David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senators Fierravanti-Wells, Moore and Smith, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges the advancements toward democratisation made by Myanmar's civilian government, which was elected in 2015;

(b) reaffirms Australia's support for genuine democracy and institution building in Myanmar;

(c) expresses its sadness at the murders of Mr Ko Ni and Mr Nay Win;

(d) acknowledges that:

  (i) Mr Ko Ni was a legal adviser to Myanmar's leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and an expert in constitutional law who visited Australia last year, meeting leaders in the legal and political community, including at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian National University and University of Melbourne, and

  (ii) Mr Nay Win was a taxi driver who attempted to restrain Mr Ko Ni's attacker before being killed himself; and

(e) sends condolences to the family and friends of Mr Ko Ni and Mr Nay Win, as well as to the people of Myanmar on these tragic losses.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens fully support this motion. Mr Ko Ni is being remembered in Myanmar as irreplaceable. He is a lawyer who stood up for Muslim rights and who criticised the military's influence. Amnesty described him as 'a tireless human rights campaigner' and said that his death had 'all the hallmarks of an assassination'. Mr Nay Win was a taxi driver who sacrificed his life to try to save another's. The world needs more of them, and I extend the Greens' deepest condolences to their families.

Motions like these do highlight the importance of ensuring that we do have the opportunity to put forward issues of foreign policy in this chamber. We should be raising issues like suspected assassinations in Myanmar and like the plight of the Rohingya minority in that country. I do hope sincerely that this motion signals that those opposite, the government, are now willing to allow these sorts of motions in the chamber.

Question agreed to.