Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 2:31:31 to 2:39:41
The committee investigates the role of remittances and the importation of Burmese teak into Australia as sources of military funding. Witnesses call for an unambiguous condemnation of the military regime and broader sanctions against state-owned enterprises.
Topics: Forestry, Human rights
Speakers: Clancy Moore, Unknown Speaker, Jessica Collins, Caitlin McCaffrie, Hon Sarah Henderson, David Shoebridge, Ko Saulsman, Nikhil Singh
>> thank you so much, Chair. Uh, look, I I just have a question about um workers and remittances. I understand that a lot of the revenue coming through to the tapador is coming through uh force remittances through the foreign exchange system and the formal banking system. Uh is part of your work uh at the uh Australian Council of Trade Unions uh to uh to seek resolution or or advocate for these workers that are being uh forced to remit more through the system to
uh Senator yes in short uh it is one of the things we are looking at.
>> So was it part of your recommendations as well to uh sanction the banks uh broadly in Myanmar but also specific
>> That that is correct Senator. So we have called uh in in in in our call for additional sanctions. Uh we are looking at entities but also uh the financial instit institutions uh uh which uh which does include um um entities like the uh the economic bank uh the central bank of Myanmar
>> central bank. Excellent. and uh to the Myanmar campaign network. I note that you've got uh sanctions in here, expand and strengthen targeted sanctions on um individuals, but I'm just wondering whether that includes financial institutions as well.
>> Yes, thank you Senator for the question and it does include financial institutions particularly the Myanmar central bank as uh repres the representative from the ACTU also outlined. I would also bring to the committee's attention the strong importance of sanctioning state-owned enterprises. So these state-owned enterprises are essentially owned by the military. When they profit, when money flows through them, it lines the pockets of the hunter, including very senior military officials. Now, we know that there are a couple of key stateowned enterprises that potentially are relevant for Australia's interests. For example, Myanmar mining enterprise number one and two. And I would note a report from justice from Myanmar from 2024 that showed 10 Australian company networks being involved in the mining sector in Myanmar. Similarly, Myanmar timber enterprise which is owned and run by the Hunter. They essentially sell licenses in Yanggon to companies. Some of that timber from Myanmar ends up in Australia. So we would call strongly on the committee to recommend that the government sanctions that uh stat enterprise. And lastly, I would also point to the committee's attention the Myanmar oil and gas enterprise, which is the enterprise that controls the oil and gas trade, which is very very lucrative, the most lucrative uh sector for the Myanmar military at the moment. And just in terms of international comparison, Senator and committee members, if we look at the US, the UK, EU, and Canada without pretty much any gaps, they have sanctioned all those enterprises, all those standard enterprises. Australia to date has not. So there's a glaring omission with the role of Australia. We've been strongly in our ask and demands for Australia to sanction those entities, but to date there's no action. And we know that for sanctions to be effective, they must be coordinated with our international allies. So I think it's a very clear ask of the committee to recommend that the Australian government move forward on those sanctions.
>> Thank you. And I I just want to just uh the supply chains that are coming into Australia. Is the government aware of those goods that are coming into Australia and being traded here uh that is fueling uh financially this
I >> I think the most clearest uh area of deeper exploration is um te particular Burmese te coming from from Myanmar. Those permits those licenses are sold by the Myanmar timber enterprise. uh somehow we've got some ideas that timber ends up in Australia. Now there's data from home affairs that can quantify that and I'll take that question on notice if you like or the committee could also ask for that data.
>> Thank you.
>> Um but we do know that there is timber from Myanmar entering into Australia's um you know shops and being sold for timber decking on boats and maybe decks in people's backyards as well.
>> Wow.
Yeah, may may I add on with the ML with this T how they came because they don't register with the Thai their business's company's name or Singapore or maybe via the Indonesia as well. So it's not directly imported but they you know channel with the different other countries to come to.
>> We need to ramp up that you know analyzing that supply chain. Thank you
so much. Uh, thanks Senator Collins. Senator Shoebridge.
>> Uh, yes, Senator, we do.
>> cleansing?
>> Yeah, thank you Senator. I think your description would be pretty spot on. We don't have firsthand evidence at um at our fingertips, but we can definitely take that question on notice. Um we know that a lot of those extractive industries, for example, mining have very poor working conditions is often surrounded by conflict as well. Uh and in some areas actually helping fuel the drug trade. So it is, you know, more than likely that, you know, the conditions for those supply chains are are are pretty bad and there would be human rights abuses happening on the sidelines or within them.
>> If you could take that on notice, that would be good. I mean organizations like rainforest relief and others I think have identified some of the appalling conditions um in those in in the particularly the timber industry in one of the other issues is in the absence of coordinated action by Azan or >> Did you want to speak to that briefly?
>> I think you might be able to just
>> Yeah, thank you. Um, thanks Senator for the question. Um, yeah, we would definitely say that bilateral bilateral engagement is incredibly important and that kind of creative diplomacy role that Australia can play as an effective middle power. Um we and you'll see in our submission I think we um also support um Australia's continued work with Azan um the AAN chair this year the Philippines and the special envoy but I think those bilateral engagements in addition to that are critically important particularly for the crossber is issue a clear unambiguous condemnation of the election and a statement that From Australia's point point of view, this government that is,
you know, the result of the sham election is considered illegitimate by >> Yes, we do.
>> same here, Senator. There you would like to see that.
>> Uh thank you very much, Senator Shu. Thank you so much again for appearing today. We are uh most grateful uh the committee would uh appreciate responses to questions on notice by Friday the 27th of February 2026. And again our
>> Thank you senators.
>> Thank you.