Craig Hill Media and Consulting
Human Rights
Campaigning for human rights in China: Huai’an
In January of 2003, I made my first trip to China, to Huai’an in Jiangsu Province. I was contracted to lecture about Aboriginal people in Australia, but it ended up being just as much about campaigning for human rights in China as anything else. In total, I lectured at nine universities and schools throughout Jiangsu … Continue reading
Kim Jong-un considers extending North Korea’s bedtime until 8:30 pm
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un says he’ll have a think about changing the nation’s lights out time, after it was pointed out to him that some countries stay up as late as 10:30pm. Currently night-night time is 8:00pm, with quiet talking allowed until 8:10. But that could all soon change. “I’m open to extending … Continue reading
Thailand’s Prime Minister promises to disrobe if protesters desist
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ratcheted up her rhetoric in the face of growing criticism, vowing to perform a striptease for her nation’s people if protesters back down from calls for her resignation. “I have two very good reason why I should remain in office and I promise will show you both if you … Continue reading
Australian helicopters used in ’70s massacres in West Papua
Research into one of the most violent episodes in the history of West Papua claims that helicopters provided to Indonesia by the Australian government were used in military operations in the 1970s that amounted to genocide. According to a report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, two Iroquois helicopters supplied by Australia were … Continue reading
Australian government allows Malaysia to prevent free speech on Australian soil
Imagine this: Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is visiting Malaysia to speak to Australian students studying at Malaysian universities. The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur then issues a written threat to all Australian students, saying that if they hear Mr Shorten speak they will lose any government-funded scholarships. Such an action would be met … Continue reading
Malaysian rights campaigner to be guest of Australian senator deported from Malaysia
Independent senator Nick Xenophon still smarts from being deported and banned from Malaysia earlier this year. The South Australian senator has got his own back by arranging for Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to join him in Adelaide this week as a speaker at the Festival of Ideas. Senator Xenophon described Mr Anwar as a … Continue reading
Australia bans Malaysian human rights activist; government’s new stance
A leading Malaysian rights activist who faces sedition charges at home says he was denied a visa to enter Australia, raising suggestions Canberra had buckled to pressure from Kuala Lumpur. Haris Ibrahim, a strident campaigner against the Malaysian government now headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak, said he was seeking a meeting with Australian officials … Continue reading
Australian government will legalise gay marriage if reelected
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Monday it was time to end the “acrimonious” debate on gay marriage, after he vowed to introduce a bill legalising same-sex unions if returned to office. If re-elected on September 7, Rudd said Labor would introduce a bill within 100 days, becoming the first Australian leader to promise to … Continue reading
Australia presses China for human rights reform
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has urged China to press ahead with legal and political reform as the nation plays an increasingly important role in the world. In a speech to the influential Asia Society in Hong Kong, Senator Carr said Australia believed China had to improve its human rights track record, which is considered poor … Continue reading
Australian girls among millions forced to become child brides worldwide
An eloquent and heart-wrenching video message from an 11-year-old girl who escaped being sold into a marriage to an older man has thrown the spotlight on forced marriages. In her video soliloquy, Yemeni girl Nada Al-Ahdals defiantly declares: “I’m not an item for sale.” Nada says she fled to her uncle’s house when her parents … Continue reading
Australia to have referendum to recognise Aboriginals
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday used the 50th anniversary of the indigenous land rights movement to pledge a referendum on recognising the country’s Aborigines in the constitution if Labor is re-elected. His predecessor Julia Gillard shelved a plan to hold a vote this parliamentary term, citing low public support, but Rudd made clear … Continue reading
Public service chief says little achieved for Aboriginal Australians
Former head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Peter Shergold has lamented how little he achieved for indigenous Australians in his two decades as a senior public servant. Dr Shergold’s mea culpa comes in a foreword he wrote for a collection of essays, “In black and white: Australians all at the crossroads,” … Continue reading
United Nations refugee agency slams Australia’s tough new asylum seeker policy
