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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)