NSW Parliament supports move to Burma sanctions

Greens NSW MP John Kaye, who moved the motion, said: “The state-owned Burmese resource company Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise is funding the regime and relying on the armed forces to do their dirty work.

“Innocent people and the environment are suffering at the hands of the Burmese military doing the dirty work for an industry that that is still allowed to trade with Australia.

“The NSW Upper House called on the Federal Government to start work on sending a clear message to the Burmese regime and the resource sector that systematic human rights violations will not be tolerated. Financial and trade sanctions are the best way to tell the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise and the dictatorship that they must respect the human rights of the communities that live near the resource development sites. Putting pressure on the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise will undermine the military regime and help push for real reform in Burma.

“The NSW Upper House was persuaded that something has to be done. The serious concerns raised by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Burma Tomas Quintana cannot be ignored. Mr Quintana has put on record the armed forces’ systematic use of violence to ram through resource developments against the will of local communities.

“The motion passed without opposition, demonstrating the widely held concern amongst all parties for the welfare of the Burmese people. It is a credit to all members of the state’s Upper House that they understand the urgent need to stop supporting companies that are directly involved in systematic human rights abuses.

“NSW is the first parliament to talk sanctions but it should not be the last,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455