联合国批评澳大利亚难民政策

Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers under its tough mandatory detention policy has been criticized by a leading United Nations representative. At the end of a six-day visit, Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, says the policy breaches Australia’s international human rights obligations. She has also warned that Canberra’s plan to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia is likely to violate refugee law.

联合国高级官员对澳大利亚的难民政策提出批评。澳大利亚对寻求政治庇护的难民一律进行拘留审查。联合国人权事务高级专员纳维.皮莱在结束对澳大利亚的6天访问之前说，这种政策违反了澳大利亚的国际人权义务。她还警告说，堪培拉计划将800名难民送往马来西亚的作法很可能也违反了难民法。

During her brief trip to Australia, the U.N. high commissioner spent time at two immigration detention centers in the northern city, Darwin.

联合国人权事务高级专员纳维.皮莱在访问澳大利亚期间访问了北部城市达尔文的两个移民拘留中心。

Pillay says she saw what she calls “the grim despondency of asylum seekers” who have spent months waiting to be released.

她说她看到了寻求避难人士的严重沮丧，这些人在拘留中心为等待获释已经熬了几个月了。

The senior U.N. official, who was invited by the government, also took aim at Australia’s plans to send hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia to ease pressure on overcrowded detention camps and to try to stop a steady flow of boat people.

这名联合国高级官员是应澳大利亚政府的邀请前去考察该国移民政策的。纳维.皮莱还要考察澳大利亚为减轻拘留中心过度拥挤而准备遣返数百名马来西亚难民的计划。澳大利亚这样做是为了制止寻求避难的船民持续不断抵达澳大利亚。

Ministers say the agreement, under which the Malaysians will send to Australia 4,000 long-term refugees whose claims for protection have been approved, will disrupt the activities of people smugglers. The hope is that, by denying criminal gangs the chance to guarantee their fee-paying passengers direct passage to Australia, their business will dry up.

澳方部长说，这项协议允许马来西亚向澳大利亚输送4000名长期难民，这些人的难民申请已经得到批准。这种做法可以制止人口走私活动。如果犯罪集团无法收取费用，将人运往澳大利亚，他们的生意就会逐步走上绝路。

However, Pillay believes the plan is illegal.

然而纳维皮莱认为这个计划是非法的。“If Australia is serious about this policy of sending 800 people out to Malaysia, then I think it violates refugee law," she said. "They cannot send individuals to a country that has not ratified the torture convention, the convention on refugees. So there are no protections for individuals in Malaysia. And, Australia, of all people, that upholds the standards internationally should not collaborate with these kinds of schemes.”

她说：“如果澳大利亚有意要推行这一计划，将800人送往马来西亚，那么我认为这违反了难民法。他们不可以将申请庇护的人送往没有批准反酷刑公约以及难民公约的国家。因为这些人在马来西亚无法获得保护。而坚持国际准则的澳大利亚绝不应该跟这种图谋进行合作。”

Pillay has held what she describes as "frank and forthright" talks on the Malaysian plan with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

皮莱专员同澳大利亚总理陆克文就这项马来西亚计划进行了她所说的坦率和诚挚的会谈。

The flow of boat people arriving in Australia’s isolated northern waters has become a great irritant to the Labor government. It is battling allegations from its political opponents that it has lost control of Australia’s borders - an issue that resonates with many voters.

乘船进入澳大利亚北方孤立水域的难民持续不断，已经成了令执政的工党头疼的问题。反对党指控说工党已经失去了对澳大利亚边境的控制，这个问题让很多选民产生了共鸣。

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights also visited an aboriginal community in Yarrabah, outside Cairns in Queensland. She says, although Australia “has a strong history of commitment to human rights,” its treatment of its indigenous peoples is poor.

联合国人权事务高级专员皮莱还访问了昆士兰凯恩斯郊外的一个原住民社区。皮莱说，尽管澳大利亚长期致力于维护人权，但对本国原住民的待遇却很差。

Pillay says efforts to help the nation’s most disadvantaged people are being undermined by policies that have failed to recognize the right to self-determination for Australia’s aborigines.

皮莱说，帮助本国最弱势群体的努力受到了政策措施的阻碍，这些政策没能承认澳大利亚原住民的自决权。

They make up about two percent of the population, but suffer disproportionately high rates of ill-health, imprisonment and unemployment.

原住民大约占澳大利亚人口的2%，但这些族群出现的健康问题，被关押率以及失业率都不成比例地高于其它人群。