Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1091 standing in my name and the name of Minister Payne for today, relating to Myanmar, be taken as a formal motion.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal?

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is an objection to the motion being taken as formal.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm stunned at the rank hypocrisy of both the government and opposition in highlighting the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people but repeatedly, with the Greens, blocking my own motions to stop the slaughter of the white South African farmers and the funding of the Palestinian authority who slaughtered the Israelis. This is the worst form of racism. They are outraged over the persecution of the Rohingya people and Muslims but not of the Christian farmers or the Jewish Israelis. It is a disgrace.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave for two minutes.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I'll try and do it in one minute if I can. First to Senator Anning: he may or may not have actually read the motion, but there was a detailed United Nations fact-finding mission report which detailed some serious violations of human rights, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Fraser Anning (Queensland, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From the UN? A strange group of people!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I may, Senator Anning, I didn't interject on you on this serious issue. It does reflect the seriousness of that report that the two parties of government have co-sponsored a foreign policy motion. It would be a good statement about the bipartisan view as to the need to respond to the serious war crimes and serious violations of human rights which have been documented in the UN report. It is not very often that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the shadow minister for foreign affairs co-sponsor a motion.

Senator Anning, I appreciate you have different views about different areas where the Senate should deal with these issues. We have previously placed on record, consistent with the position that has been in place for some time, that foreign policy questions that are complex and contested—and many of the ones to which you refer have been contested—given the nature of this part of the program where one cannot amend and there is not substantive debate, are not an appropriate vehicle for formal business. If you wish to deny formality for the reasons you've outlined, I think, frankly, that reflects upon you, Senator Anning.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We join with the opposition in seeking to put on the record that this is a rare and important moment when the opposition and the government both agree on something as important as this particular foreign policy matter. The issues that have been raised in the report are very, very serious violations, and we believe that it is extremely important that the Australian government, along with the Australian opposition, make a united statement condemning the actions as reported by the UN committee. So we will be supporting the suspension of standing orders.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just to facilitate discussion, I'm happy to move suspension. I ask Senator Anning: will he require such suspension given he's had the opportunity to put his view on the record, given that there are quite a number of other senators including on the crossbench who have motions before the chamber to be dealt with and that will obviously cut into the time for the Senate to deal with this prior to us rising for a few weeks, so I seek clarity from him as to how he wishes to proceed.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll again seek leave of the Senate to deal with this as a formal motion. Is leave granted to deal with this motion as a formal motion? There being no objection, leave is granted. I call Senator Wong to move the motion.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed in Myanmar's Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, as detailed in the full report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission (the Mission) on Myanmar;

(b) notes that:

  (i) following the Mission's preliminary report of 27 August 2018, the full report documents in detail serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, committed primarily by Myanmar's military against ethnic minorities,

  (ii) in the case of Rakhine State, the Mission concludes that crimes against humanity and war crimes have occurred, as well as finding sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation and prosecutions for genocide perpetrated against the Rohingya,

  (iii) the full report of the Mission adds to a large body of evidence indicating the commission of the most serious crimes under international law, particularly against the Rohingya, and

  (iv) the Australian Government is considering options in response to the Mission's report, including targeted sanctions;

(c) supports Australia's participation in new international efforts on accountability and justice in Myanmar, including at the Human Rights Council, of which Australia is a member, in line with the Mission's recommendations; and

(d) recognises that:

  (i) Myanmar continues to face formidable challenges as it transitions from five decades of military rule,

  (ii) as a regional partner, Australia must continue to support efforts to achieve democracy and national peace and reconciliation for the benefit of all of people in Myanmar, and

  (iii) the development of strong democratic practices and institutions, including respect for human rights, and full accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred, will be essential to this process and crucial to Myanmar's long term prosperity.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (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 Australian Greens absolutely welcome the commitment from both the government and the ALP to consider targeted sanctions against Myanmar. We welcome the fact we are having a substantial debate on a foreign policy motion. We are very supportive and have always felt this is the appropriate chamber to express such sentiments. There is no question that what has gone on in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, have been some of the gravest atrocities ever witnessed. We have known this for some time. We are very pleased that finally we are seeing the government consider—and we hope very soon adopt—very strict sanctions against that regime. We would also like to see the government go further. It should immediately suspend military cooperation with Myanmar, just as the UK, EU and US have done. We would support a referral to the International Criminal Court of Justice.

Question agreed to.