Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that:

  (i)   the elections held in Burma on 7 November 2010 did not meet international democratic standards, with widespread reports of voter fraud, harassment and intimidation and foreign media and election monitors not given permission to observe,

  (ii)   the military backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won nearly 77 per cent of seats, the military linked National Unity Party won more than 5 per cent of seats and opposition parties won 18 per cent of seats,

  (iii)   the 2008 Constitution does not uphold democratic principles by prohibiting freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, excluding all political prisoners from standing for election, ensuring continued military control over the country and providing impunity for human rights violations committed by members of the armed forces,

  (iv)   25 per cent of seats in the parliament are reserved for the military, to be appointed by the military’s Commander in Chief, with the head of the military providing a short list of candidates to the President for the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister for Border Affairs and the Minister of Defence,

  (v)   severe restrictions have been imposed on parliamentarians: they face 2 years imprisonment if they write, print or distribute by any means parliament-related documents, information, statistics, drawings, charts or other references; bring a mobile phone, recording device or camera into parliament or if they make a protest in parliament,

  (vi)   speeches, motions and questions must be approved by the Speaker of the House before they can be entered into the parliament, and they must be submitted 10 working days in advance for approval,

  (vii)   parliamentarians cannot ask questions on, or speak about, national security, international relations or national unity related issues, and

  (viii)   the parliament is not open to the public and unauthorised individuals who enter the parliament face one year in prison; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to:

  (i)   not recognise the Parliament of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as the true Parliament of Burma,

  (ii)   condemn the 2008 Constitution as undemocratic,

  (iii)   pledge its continued support for genuine democracy and human rights in Burma,

  (iv)   call for national reconciliation in Burma, particularly tripartite dialogue between the democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, ethnic nationalities and the military,

  (v)   commit to continue working with opposition groups in Burma, including those outside the parliament such as the National League for Democracy and the United Nationalities League for Democracy, and

  (vi)   call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma.