Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 0:01 to 19:22
The hearing opens with testimony from the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar regarding the humanitarian crisis and the need for aviation fuel sanctions. Senators inquire about the impact of reduced international aid on diaspora communities and refugee camps.
Topics: Human rights, National security
Speakers: Dr Tun Aung Shwe, Dean Smith, Hon Sarah Henderson, Jessica Collins, Unknown Speaker
Well, good morning. I declare open this hearing of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade References Committee's inquiry into democracy and human rights in Myanmar. The committee will be conducting today's hearing in person and via teleconference. I am Senator Henderson, chair of the committee, and I'm joined by the deputy chair, Senator Jaconei, Senator Whiteaker, Senator Smith, and Senator I expect uh Senator Schub will be with us shortly. Uh these are public proceedings being video streamed live via the parliament's website and a handside transcript is being made. I remind all witnesses that in giving evidence to the committee, they are protected by parliamentary privilege. It is unlawful for anyone to threaten or disadvantage a witness on account of evidence given to a committee and such action may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. It is also a contempt to give false or misleading evidence. Witnesses have also have a right to request to be heard in camera. The Senate has resolved that an officer of a department of the Commonwealth or of a state shall not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and shall be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked of the officer to superior officers or to a minister. This resolution does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies If a witness objects to answering a question, they should state the ground upon which the objection is made and the committee will determine whether it will insist on an answer having regard to the ground which is claimed. If the committee determines to insist on an answer, a witness may request that the answer be given in camera. Commonwealth officers appearing today are also reminded of the Senate order specifying the process by which a claim of public interest immunity should be raised. A copy of the order is available from the secretariat. I remind committee members and witnesses who are appearing via video conference and who are not speaking to mute their microphones. Uh on that note, and I also just will say in advance that we will need to suspend prior to 9:00 due to uh party room um commitments by Liberal senators. So I do apologize in advance for that disruption. We will try and minimize the disruption of this morning's hearing as best we can. But on that note, I'm now very pleased to hand over to Senator
>> Uh thank you very much. Welcome to your for your participation, but I think
>> No, I'm sorry. That was my error. I I meant to I've meant to welcome the witness. Apologies. >> So I now welcome Dr. Tun from the representative office of the national unity government of Myanmar. I understand that information on parliamentary privilege and the protection of witnesses giving evidence to Senate committees has been provided to you. For the handside record, would you please state your full name and the capacity in which you appear today?
>> Thank you so much and good morning chairs, deputy chairs and member of the senior reference committee. So thank you so much for opportunity for appear today and my name is Tong Au the representative of the national unity government of Myanmar. I'm here with my capacity as a representative of the the national unity government. I'm here to advocate for a peaceful return of uh to civilian rule and then the genuine federal democracy in Myanmar.
>> Thank you. uh could I invite you to make a a short opening statement and at the conclusion of your remarks I will invite members of the committee to ask questions.
>> Yeah, thank you so much. So uh today I'm here to advocate with my evidence cover five key points. The first is the state of human rights in Myamma. So since the coup, the mama military weaponized the law and used digital surveillance to crash descents. The results is a humanitarian disaster in Myamma. Air strikes on civilian area, schools, hospitals and clinics and religious buildings have displaced over 4 millions people. 16.2 million people now rely on AIDS to survive. The junda is destroying the country just to keep power. The second point is the military's elections is a sham. The first elections in late in last December and January were designed to secure military supremacy not democracy. Opposition parties were dissolved and leaders arrested. Voting only happens in very limited area. Millions of people rejected the elections. We must not recognize this onjuna upcoming fake parliaments and so-cal elected government. The third, the barriers to peace are structurals. The military actively rejects civilian rule. To survive, they rely on militias that fuel war economy that spills on drugs and scams. This destroying the rule of law, real transition is impossible in Myamma without breaking this cycle of military control and criminal governance. The fourth, this is a direct threat to Australia. My chaos hurts Australian communities. Today, over 80% of the metaphines on Australian streets come from YMA warlords. Australians are also losing billions to scam centers operating in our bora areas. The criminal networks thrives on instability in Myamma. Restoring democracy is the only way to stop the flow of drugs and scams fraud. Finally, the fifth component that is a credible alternative. The federal removes the charter offer a viable civilian pathway agree upon by their resistance. This twisted road maps prioritize a new federal constitution before holding elections. It's ensure civilian control over the military and to end the decades long armed conflict in Myamma. It is the only in conclusion I would like to say this is the only legitimate framework for the future of thank you so much chairs and senators.
>> Thank you very much. I now give the call to Senator Smith.
>> Thank you very much uh chair. I'd just like to begin by welcoming you and thanking you for the advocacy that you've undertaken for a number of years now here in Australia, but also to acknowledge the resilience of the Burmese communities throughout the world. Uh, of course in Myanmar itself, uh, but to especially acknowledge the resilience of the Burmese community here in Australia who have maintained a very very strong and loud voice in opposing uh, the military coup. When we think about the immediacy of the issues and challenges in Myanmar at the moment, would you agree that dismantling or disrupting the Burmese military's capability for air strikes on civilian populations is the most urgent issue. And just to put this in context, just in the last few days, further evidence that air strikes being used to bomb innocent people, children in schools, churches, places of worship, and hospitals just to sort of remind people of the gravity of what is happening. And of course, air strikes disrupt the ability of ethnicarmed organizations and civilian resistance to continue to progress the revolution disrupts their ability to make strategic gains against the regime. Would you agree that the focus must be now on disrupting u the importation and distribution of aviation fuel?
>> Thank you. Thank you so much, Cinderella Smith. I totally agree with you. So to cut off the uh supply chain, jet fuel supply chain to Myamar is a very urgent things to do because Myamma military is now totally relying on its air power to attack civilians in in across the country. So last night my military attack a civilian in Mya City which is in the northern part of located in northern part of Rakhai states hit uh some a few civilians are killed by air strikes last night. It's a very recent so my military attacking civilians every day by air strike in in across country. So the most important thing is to cut off the uh fuel supply change to my second thing is the the financial supply to Myamma military. So according to our records the my migrants workers remittent to my is suddenly increased four to six times from October to now. So it is impossible that the mama migrant worker got six times salary within a month. So it it is clearly show that mama military using that channel for the financing. So it may be related to uh scam centers and then other illicit business. So this is also an area to investigate the the channel
>> which then leads me to um a question about the strength and responsiveness of the sanctions regime that is that is in place not just Australia's but uh the international sanctions regime. Have you been able to identify any specific areas or actions that Australia should take but is not taking to strengthen the sanctions regime to consciously and deliberately interrupt the importation and distribution of aviation fuel.
>> Thank you so much. I I do believe that one of the uh targeted session to the area is the the shipment uh is insurance agency given the uh working with the the the fewer supply chain in ship uh shipments. So if we are able to consider the uh marine insurance company who are working with the the the the company transporting the fuel there will be a choke point to stop the uh the jet fuel supply chain. The second thing is my military control bank. So central bank of my other uh other banks in my mama economics banks. So these are another way to uh it's a choke point for the financial sanctions.
>> In uh evidence to this committee in their written submission, Justice for Myanmar has identified two specific recommendations in in regards to strengthening Australia's sanctioned regime. If you've had a look, if you've had an opportunity to review those two recommendations, do you support um the enforcement of those two recommendations? This is the submission from Justice for
>> Yeah. So, unfortunately, I didn't get chance to look at the Justice for Myar submission, but I going to look at it and I will submit another short paper to Secretariat for for the committee consideration.
>> Final two questions for myself before uh the chair invites others. Is it your observation that we there is clear evidence now of cooperation between the Iranian regime and the Burmese military regime regards the importation of aviation fuel into Myanmar and the use of that aviation fuel those fuel imports to attack innocent people through air strikes. Do you believe that there is enough compelling evidence internationally to support that claim?
