Motions

Myanmar Military Coup

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (17:57): I move:

That this council—

(a) acknowledges the grief and emotional stress our Myanmar community is experiencing witnessing the violence since the coup against the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi;

(b) condemns the use of military force in Myanmar to kill its own people;

(c) supports calls from Myanmar’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Kyaw Moe Tun, for all countries to strongly condemn this coup and help restore order and democracy;

(d) calls upon Australia to provide the 3,300 people from Myanmar living in Australia on temporary visas with additional certainty; and

(e) urges Australia to impose tougher sanctions on the military regime in response to the February coup.

I would also like to acknowledge members of the Myanmar community who are present in the gallery with us today, and extend our condolences to those who are experiencing loss and great heartache at this very difficult time for all of your community.

In many ways, this motion speaks for itself. We know the long struggle for democracy in Myanmar. We know the history of military control from 1962 until 2011 and the toil of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, both before and since. We know that last November 2020, Myanmar had a general election in which Ms Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy party won in a landslide victory, but the military claimed the elections were fraudulent and staged a coup on 1 February, just as the new parliament was getting ready to hold its first session.

The deaths and disappearances since then are truly terrible. As of today, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the situation is that there are 7,640 people who have been arrested, charged or sentenced. There are 1,954 people charged with a warrant and evading arrest, 1,299 people have been killed by this junta and 343 people have been sentenced. It is those tragic stories and many others that have resulted from military rule in Myanmar that deserve to be told. One community member said to me:

Myanmar has tried so hard for almost 5-6 decades to achieve democracy through non-violence and peaceful demonstrations, however, it is very sad to see that people now have no choice but to fight back in response to the military coup in February. A few of my friends are on the run in Myanmar, as they are the public figures standing against the military coup. The situation in Myanmar has declined dramatically since February.

At a rally on the steps of Parliament House on 5 November we heard about that decline, with one attendee telling me that his village had its schools, its hospital and its church totally destroyed. There are a number of other stories which I will continue with after the dinner break.

Sitting suspended from 18:00 to 19:45.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am pleased to be able to resume my remarks on this important motion in regard to Myanmar. We have some Karen and many Karenni families in Mount Gambier. I would like to share the stories of two residents of Mount Gambier who are refugees from Myanmar and I thank them for sharing their stories. They shared their stories of how they were mistreated by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) while they were in Myanmar, and I share them today in their own words. The first is from Ehthabla Paw, who has consented to disclose her name. She says:

I am Karen and I was brought up in Kayar State. When I was five days old, my mother was arrested by the Myanmar military as they couldn't get my father to serve as a porter. My father ran away as he knew Myanmar soldiers were coming into our village. My maternal father was a pastor and he volunteered to serve as a porter so that my mother was freed. My mother told me that she gave birth to 11 children but only six grew up. The rest of them passed away as my mother was always running away from the Myanmar soldiers. As a result, she wasn't able to look after them.

My eldest brother (named Saw) was 13 and he was abducted by the Myanmar military. My younger brother was also abducted when he turned 16 (named Kyaw Ko). We never saw them again since. When I was around six or seven, I remember I saw with my own eyes my uncle and aunty were shot dead by the Myanmar soldiers. I have heard that my mother's friends in my village were raped and subsequently killed by them. I had no education until I moved to the Refugee camp in Thailand where I completed Grade 4. I arrived to Mount Gambier in 2010 as a refugee. What I have been through in my country was so traumatic and sometimes I think I could have gone insane.

The second story is from Samuel, who is Karen. He says:

In 1996, I visited my parents in Hpa-pu town in Karen state. After spending a month with them, on my way back to Pathein where I was residing, I stopped by a night in my cousin's village called Day-Baw-Khaw. The Myanmar soldiers from Kha-La-Ya 19 troop knew there was a visitor in the village and they looked for me. They suspected I was a spy from the Karen National Union. They arrested me and asked me all the questions. I was hung up [to] the bars attached to the ceiling of a school with my legs tied and hands tied to my back then to the bars (I was hanging horizontal overnight). The next day, they transferred me to a pit with my legs and hands tied and my neck tied to a bamboo slab where I couldn't move my head. I was kept in that pit for 5 days and I was fed for four times during that period. I was blindfolded, and they put paper like material into my ears…As a result of my hands tied on my back while I was being hung up the ceiling, I couldn't use my shoulders for a while. As soon as the wounds on my limbs started to improve, I managed to run away. I knew I shouldn't be running back to Pathein as they have all the information of my residence in Pathein.

So I ran to the refugee camp in Thailand. I realised that I made the right decision as I heard later they returned to the village in search of me. To my knowledge, my aunt's husband and her son were both killed by the Myanmar military. My maternal uncle was taken away to serve as a porter and he was tortured. I settled in Mount Gambier in 2012.

These are just a sample of many horrific accounts of mistreatment in Myanmar, and we note many more are occurring right now. We must continue to raise awareness. We cannot let the people of Myanmar be forgotten. Bringing this motion to parliament is part of that.

The federal government has allowed more than 3,300 temporary Myanmar passport holders to extend their visa, which is welcome. However, they do not have certainty. They have been told that they can apply to extend their stay in Australia while violence is in their home country, but they have no certainty on how that will be determined and assessed. That is not certainty for people who fear for their lives if they are forced to return to Myanmar, and it does not enable them to plan for the future.

We also urge the federal government to impose tougher sanctions on the military regime in response to the February coup, and ensure that they are not in relationships with countries or organisations that are providing military or other aid to the military junta in Myanmar. Australia must condemn the use of military force in Myanmar to kill its own people, and exert pressure to ensure that order and democracy is restored. In the words of Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun at the UN General Assembly:

A yae taw pone, aung ya mye (The revolution must succeed)

The Hon. T.T. NGO (19:51): I rise to support this motion by the Hon. Clare Scriven MLC. First, I want to congratulate our Australian Myanmar community for their ongoing campaign to expose the dictatorship of the Myanmar military during the past nine months. I would also like to welcome members of the United Myanmar Community of South Australia, who are here in this chamber with us. They have been here for three hours, which just shows how passionate their community is about this issue.

