The political rhetoric surrounding the Australian women and children seeking to return from Syria ignores this fundamental principle Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Human rights are not applicable only to some people. They apply to everyone. One of my first forays into the world of human rights was a university internship at a human rights organisation. We received a letter from a man whose name I recognised from a notorious murder case. He described ill treatment of other prisoners by prison guards. The prisoners he named were among Australia’s most notorious convicted serial killers. I took the matter to my supervisor, who gave me my first fundamental lesson in human rights: protecting rights does not depend on whether a person is perceived as good or deserving. If a person’s rights are violated, their rights should be defended – even if they may have violated the rights of others. Continue reading...