Australia warned over aid boost to Burma
Updated
Australia has announced a 40 per cent rise in humanitarian aid to Burma, hoping to encourage a democratic election later this year. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says Australia can't stand by and watch Burma disintegrate, while waiting for political change. But long-time Burma-watchers warn the Burmese generals are masters of political charade and say Australia should be careful trying to deliver more aid to the military regime.
Presenter: Linda Mottram, Canberra correspondent
Speakers: Stephen Smith, Australia's Foreign Minister; Julie Bishop, Australia's Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman; Dr Myint Cho, Australia-Burma Council
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MOTTRAM: Australia's government is under no illusion about the harshness of the rule of Burma's military junta.
SMITH: Australia has long been appalled both by the Burmese military's suppression of the democratic aspirations of the Burmese people and by its disrespect for their human rights.
MOTTRAM: Foreign minister Stephen Smith detailed some of the regime's worst excesses, when he rose in Parliament to make a major statement on Burma. But like the United States under Barack Obama, Canberra believes sanctions alone can't bring change. So the Rudd government has sought to deepen its engagement, while maintaining existing travel, defence and financial sanctions. That engagement is at various regional and international meetings and now by way of a major boost to Australia's existing humanitarian aid budget for Burma of $AU30 million.
SMITH: This is not a reward for Burma's military but a recognition of the immense task faced by current and future generations of Burmese. At around four dollars per head per annum, international aid to Burma ius less than a tenth of that received by Cambodia and a sixteenth of that received by Laos. Australia will accordingly increase its assistance to Burma over the next three years to around $AU50 million annually over the next three years, a 40 per cent increase.
MOTTRAM: At some stage, the minister said, the country would have a civilian government. Burma's capacity could not be allowed to atrophy in the meantime to the ultimate cost of it's people, he said. The minister cautioned though it wasn't a one way street. But he's taking some heart from small signs. In December Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed at her request to meet some of her National League for Democracy officials for the first time in two years. A small number of political prisoners was released late last year. And there were meetings with Australian, US and UK officials. The new aid pledge is aimed at offering encouragement to the junta to hold free and fair elections later this year. But the Australian Opposition's foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop had a warning.
BISHOP: I remind the house that, in 2008 when Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, the military ruler's priority was to round people up to vote in a sham referendum to ratify the new constitution, rather than focus on assisting those devastated by the cyclone. The referendum result was predictable for it was illegal to vote no. Given the changes to the constitution and the military reaction to the last election in 1990, no-one should take any comfort from the charade that Burma is moving towards democracy.
MOTTRAM: And pro-democracy Burmese lobbyists, like Dr Myint Cho of the Australia-Burma Council, have concerns too.
MYINT CHO: On the one hand, Australian govenrment should provide more humanitarian assistance for the people of Burma, on the other hand they have to put more pressure on the military regime to change political systems towards democratisation and national reconciliation in Burma.
MOTTRAM: Does that mean that there should also be additional sanctions on the regime?
MYINT CHO: Exactly. Australian government hasn't imposed targetted investment sanctions in Burma.
MOTTRAM: Mr Smith says it would be the wrong signal to send to the regime, that this is the time for trying to encourage them to co-operate. You don't share that view?
MYINT CHO: The targetted investment sanctions will push the generals to go to the negotiating table with Aung San Suu Kyi and opposition leaders and ethnic leaders for national reconciliation.
MOTTRAM: Now the Australian government says there are signs of some sort of possible good will .. do you think that the Australian government is right that there are signs of a change with the regime?
MYINT CHO: I strongly believe that the Burmese generals are very skilled in using delay and diversion tactics to hoodwink international community including Australian government to think that they are doing good job for the people of Burma. Actually not.
MOTTRAM: And Burma campaigner Dr Myint Cho does not believe the coming elections, if held, can bring democracy to the country because he says the constitution of 2008 is designed to legitimise military rule.