The Hon. Clare Scriven MLC, Mr Chad Buchanan, Deputy Mayor of the City of Salisbury, and I have attended and spoken at many fundraising events and rallies organised by the Myanmar community in South Australia. Last Sunday, I was with the Myanmar community at the Adelaide Chin Christian Church, praying for the National Unity Government and for peace and democracy to return to the people of Myanmar. I thank the Hon. Clare Scriven for responding to the community voices and for taking on the campaign to end this devastating violence in Myanmar, hence this motion in South Australia's parliament.

The Myanmar community and wider communities are calling for help from the South Australian parliament. On 5 May 2021, I spoke out in this chamber against the violent and brutal actions of the military dictatorship in Myanmar, calling on international countries such as the US, Australia and Canada to help restore democracy to the people of Myanmar. I was the lone voice then; however, this is no longer one member's voice in this house speaking out against this brutal regime. Now other honourable members are also speaking out.

If this motion passes—which, from all indications, I believe it will—it will be the whole Legislative Council of the South Australian parliament speaking out against the brutal acts of the Tatmadaw. It is a first in Australia's state and territory parliaments. I thank all political parties and all honourable members as we unite as one to support this motion and condemn the Myanmar military's brutal actions against its people.

Finally, I want to encourage the Myanmar community not just in Australia but around the world to continue to be a strong voice for the Myanmar people and to continue your fight to free your homeland from the military dictatorship. It will not be easy restoring peace and order in Myanmar. Therefore, your voices, along with the world uniting in opposing this violent dictatorship, is essential.

As a result of international pressure we saw General Min Aung Hlaing, the army general who seized power in the February 2021 coup, excluded from the annual summit meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations because he has refused to take steps to end the deadly violence. Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Kway Moe Tun, who spoke out against the military regime, was invited instead. This outcome was likely facilitated by Myanmar's people and the international community consistently voicing their opposition to the military council. International campaigning and pressure does work.

Without any international intervention or protection this uprising is likely to only get worse. With our voices and increasing pressure from around the world a sense of hope can prevail in Myanmar. These people need action—very strong action—so that the brutal acts of the Tatmadaw can be stopped. This motion is about fighting for democracy and human rights, and I fully support it.

Ayay taw pone—Aung ya mye

Ayay taw pone—Aung ya mye

Ayay taw pone—Aung ya mye

Meaning, 'uprising, we shall win'.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (19:57): I rise on behalf of the government to speak on this important motion and express our deep concerns and sympathies to the Myanmar community. I join the mover, the Hon. Clare Scriven, and other honourable members to acknowledge the grief, devastation and enormous emotional stress and anguish our Myanmar community is experiencing from the reports of attacks and violence by Myanmar security forces in Chin State and north-west Myanmar.

The Australian government has made clear its condemnation of the situation in Myanmar, including the shocking violence and rising death toll. Over 1,200 fatalities have been reported since 1 February. Our hearts go out to the Myanmar community, who are going through despair, pain and suffering. Australia has repeatedly called on the Myanmar security forces to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and also called for the immediate release of all those unjustified detainees since the coup, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

The state government has been advised by the Australian government that the federal Minister for Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the situation in Myanmar and continues to call on the military regime to engage in dialogue and return the country towards the path of democracy as soon as possible. With our international partners and in public statements, Australia has continued to raise deep concerns and make our strong views known directly to the regime, including at ASEAN and United Nations meetings.

Australia's autonomous sanctions regime already includes a longstanding arms embargo against Myanmar. The Hon. Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has stated that Australia will continue to keep our sanctions regime under active consideration and that further sanctions have not been ruled out. Furthermore, the Australian government is supporting Myanmar citizens currently in Australia on temporary visas who wish to extend their stay.

On 5 May, the Australian government announced that Myanmar nationals in Australia on temporary visas can apply to extend their stay. I have been reassured by the advice that the Department of Home Affairs has written to Myanmar citizens holding temporary visas, inviting them to submit a new visa application if their visa is approaching expiry.

Other important information and advice I received also confirmed that the Australian government is very concerned about the COVID-19 crisis in Myanmar, including the targeting of health workers. The Australian government continues to offer humanitarian and development programs that focus on COVID-19 prevention and mitigation, including through the provision of oxygen-related equipment to Myanmar.

Australia has redirected our assistance away from working with the government ministries and government-related entities and, instead, the Australian government is delivering it through United Nations agencies, multilateral and regional partners and international non-government organisations.

Through both development and humanitarian programs, the Australian government funds a number of activities involving local NGOs and civil society in Chin State. This assistance includes support and services to the poor and vulnerable households, safe and beneficial labour migration, health services and COVID response to displaced populations, access to water and sanitation, and food assistance.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by the devastating situation in Myanmar and we extend our prayers to all those in the Myanmar and Chin community in South Australia during this very difficult time.

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet, through Multicultural Affairs, is working closely with the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs to show our support. We will work with community leaders and NGOs to support the Myanmar/Chin community in South Australia. I thank the honourable member for moving this important motion.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (20:02): I would like to thank the Hon. Tung Ngo and the Hon. Jing Lee for their contributions today and also in anticipation of the support that we are going to receive, I believe, from every member of this chamber. I think it is very important for the Myanmar community here and it is also very important that they can communicate to those who are still in Myanmar the support of this parliament. I look forward to receiving the support for this motion across the chamber.

Motion carried.