More than 1,400 people are being held on the Australian-run detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, some for years.
Protesters rallied in Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, on Saturday calling for an end to the country's controversial South Pacific detention centres which house refugees who try to reach Australia by boat.
Particular focus was directed towards the wellbeing of children on the tiny island nation of Nauru, though refugee advocates said all refugees should be out of detention.
"It's kids off, everyone off and bring them here," Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition told Reuters on Saturday.
More than 1,400 people are being held on the Australian-run detention centres on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, some for years.
Australia on Tuesday slapped travel and financial sanctions on five top Myanmar military officers, accused of overseeing brutal violence against Rohingya Muslims by units under their command, following similar moves by the European Union and United States.More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh year, according to U.N. agencies, following a counter-insurgency operation launched by Myanmar's military after attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants in August last year.A recent U.N. report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.India’s Rohingya refugees struggle with hatred, fear as first group is expelledHowever Australia, which has previously provided training for Myanmar's army and refrained from imposing sanctions, on Tuesday responded to the U.N. report by targeting four of the men named, and one other senior commander."I have now imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against five Myanmar military officers responsible for human rights violations committed by units under their command," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.A separate document named the officers; Aung Kyaw Zaw, Aung Aung, Maung Maung Soe, Than Oo and Khin Maung Soe. It said financial dealings with them can now attract penalties of A$1.7 million ($1.2 million) for companies and 10 years jail for individuals.UN says Rohingya children in need of basic educationMyanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not pick up a call seeking comment on Tuesday.The United States imposed similar restrictions on top generals in August. Like the United States, Australia omitted Myanmar's military chief, Min Aung Hlaing from the sanctions.The European Union imposed similar restrictions in June. ASEAN urges Myanmar to give inquiry into Rakhine violence full powers
Australia slaps sanctions on Myanmar army top brass
The rally organisers said thousands attended the protests in each city, but local media had smaller estimates. There was no estimate from police.
Australia refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach the country. It says the policy deters people smugglers in Asia from plying their trade and saves lives by stopping people sailing in unseaworthy boats from Indonesia to Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under increased pressure to immediately resettle children on Nauru, after aid agencies and doctors raising concerns of a health crisis.
Worsening mental health has left some of the children on Nauru in a "semi-comatose state", unable to eat, drink or talk, says humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which was ejected from Nauru by the island's government.
As the count from a crucial Australian by-election dragged into Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced the possibility that his Liberal party may have been too quick to concede a contest that would reduce his administration to a minority government.Morrison became Australia's sixth prime minister in 10 years in August after his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull fell victim to infighting among the Liberals, and the suspense over the count in Sydney's affluent Wentworth constituency was in keeping with the unpredictable politics of recent times.On Saturday, Morrison had surrendered the seat, vacated following Turnbull's retirement from politics, after the early count showed a swing of more than 20 percent away from the Liberals.But by Sunday evening, his candidate trailed an independent rival by 1,600 votes with several thousand votes still to be counted, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) said.Still claiming victory, but sounding less sure, the independent candidate Kerryn Phelps described the wait for the result as a "white knuckle ride" in a post on her Twitter account. "Holding our breath for the AEC outcome," she tweeted.Should the Liberals lose Wentworth, Morrison's conservative coalition will probably have to rely on support from independent lawmakers to survive the next few months, as a general election is due by May next year.The contest had gathered international attention after Morrison's late attempt to garner support from Jewish voters, who account for 13 percent of Wentworth's electorate, by suggesting Australia could recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy there from Tel Aviv.What impact that gambit had was unclear, but with his parliamentary majority hanging by a thread as the count continued, Morrison acknowledged that whatever the outcome, voters were clearly disillusioned with his party."The gap has closed by several hundred votes. There are still many postal votes to be counted," Morrison told reporters in Sydney. "But, that said, yesterday Liberal voters expressed their anger."Morrison said if the vote gets as close as 100 votes an automatic recount would be triggered, giving his conservative coalition a slim chance of retaining its one seat majority in parliament.It could be some days before the uncertainty is cleared as postal votes received within 13 days after the ballot are still counted.The Liberals poor showing was partly attributable to Wentworth voters disillusion with the way party rebels had dumped Turnbull, said Morrison.Australia's government set to lose majority in landslide by-election defeatAustralians protest PM's remarks on embassy relocation
Australia stares at hung parliament as by-election count goes to the wire
Morrison’s government is on the verge of losing its majority after a devastating by-election on October 20, and key independents have warned their support hinges on him freeing children on Nauru.
On Monday, 11 child migrants were evacuated from Nauru for medical treatment.
Australia first introduced offshore processing of refugees between 2001 and 2008 and started it again in 2012. In 2013 it significantly toughened the policy, ruling that even if people were found to be refugees they would never be resettled in Australia.