Response to ongoing atrocity crimes
As the atrocity crimes committed by the Myanmar military escalate, Myanmar Campaign Network and Victorian State MPs write to Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to express their support for Australian targeted sanctions on the Myanmar military, its associates, and its network of businesses.
Recent attacks on civilians, such as the assault on a school in Let Yet Kone by helicopter gunships that killed 7 children, and the massacre of 80 people in an aerial attack on a music festival in Kachin state have shocked Australians.
Targeted sanctions will cut off foreign revenue the junta uses to purchase weapons.
Cross-party Support
Showing strong cross-party support for targeted sanctions, the letter was signed by the following:
Mr Bruce Atkinson MLC, Liberal Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region
Ms Christine Couzens MP, Labor Member for Geelong
Mr Will Fowles MP, Labor Member for Burwood
Mr Matt Fregon MP, Labor Member for Mount Waverley
Mr Gary Maas MP, Labor Member for Narre Warren South
Mr Stephen McGhie MP, Labor Member for Melton
Mr Andy Meddick MLC, Animal Justice Party Member for Western Victoria
Dr Samantha Ratnam MLC, Leader of the Victorian Greens, on behalf of The Victorian Greens
Mr Meng Heang Tak MP, Labor Member for Clarinda
Mr Lee Tarlamis MLC, Labor Member for South-Eastern Metropolitan
“We are seeing growing support for targeted sanctions at both a state and federal level. Australia is in a unique position in terms of our democratic values and legislature to take immediate against the brutal Myanmar military regime.”
Myanmar Campaign Network campaign manager, Tasneem Roc
Australia can immediately issue targeted sanctions
Hosted by Mr Meng Heang Tak MP, Myanmar Campaign Network briefed members of the Victorian State Parliament on the current situation in Myanmar, and the opportunities for Australian-led solutions to limit the Myanmar military’s access to foreign revenue.
Australia is able to immediately issue targeted sanctions under our existing Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 of the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 as well as the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Magnitsky-style and Other Thematic Sanctions) Regulations 2021.
But Australia has issued no new sanctions since the 1 February 2021 coup.
Who should be sanctioned?
The letter states:
“We encourage the Australian Government to immediately impose targeted sanctions on military-owned entities, state-owned enterprises controlled by the military, leaders of the military junta, their immediate families, and their business associates, aligning Australia’s actions with our democratic allies.”