Greens candidates for the September local government election have expressed their frustration with the lack of action by Australia, especially the federal government, in addressing the current violence in Myanmar.
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Candidates Lauren Edwards, Stuart Watson, Les Mitchell and Drusi Megget, who will run a ticket for a place on Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, said compared to the actions of the governments of USA, EU, UK and others on freezing all assets of Myanmar's senior military in their countries, Australia's silence and lack of action has been most disappointing.
The Greens urge the Myanmar military to release those that have been detained, and to cease interference with election outcomes and democratic transition.
"The local Greens candidates have been very moved by the appeals of Tin Hta Nu, a Myanmar-born local resident, who has friends and family in Burma and who has been making strong representations to the Australian Government, the UN and other governments," Ms Edwards said.
"Australia has over 50 companies operating in Myanmar. These companies really need to take a hard look at their moral position while they continue to operate in conditions where citizens are being slaughtered daily by their own military.
"As of April 19, there were 3261 people under detention, 970 being issued arrest warrants, 738 killed violently including 44 children. There had also been using of violent unnecessary tactics used by the military such as exposing the tortured dissidents to the public, detention of intellectuals and supporters of the demonstrators, bombing villages, vandalising the people's properties, confiscating food set for the peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) demonstrators, setting fire on the suspected residential areas."
Tin requests the Australian government as a strong nation in Asia and the Pacific to lead in gaining the freedom for Myanmar as done in East Timor.