Protest against Burma crimes to put pressure on Downer

Dr Kaye said: “The Burmese people have stepped up their challenge to the dictatorship and the Howard government is sitting on its hands.

“Around the country, Buddhist monks are defying the brutal crackdown by the police, army and paramilitary. Thousands of saffron-robed religious orders are staging marches through the streets of Burma, directly defying bans on public dissent.

“Other democracy activists continue to take brave protest action to highlight the repression of democracy, the collapse of the economy and rising fuel prices.

“On Tuesday tear gas was fired into a protest of about 1,000 Burmese Buddhist monks and civilian demonstrators in the north-western city of Sittwe. Three or four monks were arrested as the crowd were attacked and scattered.

“The Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma is deeply concerned that without international help, the dictatorship will feel they can get away with a brutal crackdown on these lawful and peaceful protests.

“We call on the Howard government to pull out all stops and put pressure on the Burmese junta to respect human rights and restore democracy.

“There is no time to waste. Foreign  Minister Downer should call in the Burmese representatives in Australia and make it very clear that this country will no longer tolerate arbitrary arrest, torture and suppression of the results of the democratic election held a decade ago,” Dr Kaye said.