BRCA President Mr. Anwar’s interview with SBS World
Radio News over the concern of President Thein Sein visit to Australia
The Federal Government is being urged
to raise human rights issues during a visit next week by Burma’s President
Thein Sein.
Radio Link
Santilla Chingaipe has the details.
Recently, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma released a
report highlighting developments in Burma after decades of military rule.
Tomas Ojea Quintana says despite progress, Burma still needs to tackle
serious human rights challenges.
Mr Quintana says only then can democratic transition and national
reconciliation succeed.
“It requires ensuring that new legislation such as the proposed Printing
and Publishing Law does not claw back advances in freedom of expression. It
includes repealing legislation that remains a legacy from previous military
governments such as the 1908 Unlawful Association Act and it requires capacity
for the police and army personnel so that people are no longer beaten for the
acts of peacefully expressing their views. This reform process must address
these shortfalls now.”
Activist group, Burma Campaign Australia, says President Thein Sein’s
visit to Australia provides an opportunity to raise concerns about fundamental
freedoms.
Spokeswoman Zetty Brake says all ethnic groups should be able to enjoy
the same freedoms in Burma.
“We want to see equality given to those ethnic nationalities and for
different religions to be respected as well. This means we want to see ethnic
groups having self determination and being able to have control over their
lands and their resources. This is very much not the case at the moment, where
we’re seeing conflict happening to get control over resources. People should be
respected for their different ethnic nationalities and that really is something
that needs to change in Burma and its something the Australian government can
raise and push further the Burmese government on.”
One such group are the ethnic Rohingya Muslims.
Estimated to number about 800,000, the United Nations have called the
Rohingya one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world.
Unrest between the Muslim Rohingya and Buddhists since June last year
has left almost 200 people dead and about 120,000 displaced.
The UN says this has led thousands of Rohingya to seek refuge in
Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
Mohammed Anwar is from the Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia.
Mr Anwar says Australia is in a strong position to help end
discrimination against Rohingya in Burma.
“Australia should show off its human rights capabilities to Burma
otherwise, I believe that because Australia has got its security post on the UN
[Security] Council, Australia has a big role to bring justice for the people or
to bring rights for the abused people.”
Mr Anwar says the plight of the Rohingya – and those fleeing as refugees
– needs to be recognised.
“If the international community leaves it as an internal matter of
Burma, the Rohingya issue, then it will not be solved maybe even in 100 years
because the majority of the Burmese people do not like the Rohingya, and they
are against them. That [hate] has been created by the media and also some
respected political figures. They all use different terms for Rohingya and they
are all claiming that these people are illegal immigrants. That’s why we need
international support, we need international help.”
In addition to talks with government officials while in Australia,
President Thein Sein will also meet business leaders.
However, Zetty Brake from Burma Campaign Australia says it’s too soon to
be holding business talks with Burma.
“What we haven’t seen in Burma is significant reforms to the business
environment and what we do know is that foreign investment often has been
linked to human rights abuses, to the displacement of tens of thousands of
people in Burma and to the loss of livelihood for many of those people. Many
local communities do not benefit from foreign investment and meeting with
business leaders is premature.”
President Thein Sein will visit between Sunday and Wednesday, and is
expected to make a trip to Canberra.
It will be the first visit to Australia by a Burmese head of state since
1974.
Source Mayu Press: