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

by leave—I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 962 standing in my name, relating to political prisoners in Burma, before be asking that it be taken as a formal motion.

Leave granted.

Thank you. I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) important steps have been taken towards political reform in Burma,

(ii) on 19 September 2012 Burmese authorities released several dozen political prisoners, and

(iii) on 29 August and 30 August 2012, the Burmese Government removed the names of 1 147 foreign citizens, including ex-citizens, as well as 935 political dissidents from the Blacklist; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) call on the Burmese Government to release all remaining political prisoners, to lift any restrictions imposed on already freed political prisoners and repeal laws that allow for the detention of political prisoners,

(ii) call on the Burmese Government and all other parties to immediately cease hostilities and implement a ceasefire in remaining conflict areas,

(iii) encourage both the Burmese Government and all other parties to take further steps beyond the current ceasefire agreements and enter into a comprehensive, inclusive and time-bound political dialogue that fully engages the democratic opposition, genuine representatives of all ethnic opposition groups, and civil society actors, and

(iv) support the inclusion of language into the 2012 United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Burma that reflects developments on the ground there.

Question agreed to.