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Australian Senate, Statement by Sen



Subject: Australian Senate, Statement by Senator Vicki Bourne

Free Burma Coalition, Australia

	[P R O O F]

	Extract from the CURRENT SENATE
HANSARD Database
	Date: 29 March 1999  (22:22)
             Page: 3117


ADJOURNMENT
Aris, Dr Michael: Death


	Senator BOURNE (New South Wales) (10.27 p.m.)--Tonight I want to talk 
about the death of a hero. Dr Michael Aris was a humanitarian academic, a 
Tibetan specialist and the husband of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi.

	Dr Aris passed away on Saturday, 27 March. His illness was brought to 
international attention by the Burmese military regime's refusal to allow 
Dr Aris to visit Daw Suu Kyi in Burma before he became too seriously ill to 
travel. Dr Aris had been applying for a visa for the past three years, even 
when he was not aware of his illness. In recent months, however, the 
requests became urgent. Even when he was ill, he did not pressure Daw Suu 
Kyi to leave Burma to visit him in Oxford because he respected and 
supported the immense and unwavering responsibility which she has for her 
country and its people.

	The story of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Dr Michael Aris is one of 
commitment, sacrifice, courage and love. They were married in 1972 and they 
have two children, Alexander and Kim, both now in their 20s, and both cut 
off from their mother for years because of the actions of the Burmese 
military regime. These young men cannot visit their mother in Burma because 
the military junta, the State Peace and Development Council, will not allow 
them to. Daw Suu Kyi will not leave Burma because the SPDC has made 
undertakings to her in the past about her freedom of movement but each time 
has reneged on its promises. The SPDC now tell Suu Kyi that she may leave 
Burma to attend her husband's funeral. She feels she cannot because she 
would not be allowed to return. In this, as in so many things, the SPDC 
cannot be trusted.

	Dr Aris died on his 53rd birthday. It also happened to be the Myanmar 
National Army Day--Tatmadaw Day--a day when the army parades its strength, 
and did so with 6,000 troops taking to the streets in what has become an 
annual part of the military's intimidation tactics. Ironically, the day was 
originally called Resistance Day, and was meant to be a day of celebration 
for the Burmese people to celebrate the struggle of the Burmese people 
against Japanese occupation in World War Two. Now it serves to remind of 

the struggle of the Burmese people against another kind of occupation--that 
of their own military junta.

	The opposition--the National League for Democracy--of which Daw Suu Kyi is 
the leader issued a statement calling for unity and restoration of 
democracy in Burma. In doing so, they are also pleading for the support of 
the international community for their cause--the protection of human rights 
and the restoration of democracy.

	The military was also condemned by the national coalition government of 
the Union of Burma, which comprises members of parliament who were driven  
into exile after the military refused to honour the result of the 1990 
national election which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won in a 
landslide victory. Australia is now home to several of those exiled members 
of parliament.

	We take our democracy so much for granted in this country that we just 
cannot conceive of what it must be like to actually win government and 
never be allowed to govern. More than that, just because you are a member 
of the political party successful in an election, you are subject to 
torture, imprisonment, arbitrary detention and persecution.

	Daw Suu Kyi enjoys overwhelming support from the Burmese people, and from 
the international community. She lives a restricted life of virtual house 
arrest and has done for many years. The military have used many strategies 
to attempt to force her to give up her struggle. Through all this, and for 
the whole of their life together, Michael Aris was unfailingly 
understanding and supportive of her.

	International human rights groups, the President of the United States and 
the United Nations Secretary-General have all condemned the military's 
decision not to grant a visa to Dr Aris to enable him and his sons to visit 
Suu Kyi. I am concerned, however, that the Australian government seems to 
be wavering in its resolve to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the properly 
elected government of Burma.

	It concerns me that the minister recently criticised the European Union 
for maintaining the policy prohibiting visits by Burmese military ministers 
and also that Australia broke ranks with other Western nations by attending 
a controversial narcotics conference held in Rangoon at ambassadorial 
level, not just at the law enforcement level, as originally offered as 
justification. I hope that the government is not weakening Australia's 
position on Burma. I believe now is the time for it to clarify that policy. 

	Dr Aris last saw his wife in January 1996. After that, the Burmese SPDC  
repeatedly denied him a visa, even when they knew he was dying. He was 
reported to have been willing to die in Rangoon, if he could just have seen 
his beloved Suu one more time. It is too late now for a husband and wife to 
be united, but it is not too late for a mother to be reunited with her 
sons. The SPDC should, of course, immediately grant visas to Alexander and 
Kim Aris to visit their mother at this most tragic time for their family.

	Michael was one of a group of distinguished scholars who focused on the 
humanitarian aspects of Buddhism and the history of parts of South Asia. He 

was the gentle scholar and she was the political activist. His great love 
for his wife drew him into the role of her spokesman, and an unwavering 
supporter of the rights of the Burmese people.

	The situation in Burma is just as awful as that in Serbia. Australia must 
look closely at our own actions in relation to Burma, and our own failure 
to influence change there. We send our condolences to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
and her two sons, Alexander and Kim, and we hope that the SPDC can be 
prevailed upon to at least allow them to be together at this very sad time. 

Senate adjourned at 10.33 p.m.