George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday, a demonstration was held in Mackay regarding the Myanmar military junta and the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Myanmar. That demonstration was organised by a local doctor, Dr Nang Nguyen. While I could not be there for that because I was en route to this place, I sent my best regards on behalf of the people of Dawson to those who were protesting, because this is quite a serious issue. This is an issue that all Australians should be concerned about. The Myanmar military, led by commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing, seized control of the democratically elected government on 1 February this year following a general election last year in which Aung San Suu Kyi and her civilian National League for Democracy party won a very large majority. The armed forces backed the opposition, who were demanding a rerun of the vote, claiming widespread fraud. But that claim has been disputed by the independent election commission in Myanmar, which says there is no evidence to support those claims. The coup took place as a new session of the parliament was set to open. Mrs Suu Kyi has been held at an unknown location since the coup. She is facing various jumped-up charges. One of them is violating COVID-19 restrictions. It sounds like something from your state, unfortunately, Mr Speaker. That is the kind of thing that she is being charged with and held on now.

According to the UN, 149 people have been killed during the civil disobedience, as the state claims, since 1 February. 'Civil disobedience' is another phrase for protests, and many of these have been peaceful protests. Some media outlets are saying that number is understating the fact and there could have been up to 250 deaths. We know that thousands have been arrested. And we know that earlier this month the police opened fire on peaceful protesters with submachine guns. There was taken what is going to be a famous photo that should be an emblem for peace in that part of the world and an emblem against oppression. That was the photo of Sister Ann Rose Lasang Nu Tawng, who was kneeling in front of police officers, pleading for them not to fire upon innocent people in the crowd but to kill her, to take her life. I have to say that that was a sign of true Christianity at play—a woman willing to lay down her own life. She brought police officers to their knees but, ultimately, the police did what they were going to do and fired on these people, killing people. They have low-accuracy guns, used for close-quarters combat. The use of them against a crowd would indicate that they were firing indiscriminately. Video clips of the protesters being executed at point-blank range in the street have been circulated widely. Reports of protesters being shot in the head in order to kill them instantly have been out there also. It is now law that protesters, even peaceful protesters, will receive an unappealable death penalty. Many have been slaughtered in the street. Some are taken to a cell and then executed.

It is very interesting that, in January this year, the junta leader met with the Chinese communist minister for foreign affairs, Wang Yi, who palled up to him and said that Myanmar was a brother under his leadership and then all of this happened. Many in Myanmar believe that China not only knew about the military takeover beforehand but sent soldiers over the border to assist the army. We don't know what the proof of that is. Both of these countries are now under dictatorial control. Myanmar has done the Chinese thing by cutting off the internet to its citizens and blocking most of the outside world from knowing what the hell is going on there. What we do know is that China are the major arms supplier to the Myanmar military and that weapons that are being used to kill Myanmar citizens have been supplied by the Chinese. We know that the Chinese Communist Party are certainly not opposing what is going on in Myanmar. I am very, very worried that the CCP may have tried to gain, and may have successfully gained, a beachhead in Myanmar that will be the propagation of the sort of totalitarian oppression and dictatorship we have become used to in their country. We in a democratic nation like Australia need to do all we can in backing democracy restoration in Myanmar and the people of Myanmar.

House adjourned at 20:00