A lecturer in sociology and peace studies at the University of New England (UNE) says she is very disappointed at the 'slowness of the government's response' and the 'focus on trade and business' after reading the report from last week's hearing into the Australian community's concerns regarding the current political strife in Myanmar.
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Dr Garnett has lived and worked in Myanmar for extended periods since 2013. She said that her friends and colleagues there are safe so far, but appalling stories are reaching her.
"Tales of young people, too many women, being grabbed off the streets and tortured and then their bodies being returned to their families," she said.
"The dictator Senior General Aung Min Hlaing is heading to a meeting at ASEAN this Saturday and it is horrifying to think that they are courting him like this."
The Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade held a public hearing on Tuesday April 13 in Canberra to examine recent developments in Myanmar in greater depth, and to hear from concerned sectors of Australian society about the troubling direction Myanmar has taken since the military coup of February 1.
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Although Dr Johanna Garnett was not included as a witness to this public hearing, more than 60 individuals and organisations responded to the call for expressions of interest to participate.
"The committee sought to accommodate a range of views but acknowledged that many would not be represented because of an oversubscription of interest in the hearing," Dr Garnett said.
"The report is nothing surprising really given the ideology of our government but it is incredibly frustrating.
"I have written to Senator Rice, the Victorian Greens Senator on the panel, expressing appreciation of her support and outlining my work at the grassroots level.
"Others are supporting my argument that it is at this level that we should be working, strengthening civil society, particularly the youth leading the democracy movement and women.
"I shall be continuing with my advocacy and work along these lines."
This week the Peace Studies Department at UNE released a statement of condemnation of Myanmar's military coup.
PhD Candidate Godwin Yidana is writing about women in the peace process in Myanmar and has extensive networks there and in country fieldwork.
He said the coup in Myanmar is an affront to democracy and an assault on peace, human rights and humanity.
"This tragic situation in Myanmar is of grave concern and heartbreaking to the Peace Studies Department in Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, at UNE," Mr Yidana said.
"As a department which trains individuals to work with groups and communities to explore nonviolent ways of transforming conflict and help conflict-affected communities to rebuild sustainable, just and equitable societies, we cannot be silent over such grave inhumane, cruel and brutal killings of civilians, who are generally waging nonviolent protest against the overthrow of democracy in Myanmar.
"For those of us who have lived and worked and continue to work in Myanmar, and have friends and colleagues who are either involved in the protest movement or have been arrested and detained or killed, this is a gut-wrenching period."
The brutal situation currently unfolding in Myanmar has been condemned globally.
The UN has expressed concerns and many International Non Government Organisations, particularly those working in Myanmar, have issued protest statements against the coup.
The World Bank and The Asian Development Bank (ADB) have both partially suspended lending to Myanmar.
Mr Yidana said the biggest protest and challenge to the military junta so far has been by the people of Myanmar, particularly women and young people.
"They continue to risk their lives and that of their families to defy the junta and call for a return to democracy," he said.
"In response to this open defiance by the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and other local groups, the junta have resorted to the brutal killings of protesters and arbitrary arrests, torture, detention and disappearance of political opponents.
"So far, the official estimates have put the number of civilians killed at over 700."
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Dr Garnett said as a university, UNE has many international students, including a considerable cohort from Myanmar.
"While we continue to support these students and colleagues in Myanmar from a distance, we wish to add our voice to the global condemnation of the brutal, premeditated killings of protesters and their families," she said.
"We, in solidarity with our Myanmar students and colleagues, wish to express our outrage against the State Administration Council (SAC) junta and its military and police force, who continue to commit atrocities against civilians across the country.
"We urge them to immediately cease the killings and human rights violations."
Dr Marty Branagan is a Lecturer in Peace Studies at UNE and he said the department wants to state that it is urging the government to take appropriate action.
"The Future Fund ( an independently managed sovereign wealth fund established in 2006 to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position) should end its $3.2 million investment in Adani Ports, a corporation linked to a Myanmar military-controlled company that has just been slapped with sanctions by the United States over human rights violations," Dr Branagan said.
"We urge the Australian Government to bring maximum pressure to bear on the SAC to halt all killings and human rights violations and work with all relevant stakeholders, including the international community, to find peaceful solutions to the crisis without further delay."