Penny Wong flags sanctions against Myanmar military junta

The foreign minister also indicates a formal acknowledgement of Myanmar’s civilian government in exile is also on the cards.

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah (R) shaking hands with Penny Wong upon her arrival in Putrajaya. Picture: Supplied

Penny Wong has flagged coming sanctions against the Myanmar military junta and formal engagement of the country’s civilian government in exile, the National UnityGovernment, as the federal government works through regional interlocutors to secure the release of detained Australian economist Sean Turnell.

The foreign minister said Australia shared the frustrations expressed by some ASEAN partners at the lack of progress in resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung san Suu Kyi, and that sanctions against the junta were “under active consideration”.

“I said clearly before the election that was something we thought was necessary and you should anticipate that’s a matter under active consideration,” Senator Wong said in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, part of a four day visit to Vietnam and Malaysia.

“Professor Turnell is our first priority when it comes to Myanmar and we have obviously engaged with regional counterparts about this issue. We..will continue to press through regional interlocutors our view about the importance of Professor Turnell being released.

Dr Sean Turnell with his wife Ha Vu. Turnell has been arrested and detained by the military in Myanmar as part of a coup. Picture: Facebook

“One of the things I did in opposition was to engage with NUG and it is my intention to do so again,” she added.

The comments come as hundreds of Myanmar and international civil organisations urged the new foreign minister on Wednesday to impose targeted sanctions on senior Myanmar junta officials and military businesses, and to warn Australian companies off investing in the country.

An open letter signed by some 688 organisations appeals to Senator Wong to make good on her demands while in opposition for Australia to “take a stand” against the junta that overthrew the democratic government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

Among the group’s 15 recommendations are that Australia stops funnelling financial assistance to Myanmar through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), an intergovernmental humanitarian disaster management body which partners with the junta “allowing the military to weaponise humanitarian aid”.It also calls on the government to reject the junta’s ambassadorial appointee to Australia, ensure Australia’s Future Fund divests from all businesses providing arms and revenue to the military junta, and to urge the UN Security Council to impose a global arms embargo on the junta that seized power in February 2021. “We note your past comments that Australia ‘cannot be a bystander to a direct attack on Myanmar’s democracy’ and your call for the Australian government ‘to take a stand’ for democracy in Myanmar and to impose targeted sanctions,” it reads.

The Morrison Government…..failed to impose targeted sanctions, failed to join efforts for international accountability, failed to recognise the National Unity Government (the parallel administration of ousted MPs) as the legitimate government, and continually legitimised the junta through bilateral and multilateral engagement.”

Australia’s defence department confirmed last week it would skip next month’s ASEAN plus Expert Working Group on Counter Terrorism group, which is co-chaired by Myanmar and Russia and is to be held in Moscow.

It is the first time in eleven years Australia will have missed a meeting of the group which comprises all ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Australia, US, Japan, Russia, New Zealand, India and South Korea.Former defence minister Peter Dutton attended at least two meetings of the working group

virtually last year, drawing scathing criticism that he was legitimising the Myanmar military

junta that ousted the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The former Morrison government imposed hundreds of sanctions against senior Russian officials, its military and associated businesses since Russia invaded Ukraine in February but no new sanctions on the Myanmar military despite its deadly, ongoing security crackdown on mass civilian opposition to its regime.

More than 2000 civilians have been killed and 14,000 arrested, including Suu Kyi, senior members of her ousted government and Australian economics professor Sean Turnell.

His continued detention, and ongoing trial on spurious charges that he breached state secrets as Suu Kyi’s economics policy advisor, is believed to be one of the reasons for government’s reticence to impose sanctions on the junta.

At least a million people have displaced, while 14 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the 18 months since the coup, which has also crippled Myanmar’s economy. Millions have lost their jobs even as the currency has plummeted and prices of essential goods surged.DFAT has said the government is reviewing Australia’s policy settings on Myanmar.

I was born in Malaysia and it is an honour to be visiting now as Australia’s Foreign Minister.

I had a warm and productive meeting with my counterpart, @saifuddinabd, where we discussed a range of issues of shared interest.

I look forward to welcoming him to Australia soon. pic.twitter.com/71xTxk5UFu

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 28, 2022

“Consistent with the approach we take on all sanctions regimes, it would not be appropriate to discuss whether specific persons or entities are under consideration for sanctions,” a spokesperson told the ABC.

“Australia remains deeply concerned by the ongoing detention and trial of Professor Sean Turnell.”

But Khin Ohmar from Progressive Voice, a Myanmar NGO which co-signed the letter to Senator Wong, told The Australian it was vital the new government “set itself apart from the Morrison Government by immediately imposing sanctions against the Myanmar military junta”.

“It is a disgrace that Australia, as a full-fledged democracy, has fallen far behind other democracies in imposing sanctions and acting on Myanmar, ignoring the Myanmar people’s outcry and plea,” he said.

“The junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity are funded by businesses that continue to profit from the murder of children, airstrikes and burning of villages.

“Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, also profits from these atrocity crimes as it maintains investments in businesses that provide arms and revenue to the Myanmar military junta.”

Documents obtained under freedom of information legislation last November showed the Future Fund held almost $158 million in 14 companies with ties to the military.

It has since divested $5 million from a Chinese weapons company whose subsidiary sold aircraft and missiles to the Myanmar military.