Attention Burma: The World is Watching, Stop the Abuse!

Imagine living in a dictatorship where elections are neither free nor fair, under an anti-democratic Constitution that violates international standards.

This has been the situation in Burma for the past 58 years, when the country fell to corrupt rule.

Since then, the people of Burma have held many peaceful protests, desperately trying to get the world’s attention and more importantly their action.

These mass demonstrations have resulted in vicious killings by the country’s cruel militia.

One noted event was the mass demonstration held on August 8, 1988 when more than 3000 Burmese students, activists, monks and nuns were murdered by the military in unprovoked attacks involving systematic bashings, arrests and torture.

Another was in September 2007 when, hundreds of thousands turned out, that saw a further 31 people killed and 3000 arrests, including 18 elected MPs and many monks and nuns.

As Burma’s 2010 election approaches, we must condemn these disgraceful human rights violations, as well as the viciousness of the militia and corrupt power.

So how can we help?

Condemnation has flowed from the Australian Government and, more recently, the NSW Parliament.

In South Australia I am calling on the SA Parliament to condemn the violence and echo international calls for a free and open election in Burma. – Link to motion

By showing that the world is watching, we place extra pressure on the country’s corrupt government.

In my motion, I’ll be asking the SA Parliament to call for the release of more than 2,100 political prisoners who have simply exercised a democratic right to peacefully protest against Burma’s regime.

Gross abuses of human rights continue today, with MPs elected in 1990 never able to take their seats in Parliament.

Burma’s anti-democratic 2008 Constitution similarly guarantees the militia will maintain control, no matter who the Burmese people choose as their leader.

This situation is simply unacceptable!

As a party strongly committed to democracy, we must aid the Burmese people in whatever ways we can. Gross violations of human rights must be brought to an end and those who are wrongfully imprisoned must be released!

If you’re shocked by the situation in Burma and want to find out more, or get involved, check out these links:

Australia’s Campaign for Burma: http://www.freeburma.org.au/

Burma Campaign Australia: http://www.aucampaignforburma.org/

Burma Action Group SA: http://freeburma.netipr.org/

Seen, Heard and Here – a Time for Disability Rights to Rise

While squabbling will likely continue in the SA Parliament around the multi-million dollar Adelaide Oval upgrade, there hasn’t been nearly enough noise about another, more serious matter.

In December I called on the Government to lift their game on disability by increasing funding and I will keep making noise on this issue on the Greens’ behalf for as long as I have to.

As the most under-funded state in the country, SA is a disgrace when it comes to helping people with a disability.

South Australians with a disability get a measly $660 per person compared to $2,229 per person in the ACT. With approximately 20 per cent of Australia’s population classified as having a disability, it is disgusting that we care so little about so many in need.

Yet the Government is not the only culprit. Other industries, including Australia’s cinema chains, also are failing disabled Australians.

With the major cinema chains seeking an exemption from their human rights obligations for complaints made under Disability Discrimination, it is little wonder that the 3.5 million Australians with recognised hearing loss and the 500,000 who suffer from loss of sight can find very few cinema screenings of open captioned and audio described films that cater to their needs.

I am calling on the cinema industry to join the South Australian Parliament in treating people with a disability with the dignity and respect they deserve.

This requires a sizeable increase in funding, as well as facing up to other funding black holes for people with a disability.

Across the country, a young person with high care needs is placed in an aged care facility each day, leading to social isolation and other problems.

In South Australia close to 1000 young people are currently living in aged care homes. This is simply unacceptable!

Young people with a disability deserve to be placed in specialised facilities that offer rehabilitation and the specialised care they need to deal with acquired brain injuries and specific disabilities, like Parkinson’s disease or Muscular Dystrophy.

Now is the time to act to help people with a disability, through a significant increase in funding and by addressing the issue of youth care facilities.

Melbourne is to be congratulated for recently opening its first youth care facility, and we must follow suit here.

The Government’s response must be less about talk and rhetoric and more about action in responding to our gross treatment of people with a disability.