[burmanet2-l] AUSSIE'S TRUE SKIN

[susanlocke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: [burmanet2-l] AUSSIE'S TRUE SKIN

Dear Julien,

I've read and reread the Media Releases that ABC
here in Australia has made available through its
own listserv. I cannot believe that the Minister
can have been as naive as to believe that
Australia's welcoming of Burma could be "read"
as anything other than the Australian
government's normalising the place of the regime
in ASEAN specifically and in Asia generally.

One could be kind and say that there is an
"unfortunate insensitivity" in his comments as
transcribed in his October 1 Press Release: "Mr
Vaile welcomed Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the
Memorandum of Understanding on Standards and
Conformance. "Business in the AFTA-CER region
will benefit from the increased trading
opportunities that result from a harmonised
standards and conformance infrastructure." If
only real harmony was a reality for the Burmese
people! Where has this guy been and who has he
been talking to?

I somehow don't feel that I want to be kind
about this. That a senior Australian Minister
can state this without even the smallest
qualification to indicate an understanding that
trade and human rights are inextricably linked
particularly in a country with the record of
Burma means that:

1. we activists here in Australia are still not
getting the message through, and
2. that we are dealing with a government that
has little respect for human rights in relation
to its own indigenous peoples and that is
currently attempting a name change of the
national Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission such as to remove the term Human
Rights from the title, and
3. that we are dealing with a government that
puts profits before people, as exemplified by
the Jabiluka situation

All ways we need to work harder in Australia and
take a stronger stand to put human rights abuses
firmly on the Australian agenda. The Australian
people can be moved to support the struggle for
democracy and human rights as many of you will
know from the rallies in Australia recently to
support the East Timorese people's struggle. The
strength of feeling on this issue did bring the
Australian government to action. Similarly the
support for the Reconciliation movement in
Australia has also been a sign of hope. 

But it is obvious that the underpinning,
continuous theme here in Australia is the
primacy of the trade imperative in the Foreign
Affairs portfolio. It is time that the
Australian government got serious about putting
human rights before trade and taking the trade
out of foreign affairs.

DFAT they call it here - Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade. I just call it the de fat
boys just keep on getting fatter! 

Thank you for bringing the news to Burmanet. We
will keep on working, and working harder. 

Kindest regards,
Susan Locke
FNLDA




Julien Moe wrote:
> 
> AUSSIE'S TRUE SKIN
> By Julien Moe
> 20th October 1999
> 
> Australia made some attempts to set up a human rights commission in Burma,
> crying for the moon. Opposition Leader Aung san Suu Kyi did citicise the
> Australian attempt, saying it was undesirable for the Burmese. Australia
> never suppported the CRPP established by the MPs of the NLD.
> 
> On the 19th of October 1999 Bloomberg reported that Australian Trade
> Minister Mark Vaile  said that Australia would like to establish a free
> trade agreement with Southeast Asia nations including Burma. The United
> States has never had a double standard policy toward Burma. Trade sanctions
> have been renewed year after year. The United States has prescribed  the
> same policy toward Burma. The United States favoured  the Burmese people's
> rights and freedom of the Burmese over business interests. The American
> businesses remaining in Burma cannot renew their business contracts with
> Burma as soon as the signed  contracts expire.
> 
> As for Australia, business interests are more important than rigts and
> freedom of the Burmese people. Australia wants to have a free trade with
> ASEAN natuions before 2010. Whether Burma has a democracy does not matter in
> the national interest of  Australia.  It is obvious that Australia cannot
> hide its true skin covered with business interests and profits that can be
> reaped from Burma, sidelining the sufferings of the Burmese people.
> 
> .