Why does China’s treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang get more attention in Australia than Canberra’s detention of asylum seekers?

Name: US declares China has committed genocide in its treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang
Uploaded: 2021-03-31T21:00:15.000Z
Duration: 2 min 27 s
Description: US declares China has committed genocide in its treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang

Australia has long been reticent to address its ‘offshore processing’ policies, even as its officials weigh in on Xinjiang

Experts and rights groups say xenophobia in Australia has been exploited for political gain, while Canberra may also be looking to avoid more confrontation with Beijing

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Refugee advocates in Sydney protest against the treatment of asylum seekers at offshore detention centres run by Canberra. Photo: Reuters

Su-Lin Tan

Published: 5:00am, 1 Apr 2021Updated: 11:14am, 1 Apr 2021

At a United Nations Human Rights Council review in January, close to 50 countries – including Germany, Norway and Finland – questioned Canberra’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, with the biggest discussion generated by its “offshore processing” in Papua New Guinea or Nauru of people intercepted at sea en route to Australia.

That so many member states were vocal on this issue fired up human rights groups such as the Refugee Council of Australia. “These member states all had about 55 seconds to present their cases, and they chose to speak about Australia’s detention centres,” said its chief executive Paul Power, who added that this showed how the country – which prides itself as a liberal democracy – was viewed by others.

But few mainstream media outlets covered the comments at the UN, including in countries seen as diligent on human rights issues – though in Australia there was mocking coverage pointing out North Korea’s “totalitarian dictatorship” after its state media called for Australia to end racism, xenophobia and cruel or inhumane treatment in detention centres.

Australia also offered a muted response when China – facing economic sanctions from the United States and other countries over suspected human rights abuses at detention centres in Xinjiang – early last month issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council asking for the immediate closure of Australia’s detention centres and for Canberra to investigate war crimes committed by its soldiers overseas.

This Week in Asia understands that that Canberra will not formally respond to China’s comments. “Australia is a proud liberal democracy and one of the world’s most successful multicultural societies, with a steadfast commitment to protecting and promoting human rights,” a government spokesperson said.

Nor were there strong reactions from local politicians when Australia’s Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions last month charged the Department of Home Affairs and its health care provider – which oversees the detention centres – for breaching work health and safety laws in relation to the 2019 suicide of an Iraqi national detained in Sydney.

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US declares China has committed genocide in its treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang

MORAL HIGH GROUND AND GEOPOLITICS

Why does China’s treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang get more attention in Australia than Canberra’s detention of asylum seekers?

Australia has long been reticent to address its ‘offshore processing’ policies, even as its officials weigh in on Xinjiang Experts and rights groups say xenophobia in Australia has been exploited for political gain, while Canberra may also be looking to avoid more confrontation with Beijing

Australia has long been reticent to address its ‘offshore processing’ policies, even as its officials weigh in on Xinjiang

Experts and rights groups say xenophobia in Australia has been exploited for political gain, while Canberra may also be looking to avoid more confrontation with Beijing