Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

May I start by commending the member for Dunkley for this motion. I'm very happy to stand up and let my voice to this motion. I also echo the member for Dunkley in recognising the Prosecute; Don't Perpetrate campaign and Susan. It is a sad and unfortunate fact that the most vulnerable victims of conflict are women and children. It is a fact that women and girls suffer disproportionately during and after war. They are vulnerable particularly to sexual violence and exploitation as well as other war crimes. It was the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda which was the first to recognise rape and sexual violence as a crime of genocide. The tribunal found that sexual violence was a constituent element of genocide in Rwanda. The UN Human Rights Council asserts that Daesh sought to destroy the minority Yazidis through killing, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and other war crimes, confirming that Daesh's crimes against the Yazidis do indeed constitute genocide.

It is easy to dismiss this as something far away that has no impact on us here in Australia in our safe haven but there are implications here. Australia ratified the Genocide Convention which requires us to enact legislation to penalise persons guilty of genocide. In 1995, genocide became illegal in Australia. Our National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is a vehicle for us to implement UN Security Council resolutions around sexual violence against women and girls. But we also have a more direct responsibility.

We have a responsibility to prosecute those who return from fighting in foreign conflicts in Iraq and Syria. We have a responsibility to prosecute those who have fought for Daesh for war crimes involving sexual violence, crimes against humanity and genocide. We cannot let this slide. We need to send a strong message that those who return to Australia after fighting with Daesh will not get away with the sexual violence they have perpetrated in conducting their heinous acts in Iraq and Syria.

I echo the sentiments previously expressed by the member for Canberra about the importance of ensuring that any prosecution that we conduct in relation to those who have returned as foreign fighters from Iraq and Syria should include an element of recognition of the sexual violence they perpetrated there. The other responsibility we have is to provide a safe haven for those persecuted minorities through our humanitarian policies, through supporting resettlement, and through an effective and comprehensive settlement program that includes a recognition of the significant trauma that many of these minorities particularly Yazidi women have had to endure at the hands of Daesh. We have heard so far today from previous speakers personal accounts of those tragic stories.

In regards to recent comments by the coalition that reflect a pattern of dog whistling against migrants and refugees, this has a broader impact on the wellbeing and successful settlement of those who have already suffered unspeakable trauma. I would caution those who use arguments about population, arguments about immigration and arguments to draw attention to the others within our community who have, as our national anthem says, come across the seas to seek safe haven here in Australia. I would caution them to understand the broader impact of their words and understand the broader impact of their political opportunism in drawing attention to immigration and refugees. We cannot talk about genocide and prosecuting the guilty if we aren't prepared to support the persecuted. This is why the 'Prosecute; don't perpetrate' campaign is so important. I urge all members in the House today to listen with open minds, open hearts and open ears to the tragic tale of these women who have come here and to support the 'Prosecute; don't perpetrate' campaign.

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