[Greens-Media] NSW Parliament supports move to Burma sanctions

[John Kaye]

NSW Parliament supports move to Burma sanctions
 
Media release: 14 September 2010
 
The NSW Legislative Council last week moved to support sanctions on the
Burmese oil and gas industry to stop the serious human rights abuses
they cause. 
 
Greens NSW MP John Kaye, who moved the motion, said: "The state-owned
Burmese resource company Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise is funding the
regime and relying on the armed forces to do their dirty work. 
 
"Innocent people and the environment are suffering at the hands of the
Burmese military doing the dirty work for an industry that that is still
allowed to trade with Australia. 
 
"The NSW Upper House called on the Federal Government to start work on
sending a clear message to the Burmese regime and the resource sector
that systematic human rights violations will not be tolerated.
 
"Financial and trade sanctions are the best way to tell the Myanmar Oil
and Gas Enterprise and the dictatorship that they must respect the human
rights of the communities that live near the resource development
sites.
 
"Putting pressure on the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise will undermine
the military regime and help push for real reform in Burma.
 
"The NSW Upper House was persuaded that something has to be done. The
serious concerns raised by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to
Burma Tomas Quintana cannot be ignored.
 
"Mr Quintana has put on record the armed forces' systematic use of
violence to ram through resource developments against the will of local
communities. 
 
"The motion passed without opposition, demonstrating the widely held
concern amongst all parties for the welfare of the Burmese people.
 
"It is a credit to all members of the state's Upper House that they
understand the urgent need to stop supporting companies that are
directly involved in systematic human rights abuses.
 
"NSW is the first parliament to talk sanctions but it should not be the
last," Dr Kaye said.
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
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Motion passed in the NSW Legislative Council * Thursday 9 September: 
 
Dr Kaye moved, according to notice, as by leave amended:
 
1. That this House notes that the March 2010 report of the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights to Burma, Tomas Quintana, raises serious
human rights concerns in relation to the military regime's development
of the nation's oil and gas resources and, in particular, states that:
 
(a) "the depletion of natural resources is of concern, as is the
relationship between extractive industries and a vast array of human
rights violations",
 
(b) "...extraction activities have directly resulted in an increase in
human rights and environmental abuses committed by the military against
the people living along PTT Exploration and Production Public Company's
Yadana and Yetagun gas pipeline project in the Tenasserim region of
Myanmar. Reports highlight the close relationship between the extraction
companies and the armed forces. The companies rely on the Myanmar
military to provide security for their projects",
 
(c) "similar negative impact is caused in the context of the Kanbauk to
Myaing Kalay gas pipeline project, operated by the Myanmar Oil and Gas
Enterprise, and the Shwe gas pipeline project", and
 
(d) "Myanmar's earnings from natural gas are recorded at the official
exchange rate for the kyat which over-values the currency by 150-200
times its market value* Since 2000, $4.8 billion of $4.83 billion of the
Government's revenues on the Yadana Project appears not to have been
included in the national budget".
 
2. That this House calls on the Federal Government to give
consideration to: 
 
(a) placing the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise on Australia's financial
sanctions list, and
 
(b) imposing targeted trade and investment sanctions on Burma's oil and
gas industry.
 
Question put and passed.
 

 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parl
iament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000