Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We often speak about human rights in this place, and for very good reason. Human rights are central to the dignity of every human person. Any deprivation of these rights is equivalent to dehumanising a person, and there are very few crimes worse than this. The widespread dignity and respect afforded to every person throughout the world is the greatest achievement thus far of the human rights advocacy that we have witnessed over many decades.

Australia has one of the best reputations in the world for defending these rights, and that is something that we all can be proud of. This Senate, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and other aspects of this parliament are essential vehicles for the protection of human rights within our own borders. As I said before, we should be proud of our record, but we also must never be complacent.

Few human rights are more fundamental than the right to religious freedom. The right to choose a religion or, indeed, the right to choose none permits the individual to freely decide their outlook on life. So the information that came to light in the most recent United States Department of State report on the status of religious freedom in the world is especially concerning. It revealed that the number of nations with extreme suppression of religious freedom is increasing. Nations such as Myanmar, Afghanistan, China, Iran, North Korea and 11 other states have been designated as countries of particular concern regarding the limiting of religious freedom—16 nations, up from 12 in the previous report, reflecting a macro trend of reduced religious freedom in problematic jurisdictions.

I've spoken frequently in this chamber about the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, and I highlight that one of the key elements of that crisis is the deprivation of religious freedom. It's been reported that the military junta there has been weaponised by a form of militant Buddhism to divide the nation, targeting citizens of other faiths and attempting to promote a form of religious nationalism that has devastated Christian, Muslim and other minority communities across Myanmar.

Another example in the state department report is the aftermath of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. The return of the extremist Islamic regime there has severely curtailed the rights of women and effectively outlawed any open religious practice outside the state's interpretation of Islam. Afghani women have suffered a tragic step back in their freedoms, including losing their access to education and work options—and now even the requirement being instituted that they are always accompanied by a man.

Similarly, there were the widely reported incidents that occurred after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in Iran nearly two years ago. She was arrested and tortured for wearing what was described as an improper hijab. The response to the public outcry included further police brutality and arrests of Sunni Muslims, Christians and other individuals who did not conform to the Iranian government's religious policies.

Of course, there remains the ongoing repression in Tibet, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama still unable to return to his spiritual and ancestral homeland. As I've said previously today, I met with a delegation of Tibetan parliamentarians who have recently reinvigorated their advocacy in our country to draw attention to Chinese Communist Party oppression and reiterated the grave concern for those of the Buddhist faith that the process of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is now in jeopardy, given the Chinese government's restrictions on religious expression in Tibet. This amounts to an existential crisis for a global religion of 520 million people.

We cannot allow these human rights breaches to continue unnoticed and without a response from our own country. The regimes will not stop without external pressure. Wherever possible and appropriate, Australia must continue to play its part to bring its strong and respected voice to bring greater religious freedom and tolerance to the whole world, creating a world where such abuses are confined to the history books.