Senator Ludlam

A. Is the department aware of any propositions to move a fraction of Australia's aid budget up into cross-border support on the Thai-Burma border?

B. What degree of involvement does DFAT have?

Answer

A. Yes, the Department is aware of this issue, which has been the subject of representations by non-government organisations.

B. DFAT is involved in providing legal and policy advice on this issue.

Question No. 18

Page: 45

Senator Ludlam

A. I understand that the two largest exporters of arms into Burma are Russia and China. Can the department describe what representations have been made to those two countries in that regard?

B. If Russia and China are not the two largest exporters, can the department advise which country is the largest exporters of arms into Burma?

Question No. 16

Page: 46

Senator Ludlam

A. Can the department advise what role the Australian Ambassador to the UN has played in this group?

B. Has the group published any forward program or work?

Answer

Senator Ludlam

Can the department advise what information gathering is undertaken on human rights abuses in Burma, past and present? What do we actually do to inform ourselves?

Answer:

The Australian Greens are calling on the Commonwealth to immediately freeze the supply of Australian radio encryption technology to the Burmese military.‪

Senator Scott Ludlam, who has just travelled to the Thai-Burma border to meet pro-democracy campaigners and refugees, says the scandal underlines the need for an immediate review of the loose Australian sanctions regime.

The Australian Greens are encouraged by the growing international demands for Burma's military regime to be brought to account for its crimes, and for tough UN sanctions to be imposed ahead of next year elections.

"I am proud to be part of a large group of international parliamentarians signing on to a letter which has just been delivered to the United Nations Security Council, urging immediate action on Burma," Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

Senator LUDLAM-I thought we might see Mr Carlson. Does he have an away pass for some reason?

Mr Rowe-He is travelling overseas at the moment.

Senator LUDLAM-I have a couple of questions on Australia's efforts on Burma in particular. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with our Ambassador to Burma while she was here on a break and noted her huge regret, and ours, that she was not present when the regime finally allocated a small amount of time to
meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. I am just wondering how much you can tell us about what was discussed with our consular representative in Rangoon.

Senator LUDLAM (2.28 pm)-My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. What has the government done in response to revelations made by defectors from Burma's nuclear program, reported by Professor Des Ball from the ANU and also raised by the US Secretary of State in a recent ASEAN meeting, regarding the clandestine nuclear weapons program? When will our ambassador in Vienna put this on the agenda of the IAEA board of governors or, for example, raise this with the IAEA Director- General?

The Australian Greens have warned against the Rudd Government against complacency over alarming evidence of Burma’s nuclear weapons program.

Responding to questions asked by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam in the Senate today, Defence Minister John Faulkner,  representing Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, initially could not identify a single action taken by the Government to investigate evidence, widely publicised more than a month ago, of  Burma’s apparent nuclear weapons ambitions.