>> Yes, I do believe. So according to the reliable uh souras including medias and then the investigative organizations watchdog organization this is a very reliable information that Iranian uh companies providing the fuel jet fuel supply to my
>> and on exactly this point there has been a public report from which identifies the vessels that are used to import aviation fuel. One of those vessels is sanctioned by Australia's sanctioned regime. The other one is not. And I'll be asking officials from the Foreign Affairs and Trade Department this morning to provide an explanation about why one vessel is sanctioned and the other is not and the speed at which they will now move to sanction all of those all of those uh vessels. Just turning to the matter of humanitarian How has the withdrawal and change of composition of US aid undermined the delivery of humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons? In addition to that, is this reason enough for the Australian government to increase its level of humanitarian assistance to fill that gap? and then any comments or observations you might have about how we can introduce much greater flexibility in to Australia's humanitarian assistance program to better support diaspora communities like those in Western Australia and other places across the country to provide humanitarian uh support to uh refugees and to displaced people in Myanmar. Yes,
I do agree. Since the U uh US8 step back for the humanitarian assistant in Myamma, the refugee camps along the time bora, they suffer a lot including the metro clinic which is a uh the one of the very significant clinics many migrants workers rely on the this medical center. So me clinically another one suffer from the step back of the US humanitarian assistant and then I do appreciate the Australian government providing the humanitarian assistant. It's a big donor to my today and then yes uh mama diaspora community in Australia they are tirelessly working with uh people in my on ground supporting by various mean. So if Australian government able to consider the mama diaspora community especially the registered diaspora organizations in Australia as the one of the best ways to support and to reach to those in needs in my
>> thank you very much and again thank you for your uh constant uh advocacy in what are very difficult circumstances. Thank you. Thank you chair.
>> Uh thank you very much uh Senator Smith. Uh look uh are there any other questions from any other senators? Oh, Senator Collins.
>> Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Dr. a real privilege to have you here today and hearing your testimony. Thank you so much. Uh I just had some follow-up questions on the humanitarian situation. Uh can you give us a sense as to whether uh any more displaced persons or um refugees had to go to the Thai Burma border as a result of the elections? Was there any violence or any fear that was um uh driving that
>> yeah displacement? >> Yeah, thank you so much for the question Senita Colin. So the one of the uh one of the pushing factors for the Myamar people to flee from Myamma is uh force uh conscriptions. The second thing is the air strikes and then the attack on the civilian area. The third one is the hunger. So now over 62 millions people they are relying on the international aids and then because of the military full cut strategies. So cutting food and then information recruits and intelligence many many people are suffering. So these are the drivers pushing the people uh abandon their home and police and flee to neighboring country especially Thailand. And uh are
the people on the in the Thai Burma border camps? I understand there's are there still nine >> nine camps operating on the
>> Yes.
>> Uh are they getting the food that they need there or is that increasingly under pressure with the cuts?
>> They they are under under enormous pressure. So their advocates uh approaching our diaspora community in Australia to support as much as we can. So even in very near uh Dr. Cynthia Ma who who run the MER clinicage she has to make a visit to Australia. Yeah. So the main reason is to discuss about this situation and then they get assistant from the LMA diaspora community and Australian organization.
>> Sorry who who's making the the trip to Australia to get support? Did you say can you just clarify what you said for me please?
>> Dr. Cynthia Mo. Right.
>> Okay. So, you're the the camps are relying on the diaspora to to provide to fill the gaps and support that you need in the refugee camps. Is that correct?
>> Yes, correct.
>> Okay. Have you had any indication at all from the Australian government as to whether they would be uh increasing
>> Yep. So according to the the the humanity assistant figures, Australian government increase the humanity assistant but uh informations are very limited. So I I I do not know that allocation of the funding where where to UN agency or ASEAN or uh the the refugee camps. So that is the very limited information. So I do not know although