BURMA: UN diplomatic blitz on Burma
Updated
The United States is to impose new sanctions on the Burmese military regime and its financial backers in a bid to support pro-democracy protesters. Australia has joined the campaign calling for Burma's military junta to open dialogue with its own people.
DOBELL: Australia says the large scale protests in Burma are a clear call for genuine, democratic change and national reconciliation.
In New York, at the United Nations, Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says the military regime must exercise maximum restraint and respect the legitimate right of its people to mount peaceful protest.
DOWNER: This is a genuine expression of public opinion in Burma, and the military leadership should now begin genuine negotiations with all of the political parties, not least the National League for Democracy towards real constitutional change in the wake of demonstrations which simply illustrate the strength of public support for political reform in that country. These demonstrators are showing enormous courage, led by monks, but supported by a lot of civilians, thousands-upon-thousands of civilians supporting the monks. They are showing enormous courage in a country which has a military leadership which is only too willing to crackdown on any dissent.
DOBELL: Australia has never lined up with the US and Europe in the sanctions it imposes on Burma. Australia has full diplomatic relations with Burma, although it has some restrictions on visits by regime leaders, and has had a ban on defence exports to Burma since the bloody military crackdown in 1988.
Canberra's policy of constructive engagement with Burma was adopted by the previous Labor Government and has been followed by the Howard Government for its eleven years in office. But the Labor Opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, says it's time to drop the engagement language, and strengthen sanctions.
RUDD: Mr Howard's policy of constructive engagement with the Burmese regime on human rights for the last several years has not worked and has not yielded an outcome. The people of Burma have taken to the streets. And I believe that a proper course of action for the future is for there to be a comprehensive range of targeted sanctions against the regime, which the Australian Government should also initiate.
DOBELL: Australia's foreign minister says Burma's regime must free its 1,000 political prisoners and allow the United Nations Special Envoy to return to Rangoon as soon as possible. But Mr Downer is cautious about predicting any people power revolution in Burma, saying he sees little sign that the regime is about to collapse.
DOWNER: All the signs of the military leadership is the last thing they ever seem to want to do is to give up power. But we've seen so often before over the years the courage of individuals coming out and protesting against brutal leadership has in the end led to the collapse of those regimes and I've seen a lot of that in my life. And you would only hope that this would be a watershed which is going to cause real change in Burma. But to be frank with you, I don't think the military leadership are likely to see it that way. I don't want to sound defeatist about it. I hope it will be a watershed, but I think what we need to do is engage in diplomacy to try to build on the protests that have taken place and that has to be well judged diplomacy. It's always very difficult to get it right.
DOBELL: Mr. Downer says Australia will add its support to the strong language coming from the United States and the European Union. But the Foreign Minister says the important message must come from those with some influence in Burma, China, India and the ASEAN states of South East Asia.
DOWNER: It's important we draw China's attention to the size of the protests and the courage of the protesters, and that is true of other regional countries too, that other neighbours, such as India, need to understand the importance of the desire for change that is taking place in Burma. And I think those countries, particularly China, but also India, as well as ASEAN can exercise some influence over the leadership of the military in Burma.
Presenter: Graeme Dobell
Speakers: Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer; Australian opposition leader, Kevin Rudd
