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Only UN sanctions will work: Downer
Only UN sanctions will work: Downer
Canberra, Nov. 15: Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi
has attacked the Australian government's stand on her country's
military rulers and called for stronger action.
"Canberra should not rule out sanctions against the military regime,
Ms Suu Kyi said on Thursday night on Australian Broadcasting
Corp. Television.
"I think that sitting on the fence must be an extremely
uncomfortable position," she said. "I think the Australian
government should have a far more clear cut policy," said the Nobel
prize winner, whose car was attacked by government supporters
with rocks and sticks last weekend.
"I do not think that any government can say that sanctions don't
work, just like that. Sanctions do work under certain circumstances
and even, I would say, that under most circumstances, sanctions do
work to a certain extent," Ms Suu Kyi said. But Australia foreign
affairs minister Alexander Downer ruled out sanctions, saying trade
levels between the two countries, were so low that Burma would
hardly notice.
"Only UN sanctions would work and there was no prospect of the
security council agreeing to such a move," Mr Downer said.
"Sanctions by us would simply be a press release, and not much
else," he said.
He said he regretted that the Burmese leadership was not
responding to requests for a more liberal rule.
"I deeply regret that and I would be the first to admit that
international pressure so far has not delivered the liberalisation of
Burma or even the open dialogue," Mr Downer said.
The new Conservative coalition government has adopted the same
stand on Burma as the former Labour government. (AP)