On July 29, activists from the聽Movement Against the Occupation of the Timor Sea (Movimento Kontra Okupasun Tasi Timor,聽MKOTT) held an overnight vigil for the "Death of democracy in Australia" outside Hotel Timor, in Dili, where Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop is staying during her official visit to Timor-Leste.
Julie Bishop
The Australian government鈥檚 that it had axed its contributions to the Palestinian Authority (PA) through the World Bank's Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the Palestinian Recovery and Development Program has been condemned by Palestinian activists.
In a September address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, top UN human rights official Zeid Ra鈥檃d al-Hussein, described the Myanmar military鈥檚 attacks on Rohingya as being 鈥溾.
Satellite photos show the Myanmar security forces and local militia burning entire Rohingya villages to the ground. There are consistent accounts of extrajudicial killings, including the shooting of fleeing civilians.
A coordinated, virulent and sustained campaign for "regime change" against the government and people of Venezuela is occurring around the world right now.
Led by the US, the campaign involves a systematic stream of "fake news" in the international media, backed by an unholy alliance of right-wing and "liberal" politicians and commentators, all singing from the same song sheet 鈥 that Venezuela is a "socialist dictatorship" with a collapsing economy and the unfortunate people of that country are yearning to be free of that regime.
Foreign minister Julie Bishop was quick to reiterate the Australian government鈥檚 firm support for Israel and distance it from the December 24 vote on UN Security Council resolution 2334 reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories.
The resolution was passed by the Security Council, with the United States abstaining rather than vetoing the vote, as it has traditionally done with resolutions that have criticised Israel.
I am sure we all appreciate the federal government's bid to secure Melbourne's borders, but in the aftermath of its farcical Border Force debacle, I have a tactical suggestion. If you really want to catch visa violators, just invite Liverpool FC back to play another match at the MCG, then round up the 90,000 English visa over-stayers who rock up.
In fact, once everyone is in, just lock the stadium's gates and you have yourself a brand new ready-made detention centre.
A group of Free West Papua supporters attended a morning tea fundraiser in Darwin on August 2. The special guest was foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop. We wanted to meet her to discuss human rights in West Papua.
Bishop was the key speaker. She took a few questions from the crowd but, although she knew I wanted to speak to her, she ignored me every time.