s handling of the issue as “a shambles”, asking: “Why do you make an announcement in the middle of the night about threats of five years’ jail and considerable fines and then days later say that we won’t implement the law?”

In April the UN human rights committee requested that Australia promptly allow the return of two vaccinated citizens from the US, as the body prepared to consider their complaints about the impact of Australia’s strict caps on international arrivals.

Assisted by the leading human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, the citizens argue that the implementation of those caps clashes with the ICCPR.

Campaigners have previously described the situation as “dire” for a lot of Australians who were unable to return home, and say there is a sense of “losing hope”.

VANDANA SHIVA: Green Personality of June 2018

Vandana Shiva_Green

Full names: Vandana Shiva

Date of Birth: 5th November 1952

Place of Birth: Dehradun, India

Nationality: Indian

Nature shrinks as capital grows. The growth of the market cannot solve the very crisis it creates.
— Vandana Shiva, Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis

Education

She was educated at St. Mary’s School in Nainital, and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Dehradun.

Also, Shiva read Physics for both bachelor and Masters Degrees at Panjab University in Chandigarh, graduating in 1972 and 1974 respectively. Moreover, she studied for and got an MA in Philosophy of Science at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in 1977.

Furthermore, Shiva studied for and bagged a PhD in Philosophy of Physics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1978.

Finally, she later proceeded for interdisciplinary research in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy at the India Institute of Science and the India Institute of Management, both in Bangalore, India. Thus, Vandana Shiva is a complete and prolific technocrat and a celebrated environmentalist.

Career

Though Vandana Shiva is a well-trained and Certificated Pure Scientist, she makes a living as an author of various innovative books on green education and as a conference speaker.

Residence

Vandana Shiva lives in India.

Advocacy

Vandana Shiva is a prolific advocate of women rights and sustainable living. She is also an ever-ready and indefatigable activist of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.

Thus, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) in 1982, which later led to the forming of what is known as “Navdanya” in 1991.

Navdanya means ‘Nine seeds’ or ‘New Gift’, which is a means of educating farmers of the immense advantages in the practice of having various and individualized crops rather than receiving offers from mono-culture food producers. The initiative brought about the establishment of over 40 seed banks across India for diversified agriculture. Shiva also set up ‘Bija Vidyapeeth’ which is an international College for sustainable living, in Doon Valley, in 2004. He first book entitled ‘Staying Alive’ was published in 1988 and it helped redefine perceptions of Third World Women. Also, Shiva has written copious reports for FAO and the UN on mainly women rights issues and sustainable agriculture and even manufacturing. Besides, she has worked for the Promotion of biodiversity in agriculture to increase productivity, nutrition and farmer’s incomes. It is for this work that Time magazine recognized her as an ‘Environmental Hero in 2003. In an interview with David Borsamian, Shiva argues that the Seed-Chemical Package promoted by Green revolution agriculture had depleted soil, destroyed living ecosystems, and negatively impacted people’s health. In her work, she cites data allegedly demonstrating that today there are over 1400 pesticides that may enter the food system across the world because only 1% of pesticides sprayed act on the target pest. Vandana Shiva, alongside her sister, Dr Mira Shiva, argues that the health costs of increasing pesticide and fertilizer use range from cancer to kidney failure to heart disease. Also, on what she calls ‘biopiracy’, Shiva has fought against and won attempted patents of several indigenous plants in India, such as basmati by the US Department of Agriculture and the Corporation WR Grace. Moreover, her activitism included the struggles against the promotion of the Sale and consumption of ‘Golden rice’ (a breed of rice that has been genetically engineered to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A) in India by GMO corporation of India, around 2013. However, there have been several and severe criticisms of Vandana Shiva’s views and methods by some reputed solid analysists notably investigative Journalist Michael Specter of the New Yorker in an article on 25 August, 2014 entitled ‘Seeds of Doubt’ and journalist Kerth Kloor in an article published in ‘Discover’ on 23 October, 2014 entitled ‘The Rich allure of a Peasant Champion. Notwithstanding, all the criticisms have not reduced the personality and achievements of Vandana Shiva as a first-rate, world-class environmentalist.

Vandana Shiva and Adenike Akinsemolu, the founder of the Green Institute

Vandana Shiva and Adenike Akinsemolu, the founder of the Green Institute

Achievements of Sustainable Development and Environmentalism

The setting up and continuing operation of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) in 1982, the initiative, promotion and benefit of ‘Navdanya’ in India since 1991; the winning of a 10-year legal battle against biopiracy the US Department of Agriculture and other organizations in 2005; the recognition by Time magazine as an ‘Environmental Hero’ in 2003; the establishment and continuing operation of an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley, (i.e. Bija Vidya peeth) in 2004; etc

_The problem is we don't know what the climate is doing. We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books – mine included – because it looked clear-cut, but it hasn't happened._.png

PUBLICATIONS

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://vandanashiva.com/