Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop (pictured) has formally asked Uganda to reconsider it’s recently introduced anti-gay law.
Ms Bishops letter to Uganda was revealed by Attorney General George Brandis during a Senate’s Estimates Committee Hearing earlier this week following a question put forward by Senator Christine Milne, Leader of The Greens.
Senator Brandis revealed that the Foreign Affairs Minister has written to her counterpart in Uganda the day after the new legislation was signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
In her letter MS Bishop wrote;
“Honourable minister, I would like to raise Australia’s serious concerns with Uganda’s anti- homosexuality bill, which was signed into law on 24 February 2014. While Australia respects Uganda’s sovereignty, we are concerned that the 24 February law undermines a number of human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and the prohibition of discrimination.
“These rights are enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Uganda has ratified, and reflected in Uganda’s constitution. Australia believes that human rights should be respected without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Australia has raised these concerns with Uganda, including with you, on a number of occasions since the law was introduced to parliament in 2009. I call now for Uganda to reconsider the law and to exercise the utmost restraint in its enforcement.”
During the hearing Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, assistant secretary Africa Branch Adam McCarthy explained that no Australian aid already went to the Ugandan Government. Mr McCarthy confirmed that Australia currently provided $7.5 million of foreign aid to Uganda but none of the money went to the government. The aid is focused at an individual level though schemes like educational scholarships.
The Ugandan President had at first refused to sign the legislation into law stating that he was not convinced that homosexuality was an abnormality. In January President Museveni had said that he needed to see proof that homosexuality was not genetic or biological. A month later he changed his stance and authorised the law.
Shortly after the bills signing the President announced that he had got the facts and declared that there was no scientific proof that homosexuality was either genetic or biological in origin. In an interview with CNN President Museveni commented on homosexuals saying, “They’re disgusting, I never knew what they were doing, but now I’ve been told, and it’s terrible, it’s disgusting.”
“Homosexuals are actually mercenaries. They are heterosexual people but because of money they say they are homosexuals. These are prostitutes because of money,” said President Museveni. The President went on to say that there was really something wrong with a man who not attracted to a beautiful woman and that oral sex would lead to be getting intestinal worms.
Senator Milne also called on the government to confirm that it would accept gay Ugandans who flee the country under Australia’s refugee program.
The Australian government has updated it’s travel advice for Uganda highlighting the new laws.
OIP Staff
