Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 1:10:27 to 2:02:34
Following a suspension, the hearing resumes with a detailed breakdown of the illegitimate Myanmar election results. Witnesses emphasize Thailand's critical role in enforcing banking sanctions and disrupting military supply chains.
Topics: Human rights, Trade policy
Speakers: Christopher Sidoti, David Shoebridge, Elaine Pearson, Unknown Speaker, Daniela Gavshon, Hon Sarah Henderson
All right. Good morning again everyone. We are now in session. Thank you so much again for your forbearance. We are continuing with human rights watch and the special special advisory council for my uh Senator Schub uh you have questions.
>> Yeah, thanks Shar. And I know the time is short um going from one coup to another. Um the um
>> I'm not going to dignify that with a response, but Senator Schub, you have
>> Thank you, chair. The um the elections have now been finalized in in Myanmar. Well, the elections so to speak have been finalized in Myanmar. Um is that right, Miss Pearson?
>> Yeah, the Sham elections. Um so just to give you I guess a precursor of the results the USDP is the military party. They have claimed uh 339 seats. Then there's 166 that are already appointed um by the military active members of the military under the constitution. So that means 505 out of the 586 seats in the upper and lower house um are going to the military or the military backed party. That's 86%. And so the remaining seats are 20 or so uh other parties including ethnic parties but you know it's a very small
>> Yeah. I mean those numbers show what a sham election it is. Now, the Australian government's been critical of the leadup to the election and made some statements that I think have been useful criticizing the um now would be a good moment, wouldn't it, for an clear, unambiguous statement from the Australian government that they don't accept the results and they state clearly that this is an illegitimate election and an illegitimate government.
Yes, I think we need a clear unambiguous statement from the Australian government that this is an illegitimate government um and that they are not recognized. I mean, let's also remember that, you know, the voter turnout was very low. I think it was only 54% and then the election couldn't happen in parts of the country. I think it was only yeah, 263 out of 330 townships that could take place because of the intensifying arm conflict. So we do need a a strong statement beyond saying that the vote was not free and fair that the resulting government in quotes is illegitimate.
>> Um and and just quickly the there's talk about Australia showing leadership in the absence of Azan acting, but there's also the immediate neighbors um of Myanmar. Um, should Australia be having a dialogue with the new Bangladesh government when it's elected and with the government in Thailand to talk about allowing additional support through? And I might um open both of these issues up to to Chris Sedod as well. Um, um, Mrs. Mr. Sodi, if you want to speak on the election point or on the relationship, you know, what Australia could say to Thailand and Bangladesh about potentially allowing freer um movement of goods and people across the border.
>> Um maybe Senator, I'll go first and then Elaine can can follow on this occasion. Um the election clearly is completely illegitimate. There is no doubt about that at all. Um Elaine Pearson referred to the fact that it could not take place in a large number of townships. Even in those where there was voting, there were many parts of the townships that were unable to conduct polling. And so people very large numbers of people were simply unable to vote even if they wanted to. But as as the representative of the NUG said earlier before the committee, many of those who did vote uh did so in a situation where they were fearful not to vote and that they had the practice of marking fingers with indelible ink. And that's fine for preventing voter fraud, but it also meant that out on the streets, the military and their their cronies were able to identify who had voted and who had not. And so those who didn't have the indelible ink could be singled out for um for mistreatment, harassment, intimidation, and indeed forced to vote. So there is nothing about this election that uh that can be considered legitimate. On your second point, Senator, relating to what Australia should be saying, um, yes, there should certainly be efforts with Thailand and Bangladesh and with India to uh promote crossber aid into the areas that are occupied by the ethnic organizations. Uh, this is where the poverty is the greatest and the need is the greatest. That's not to say that there is not need as well even in cities like Yanggon and Manderlay, but it is greatest in these ethnic controlled areas on the borders. And so getting aid in across those land borders is absolutely essential. But Australia needs to be talking to more than the immediate neighbors. We need to be talking to all of the countries in the region about developing a breakthrough for the overall situation in Myanmar. Humanitarian aid is critical, but resolving the situation is is the basic issue that needs to be addressed.
Miss Mason,
>> I just wanted to make one comment about Thailand and when we spoke earlier about sanctions, one of the things that obviously um infor enforcement of the sanctions is really important and so we really rely on Thailand um to to enforce the sanctions and not be processing through its banks any of the Hunter um you know revenue streams and so it would be really good for Australia to be making be corelling other states like the US, Canada, UK to making a joint representation to Thailand asking them to be enforcing the sanctions. Yes.