Australia's race discrimination commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, has condemned proposals from a handful of political figures for the mass internment of all Muslim citizens suspected of terror offences.

Dr Soutphommasane said calls from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and others to detain all suspects, seemingly without charge or trial, "show an astounding ignorance of history" and would represent capitulation to terrorism.

"Having internment would involve a violation of liberty and the rule of law. It would entrench division in our society and play into the hands of extremists," he told Fairfax Media.

The calls have emerged as federal and state governments consider toughened and nationally consistent parole and bail laws that make it harder for people with violent and extremist backgrounds to be released.

After this week's deadly siege in Melbourne, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and other politicians expressed concern that Yacqub Khayre, the gunman responsible, was roaming free despite a track record of violence and extremism.

In an open letter to Mr Turnbull, Senator Hanson has said law enforcement agencies needed stronger powers to target migrants considered a threat.

"Those on watch lists who are not Australian citizens need to be deported and those who are, interned to neutralise their possible harm to this country," she wrote in the letter, published on Wednesday.

Conservative shock-jock Alan Jones said the the onus of proof should be reversed and declared: "We are at war".

"I'm saying if they're a suspect - and that's good enough - round them up whether the evidence is there or not. I'm saying don't put these people in jail where they will radicalise others. Intern them somewhere remote and leave them there or get rid of them," he said on on Thursday morning.

Jim Molan - a former Liberal Senate candidate and retired army general who oversaw the introduction of Australia's "Operation Sovereign Borders" immigration policy - suggested in an opinion piece that special courts be set up to administer detention of suspects.

The last time Australian residents were interred en masse was during World War II, when the government locked up approximately 7000 Germans, Japanese and Italians on the basis of nationality. This was justified as a measure to prevent them assisting the Axis powers.

Seven thousand people were also interned during World War I.

While there is no "terror watch list" in Australia, there are currently 400 active terror investigations in Australia.

Elaine Pearson, the Australia director of Human Rights Watch, said the internment suggestions were "deeply disturbing" and accused Senator Hanson of exploiting terror attacks for political purposes.

"Locking people up without charge or trial isn't going to make us safer. It's just going to make a new generation of disaffected and alienated young people who will look to ISIS," she said.

"Locking them up would undermine our entire criminal justice system, which is based on charges being laid, evidence being presented and then either convictions or acquittal."

Deprivation of liberty is restricted by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Australia ratified in 1980.

The convention says everyone has the right to liberty and "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention". Under the global treaty, deprivation of liberty is only in allowed accordance with the law and anyone arrested or detained must be informed of the charges against them.

Last year, federal and state governments agreed to nationwide laws allowing the indefinite detention of unrepentant terror offenders beyond their sentences if they pose a high risk to the community.

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