By Trish Corcoran
MELBOURNE — August 21 was the deadline given by Burma's democracy movement leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the military regime to convene the national parliament elected in 1990. Protests were held at Parliament House in Melbourne, John Howard's office in Sydney and the Burmese embassy in Canberra.
Sections of a statement issued by the All Burma Students' Democratic Organisation said:
"We, members of the ABSDO, the Burmese community and supporters from all quarters, hold these rallies in solidarity with Daw Aung Suu Kyi's ultimatum and to strongly voice our desire for the Australian government to impose immediate economic sanctions on the ruling military junta of Burma, the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council).
"The prevailing political situation is the most crucial in the last decade of Burmese struggle for democracy and human rights. We believe that the proposal outlined by the National League for Democracy (NLD) is the will and desire of all the peoples of Burma.
"The chaos in Burma is the culmination of SPDC mismanagement and refusal to hold peaceful negotiations. The SPDC is entirely responsible for all current political, economic and social upheavals.
"The convening of the national parliament ... is a vital step toward the emergence of a democratic constitution to establish the democratic Union of Burma.
"Therefore, we call on the Australian government to strongly condemn the unlawful and repressive SPDC and apply effective measures on the military regime in Burma to: let the democratically elected NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, convene the national parliament; engage in dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi; free all political prisoners and student activists; re-open all universities and colleges closed since December 1996.
"We demand that the Australian government impose economic sanctions against the SPDC Burmese military regime and urge the state governments to adopt selective purchasing laws."
In Canberra, some of the 50 demonstrators clashed with police after jumping the fence of the embassy. A police dog was used against the protesters.
When five people were charged with breaching the peace, the protesters surrounded the police vans in which those arrested were held.
Part of the crowd sat down in the middle of the road for several hours, refusing to leave until those arrested were released. Others held a picket outside the city police station where the protesters were taken.