One year on from Myanmar’s military coup, the ACTU has joined with Human Rights Watch, Australian Council for International Development, the Australian Centre for International Justice, the Refugee Council of Australia, and Publish What You Pay to call on the Morrison Government to impose sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders and their business interests.

Since the military coup a year ago, the Australian Government has not imposed any additional sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders or their business interests. Since then, the military junta has carried out a nationwide crackdown on protestors, including trade unions, with the junta now having killed over 1500 civilians. In a letter to Australia’s Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, the groups listed the individuals and entities who should face immediate sanctions. 

ACTU President Michele O’Neil said, “A year on from the military coup in Myanmar, the Morrison government has failed to introduce further sanctions against Myanmar’s military leaders and business interests – putting Australia behind likeminded countries like the US, UK and EU. Workers in Myanmar are risking their lives to protest the military takeover while the Morrison government sits idly by, when they should be taking action to support democracy.”