The Socialist Alliance supports the struggle for democracy in Burma, and stands in solidarity with the democracy movement activists, political prisoners and exiles bravely defying its military dictatorship.
Our members are joining the solidarity actions now taking place around Australia. Among them are many of the activists who helped organise the several thousand-strong protest that peacefully defied a police-state lock-down during the Sydney APEC Summit on September 8.
We call on everyone who supports democratic rights to support these protests.
The Socialist Alliance demands an immediate halt to the brutal repression of the democracy movement and the immediate release of all political prisoners in Burma, including Nobel Peace Prize winner and National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Socialist Alliance also calls for the immediate resignation of the illegitimate military regime in Burma and for its replacement by a government formed by the National League for Democracy, which decisively won the 1990 parliamentary elections.
The Australian government should immediately withdraw its ambassador in protest and halt all cooperation with the Burmese military regime.
In particular, the Australian government should halt the training provided by the Australian Federal Police to the repressive Burmese police force.
[Alex Bainbridge is a Socialist Alliance NSW Senate candidate and was a central organiser of the recent Stop Bush protests at the Sydney APEC summit.]