Australia to give aid to Burma
Source: 25-JUL-2008 Intellasia | Time
Jul 25, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM Australia announced Wednesday an extra US$29 million in aid for survivors of Burma's May cyclone, but pressed its recalcitrant military junta to democratise quickly and respect human rights.

Australian Foreign minister Stephen Smith said he informed his Burma counterpart, Nyan Win, of the aid during a meeting Tuesday on the sidelines of an annual security meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its Asian and Western dialogue partners in Singapore.

Smith also called on the junta to ensure that general elections in 2010 will be free and fair and will allow the political opposition, including long detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, to participate.

"We want to see Burma return to respect for human rights, respect for the rule of law and we want to see democracy return to Burma," Smith said he told Win.

Nyan Win gave "the usual Burma reaction," Smith said, referring to the junta's customary explanation that it is fulfilling a promise to reform under a long announced roadmap to democracy.

Smith's remarks were the first of many expected to be unleashed against Burma's ruling generals by top Western diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is expected to attend Thursday's Asean Regional Forum, Asia's largest security gathering.

The international community has condemned Burma's junta for its refusal to restore democracy, a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year and its failure to release Nobel laureate Suu Kyi and other political detainees. Asean, which includes Burma, has also been criticised for not doing enough to pressure Burma's military leaders.

The Senate passed an embargo late Tuesday prohibiting imports of gemstones from Burma. It now goes to President Bush to be signed into law.

Smith said the new financial assistance to Burma follows US$24.27 million in aid Canberra provided shortly after the May 2-3 Cyclone Nargis devastated wide swathes of the impoverished Southeast Asian country, killing more than 84,000 people.

He said he repeated to Nyan Win widespread criticism of Burma for its slow response to the disaster and its initial refusal to accept international aid and bar relief workers.

Burma eventually cooperated with Asean and UN humanitarian operations, but it remains unclear how long that cooperation will last.

Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its dialogue partners include Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.