Amnesty International warns Australia is vulnerable to US, China’s ‘predatory’ behaviour

Australia is vulnerable to “predatory behaviour” by the United States and China as war in Ukraine and the Middle East continues to erode the world order, a new report has found.

Amnesty International’s 2025 State of the World’s Human Rights report, which assessed the rights of citizens in 144 countries, warned the world was on the brink of a “dangerous new era”.

Strategic Campaigns manager Kyinzom Dhongdue said world leaders had been “too passive” in defending international law, and that “unless we stop appeasing these aggressors, the situation will only get worse”.

“If you look at the vast majority of states, they have been unwilling or incapable of denouncing predatory acts by often the most powerful actors,” Ms Dhongdue said.

“For countries like Australia, who have been instrumental in establishing the human rights framework, it is really important – all the more important – to uphold this system, reject appeasement, and pushback against these growing attacks on international law and global co-operation”.

Ms Dhongdue said the rules based order had kept the world safe “for the past seven decades”.

Singling out the United States, Israel, China and Russia, Ms Dhongdue said there was a “huge risk” of predatory behaviour and rising authoritarianism was normalised.

“This report clearly points out who these bad, powerful actors are and, whether it is the Chinese government or the Israeli government or the US Government, that all these countries are responsible for eroding the international system,” she said.

She continued: “It’s really time for countries like Australia to come together with like-minded countries.”

Ahead of the report, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard warned the world was “confronting the most challenging moment of our age”.

“Humanity is under attack from transnational anti-rights movements and predatory governments determined to assert their dominance through unlawful wars and brazen economic blackmail,” she said.

“To appease aggressors is to pour fuel on a fire that will burn us all and scorch the future for generations to come.”

Aussie allies in the spotlight

Coming off the back of Anthony Albanese’s whirlwind trip to Southeast Asia amid the Iran fuel crisis, the report also called out Australia’s fuel allies.

It noted Singaporean authorities had acted against activists, media outlets, and opposition figures.

“Government suppression of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly remained relentless,” the report stated.

“Repressive laws targeted activists, journalists, and political opponents and migrant workers faced exploitation.”

The country also continued drug-related executions, including of Malaysian national Pannir Selvam, who was killed despite international outcry.

To the north, Malaysia – Mr Albanese’s most recent destination – was accused of using broad laws to limit freedom of expression, wielded against critics.

“Authorities restricted peaceful protests and harassed, investigated, and arrested activists and students,” the report stated.

While the number of people on death row decreased and calls for recognition of indigenous peoples grew, attacks targeted LGBTQI people and refugees and migrants faced indefinite detention.

Further abroad, the report noted the United States’ unprecedented crackdown on migrants, reduction in LGBTQI and reproductive rights, use of lethal force against predominantly African-Americans, and arbitrary detention at Guantanamo Bay.

“Despite ongoing gun violence, President Trump discontinued programs to address the issue,” the report stated.

“Environmental and climate regulations were rolled back.”

Australia’s social media ban

Another area of focus was Australia’s world-leading social media ban – a measure many countries, including France, Spain, and Malaysia, are seeking to emulate.

While the report acknowledged the “demonstrated commitment to addressing harmful platforms”, the bans also restricted young people’s’ right to empress themselves and to access information online, while failing to address the root issues.

The report also noted Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people “faced worsening inequality”, as well as high incarceration rates and deaths in custody.

It also singled out Australia’s offshore processing of refugees and migrants, 90 of which, Amnesty said, were still awaiting processing on Nauru, and more than 30 in neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

As for freedom of expression, the report alleged authorities had “conflated peaceful protest with violent acts”, and that universities had “curtailed freedoms”.