UN flays Australia’s Malaysia boat people plan

“If Australia is serious about this policy of sending 800 people out to Malaysia,then I think it violates refugee law,” said Pillay,who is on an official visit to the country. “They cannot send individuals to a country that has not ratified the torture convention,the convention on refugees,” she said.

“So there are no protections for individuals in Malaysia. And Australia,of all people,that upholds (international standards),should not collaborate with these kinds of schemes.”

Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention,nor has it ratified the UN Convention against Torture.

As it struggles to deal with an armada of asylum-seeker boats arriving from Asia and recent violent unrest in detention centres,Canberra this month announced plans to transfer 800 boat people to Malaysia for processing.

In return,Australia will accept and resettle,over four years,4,000 registered refugees currently living in Malaysia,although the deal is yet to be finalised.

Amnesty International has said that asylum seekers sent to Malaysia will face lengthy waits to determine their status,inhumane detention conditions and even torture,in the form of caning.

Three boats carrying more than 100 asylum-seekers have arrived in Australia since the deal with Malaysia was announced on May 7.

They have been transferred to the remote Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island,where boat people are normally detained,”pending removal to another country”.