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	Haiti’s children still suffering grave human rights violations by United Nations News   July 2008   Haitian children remain the target of kidnappings, killings, sexual violence and child trafficking, and they have also been active participants in recent public protests, the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the impoverished Caribbean country reports.   The latest report from MINUSTAH, covering the period from January to July this year and released this week, found that children continue to be affected by armed violence, despite the general improvement in the security situation in Haiti.   Kidnapping is a particularly strong concern, with children comprising more than one in three victims and girls becoming an increasingly favoured target of armed gangs. Since the start of the year 66 minors have been abducted, compared to 80 for all of 2007.   Two child victims were killed, including one 16-year-old body whose tortured body was found despite the payment of a ransom to his kidnappers. Many of the girls who are abducted are also sexually abused.   Overall, sexual violence against children remains “a high concern,” according to the report, although some local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have indicated there has been a decrease compared with last year.   There has also been an “alarming increase” in the trafficking of children to the neighbouring Dominican Republic for labour and sexual exploitation. Nearly 750 children were repatriated by Dominican authorities in the first five months of the year.   The number of children who have to endure prolonged pre-trial detention remains high, and many minors are forced to share the same cells in jails and detention centres as adult prisoners. The average period of pre-trial detention is now more than 22 months.
	The Truth of Deportations - What happens to Australia"s rejected Asylum Seekers by Phil Glendenning Edmund Rice Centre Australia   Over the past six years the Edmund Rice Centre has conducted a systematic study into Australia"s treatment of rejected asylum seekers.   So far the results of this research have been formally presented in the publication of two reports Deported to Danger (Sept 2004) and Deported to Danger II (Sept 2006). Additionally submissions have been made to the Australian Senate enquiries and the research findings tested at Senate hearings. All of this information is publicly accessible via our website.   The Australian Government sends back asylum seekers it doesn’t think are refugees. International law says people should not be sent to unsafe locations. But the Government never finds out what happens to the asylum seekers they don’t want. If we do not know what has happened to the asylum seekers the Government sends back then we will never know whether the right decision was made to send them back. A large number of very disturbing cases have been brought to light in the study.   The Edmund Rice Centre managed to track down over 250 returnees in 22 different countries. Their work has been highlighted in the recent television documentary A Well-Founded Fear. I am very concerned about the fate of the people who appeared in the film and call upon the Government to reopen their cases.   * Visit the link below to access more details. Visit the related web page
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