The UN refugee agency took Australia to task Wednesday over a tough new policy that allows boat people who reach its mainland to be sent to remote Nauru or Papua New Guinea for detention while their asylum claims are processed. The so-called “excision” rules, passed last week, extend previous legislation which only allowed the authorities … Continue reading
Australia pushes for hard line on Sri Lanka human rights abuses
A delegation of Labor MPs has approached Foreign Minister Bob Carr and urged him to take a tougher line on alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. The delegation of between 6-12 Labor MPs petitioned Senator Carr after last Tuesday’s caucus meeting. A spokesman for Senator Carr confirmed the approach. The group urged a tougher … Continue reading
Australian plan to remove neglected Aboriginal children from parents
The Northern Territory‘s plan to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive homes has sparked fears of creating another Stolen Generation. The Northern Territory government has sparked fears of creating another Stolen Generation, following a plan outlined to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive homes. Chief Minister Adam Giles has told News Limited, previous governments have … Continue reading
Australia takes first step towards criminalising alcoholism
Alcoholics could end up in jail in Australia under new measures that experts warn will criminalise alcohol dependency. The Northern Territory yesterday unveiled the country’s toughest police powers to target problem drinking, under which officers will be able to ban anyone charged with a serious alcohol-related offence from owning or consuming grog, or entering a … Continue reading
Australian university allows sex segregation at Islamic events
Australian opposition party leader Tony Abbott has condemned Melbourne University for allowing gender segregation at on-campus Islamic events, branding the practice “a leap back into the dark ages.” “I just think it’s un-Australian what’s happened here and I can’t understand for a second why Melbourne University would tolerate it,” the Opposition Leader said. “I would … Continue reading
Australia raises Cebongan human rights jail killings with Indonesia
Defence Minister Stephen Smith has asked to be kept informed of Indonesian investigations into the alleged involvement of Kopassus special forces soldiers in the murder of four remand prisoners. Mr Smith confirmed today that he had raised the Cebongan jail killings on March 23 with Indonesian counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro at their Jakarta meeting. Mr Smith … Continue reading
June 20 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Ai Weiwei barred from Chinese court in tax case Posted by China Daily Mail ⋅ June 20, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was denied his day in court on Wednesday after dozens of police officers barricaded first his home in Beijing and then the court house itself. Mr Ai, 54, claims that … Continue reading
June 13 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Forced abortion in China on woman seven months pregnant Posted by China Daily Mail ⋅ June 13, 2012 ⋅ 4 Comments Graphic images posted online showing the bloody corpse of a baby whose mother was allegedly forced to terminate her pregnancy at seven months have caused an uproar in China. Rights groups say authorities in north … Continue reading
June 6 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Chinese scientist convicted of stealing Merck drug formula Posted by China Daily Mail ⋅ June 6, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment A Chinese scientist employed by one of the country’s primary pharmaceutical research firms was found guilty of stealing and selling patented medical compounds owned by Merck & Co., according to a court document. The Shanghai … Continue reading
June 5 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
180,000 mourners in Hong Kong for June 4 remembrance, a new record Posted by chankaiyee2 ⋅ June 5, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment Hong Kong media Ming Pao and SCMP report that 180,000 people attended the candle light vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park, to commemorate those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. However police put … Continue reading
June 4 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre takes place
On June 4th 1989, Chinese troops stormed through Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing, killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy protesters. The brutal Chinese government assault on the protesters shocked the West and brought denunciations and sanctions from the United States. In May 1989, nearly a million Chinese, mostly young students, crowded into central … Continue reading
Equity
The policeman, and prisoner, both stand in the court; Both equal, in the eyes of the law. It was just yesterday, that these two had fought, But now they’re equal, in the eyes of the law. The black man, they say, raped a white girl; All equal in the eyes of the law. Now, as … Continue reading
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