Australia is in no position to criticise China on human rights abuses

Australian governments have inflicted mental and physical harm on asylum seekers and Indigenous Australians, supported Israel in its treatment of Palestinians and lagged in the fight against climate change

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Greg Barns

Greg Barns is spokesperson on asylum seekers, criminal justice and human rights at the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Published: 9:15am, 15 Dec 2020Updated: 9:24am, 15 Dec 2020

It would be an understatement to observe that the China-Australia relationship is experiencing some turbulence at the moment.

Australia’s biggest export destination is making life difficult, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s indignant reaction to a tweet by a Chinese Foreign Ministry official showing a fake image of an Australian soldier murdering a child – along with a new law passed by parliament which enables Morrison’s government to override investment agreements Australian states and territories reach with China – means smoother waters remain a distant hope.

The narrative being told by Morrison’s government, opposition parties and the media is that China is a human rights pariah, a thug and a bully whereas Australia is a beacon of humanity, the very essence of a liberal democratic state.

US President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, took to Twitter this week to push this line observing, “The Australian people have made great sacrifices to protect freedom and democracy around the world. As we have for a century, America will stand shoulder to shoulder with our ally Australia and rally fellow democracies to advance our shared security, prosperity, and values.”