Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That this House:

(1)

note numerous calls by the international community, including motions passed by the European Union, the United States Congress, the United Kingdom House of Commons and others, for a cessation of human rights abuses in Burma;

(2)

note also statements by the Australian Government including most recently at the International Labor Conference in June 2005 concerning the current situation in Burma in relation to forced labour practices;

(3)

recognise that there has been no meaningful progress towards democratic rule in Burma and that opposition leader Aung San Suu Ky remains under house arrest and that this detention has been extended for a further twelve months;

(4)

Note the recent offensive against the Karen people entailing destruction of housing and forced relocations.

(5)

recognise that the National Convention established by the Burmese junta cannot in its present state achieve a state constitution that will guarantee human rights, democracy and federalism in Burma, and to date has made nil progress;

(6)

call on the Australian Parliament and Government to reject the sham National Convention;

(7)

repeat calls for the urgent cessation of human rights abuses in Burma;

(8)

repeat calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Nobel peace laureate Aung San San Suu Kyi, U Tin Oo, Khun Tun Oo and remaining political prisoners;

(9)

urge the United Nations Security Council to act immediately, in concert with the international community, in relation to the current situation in Burma; and

(10)

further call on the Government to continue to engage vigorously with regional states, including the People's Republic of China, and India, with a view to encouraging support for the placing of Burma on the agenda of the UN Security Council.