Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges with deep concern the ongoing persecution and discrimination faced by the Hazara people and other ethnic religious minorities under the Taliban;

(2) calls for the protection of all minorities in Afghanistan, as well as women and girls, noting no part of Afghanistan or Afghan society has been immune from violence or persecution; and

(3) recognises the valuable contributions of Hazara Australians to the cultural, social and civic life of our nation, and acknowledges that these contributions extend well beyond their own community.

I am proud to move this motion today. It is a motion that recognises and makes clear that the persecution of the Hazara community in Afghanistan is not only deeply concerning; it is abhorrent. In the gallery today are 30 members of the Hazara community from across the country, brought together by the Hazara Legal Network. I thank the network for its tireless advocacy and thank each of you for being here in Canberra today.

Your community is made up of tradespeople, nurses, childcare workers, lawyers and doctors—people who contribute so much to our communities, including in my electorate of Corangamite and in the Deputy Prime Minister's neighbouring electorate of Corio in Victoria. I know that the Deputy Prime Minister has built a strong and enduring relationship with the Hazara community in Geelong. Both he and I have listened to your stories. We are here to support you. Since the Taliban seized control in 2021 it has been a challenge for the Hazara people. We have listened to your stories and we support you. Minorities in Afghanistan have faced targeted violence, particularly women. We know that no part of Afghan society has been immune from violence or persecution. Of course, this is particularly true for ethnic religious minorities, including the Hazara community.

Our government, the Albanese Labor government, will always stand up for women facing persecution and violence. Australia has consistently condemned the Taliban's treatment of minorities, particularly the Hazara community, and of women and girls, including at the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution put at the United Nations called on Afghanistan to uphold human rights, adhere to international law and take decisive action against terrorism.

The Albanese Labor government is taking strong and coordinated action to hold the Taliban to account for its abuses of the human rights of Afghan people, especially the targeting of minority groups and the sustained and systematic exclusion of women from public life. We know—the Albanese Labor government knows—just how important it is for women to hold public office, to make decisions in government about the matters that affect them. This is not occurring in Afghanistan under the Taliban. It's part of the reason why Australia, alongside Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, is holding Afghanistan to account under international law for violations of the human rights of women and girls as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

To our Hazara communities and to those here today, my message is simple: your stories matter, your safety matters and you deserve to live in peace, dignity and opportunity. Despite the Taliban's attempts to interfere with humanitarian assistance, our UN partners continue to reach those in need, including Hazara communities. We're working closely with international partners to ensure our support remains principled, effective and grounded in human rights. The department is currently considering what more we can do to strengthen our response and demonstrate our commitment to the people in Afghanistan who face persecution and violence. I can share that public consultations have just concluded on a legislative framework that will allow us to impose targeted sanctions and travel bans in relation to those who are responsible for the oppression of minority groups, women and girls, and the people of Afghanistan.

In closing, this work is about standing up for basic human dignity; standing up for women, who deserve freedom of equality and who deserve to live a life without fear; and standing with the families in the gallery today. We will support you, we will continue to hold the Taliban to account and we will continue to stand up for those who face persecution wherever they are.

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