BBC: Australia probes Afghan killings (up to 20 deported asylum seekers killed by Taliban)

[Eugene]

Source: BBC News

Page last updated at 06:34 GMT, Monday, 27 October 2008

Australia probes Afghan killings
By Nick Bryant
BBC News, Sydney

Australia has ordered an investigation into claims that
up to 20 Afghan asylum-seekers were killed by the Taleban
after being returned home.

A television documentary reports that those who died were
among 400 Afghan asylum-seekers denied entry to Australia
by the former government.

Their fate was examined by a social research group, the
Edmund Rice Centre, which says it has proof of nine deaths.

The policy under which the Afghans were returned home
has since been dropped.

The previous Howard government's so-called Pacific Solution
policy detained people with asylum claims on islands in the
Pacific, preventing them from setting foot on Australian soil.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7692416.stm