Pacific solution

When it comes to the business of politicising the right to asylum, no country jettisons the key principles of international law better than Australia, argues Binoy Kampmark.

Devron Brock is one of many people who never planned on becoming an activist, but the ongoing bipartisan cruelty to refugees has turned her into one.

The Refugee Action Coalition released the statement below on August 30. *** The Refugee Action Coalition has renewed its call for a full independent inquiry into Australia’s response to safety-of-life-at-sea (SOLAS) situations involving asylum boats. The latest boat tragedy may have cost the lives of 140 or more people. This is the second time in three months in which the delayed responses of Australian authorities have cost lives. In June, 90 asylum seekers were drowned despite calls to Australian authorities over a period of 40 hours.