Australia has sent several thousand asylum seekers to closed detention camps on deserted Pacific islands. One of the largest shareholders in the company behind: The Norwegian oil fund.
Violence, abuse of children, sexual abuse, self-mutilation, inhumane treatment and poor living conditions.
These are just some of the conclusions in reports including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch has published the conditions for the nearly 1,500 asylum seekers Australia has sent to the two most contentious camps on remote islands in the Pacific.
SHOCK REPORT: children sewing in own mouth
GET REFS: You mean Australia deliberately ignoring camp abuses
While criticism shotguns, sweeping the private company that runs the camps – Spanish Ferrovial – multiple hundred million contract with the Australian authorities.
– Based on our investigation, it is possible that individuals in Ferrovial may be criminally responsible for crimes against humanity, says Diala Sham at the International human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic at Stanford University to Guardian.
Oil Fund is a billion-owner
VG can today tell a little-known story: With shares for 2.5 billion , the Government Pension Fund, better known as the Oil Fund, one of the largest owners of the company that runs the camps.
Oil Fund owns 1.71 percent of Ferrovial, which after the acquisition of Broad Spectrum now stands the operation of the camps. Like the rest of the owners, is the Pension Fund under strong pressure to pull out of the company as long as the operation of terror camps continues.
Amnesty: Facilitates abuse
– We believe that what goes on in the camps are very serious human rights violations. So investment in Ferrovial is contrary to the Pension Fund’s own ethical guidelines, says Beate Ekeløve-Slydal, political advisor to Amnesty Norway, VG.
– What we have uncovered in the camp’s grave human rights violations torture and inhuman treatment. Oil Fund is co-responsible for facilitating these abuses, she said.
– We expect companies to respect human rights and take account of human rights in their operations, the Norwegian Petroleum Fund communications manager Thomas Sevang in an e-mail to VG.
SIMPLE CONTROLS: One of the asylum seekers seeking shelter from the rain between the tents in the detention center on Manus Island.
Photo: Refugee Action Coalition AFP
He shows to the expectations of the companies the Fund published in a separate document.
– Our responsible management operations may in some cases cause we do risk-based sell-off of companies with higher risk in the long term, he writes.
– Has notified the Council
that is why the Pension Fund sold off Broad Spectrum in November 2015. When Ferrovial bought the company in our stood Oil Fund for the second time in a few months as major shareholder of the company that runs the controversial asylum camps.
– in accordance with the guidelines for observation and exclusion of companies Ministry of Finance has informed the Council about our ownership in Ferrovial. It is the Council which will make ethical judgments. Decisions on the exclusion of companies from the fund made by the Executive Board on the basis of recommendation from the Council, he writes.
The Council will propose VG not comment on the opinions of Ferrovial.
– I know the issue of reviewing and realize what you’re asking about, but can not give any answer, says Head of Aslak Scancke in Ethics.
WATCH LIST : This is the companies that are excluded from the Oil Fund
Will withdraw
After massive pressure has Ferrovial said that they will not renew the contract with Australian authorities when it expires in October 2017.
SEE ALSO: at least 77 injured in riots in closed asylum camp
the back still shows the findings of reports including Amnesty and human Rights Watch (HRW) – and accusations of crimes against humanity.
– With all due respect contests we strongly allegations in the report, both faktuelt and legally, writes Ferrovial said in a statement.
PS the Australian camp on Manus island should be shut down after the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has decided that the camp is unconstitutional. It has not been decided what will happen to the camp on Nauru.
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