Aust urged to cut ties to Myanmar military

Amnesty International wants Australia to stop funding Myanmar's military as it pushes to have 13 officials put on trial over the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Rohingya children and refugees

Amnesty says Australia must stop funding Myanmar's military because of the Rohingya refugee crisis. (AAP)

Amnesty International is urging Australia to cut financial ties with Myanmar's military and back moves to take 13 of the country's most senior security officials to court over atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims.

The international human rights group has unveiled a major report naming top military and police officials allegedly implicated in the murder, rape and torture of Rohingya people.

Amnesty wants countries including Australia to support a push to have the officials tried by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, committed amid a military crackdown that has forced more than 702,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh since August.

Human rights lawyer and Amnesty crisis campaigns Co-ordinator Diana Sayed says Australia needs to end its $400,000 funding deal with Myanmar's military and impose sanctions on the 13 security officials.

The European Union, Britain, the United States, France and Canada have already cut ties with Myanmar's military in response to the Rohingya refugee crisis.

However Australia's $400,000 program remains in place, with the money earmarked for training in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and English classes.

"It's just outrageous that Australia maintains this relationship which all other countries have been very unequivocal in cutting," Ms Sayed told AAP as the report was released on Wednesday.

"It's not a big amount of money but it is symbolic. It will make sure we are on the right side of history when it comes to a consistent approach on human rights."

Since the crackdown began, the Myanmar military has been accused of committing rapes, murders and razing Rohingya villages.

The United Nations has described the situation as a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing". Myanmar denies the accusations.

While Labor has described Australia's military ties with Myanmar as "totally untenable", Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in April insisted it was appropriate for Canberra to provide money to Myanmar's military for training, peacekeeping and English classes.

Australia has also donated $70 million to help the Rohingya who have fled to the Cox's Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh, and has earmarked $76.9 million in official development assistance for Myanmar this financial year.

Ms Sayed said Amnesty wants Australia to make sure checks and balances are in place to ensure the aid money is not "propping up an apartheid state".

In its report, Amnesty sets out what it says is the evidence the ICC needs to prosecute 13 Myanmar security officials allegedly implicated in atrocities.

Among those named is Myanmar's army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who in April met Australia's Ambassador to Myanmar Nicholas Coppel in Nay Pyi Taw for talks about bilateral co-operation in defence services and the situation in Rakhine State.

Also named was Vice Senior General Soe Win, whom Australia's Army Chief Lieutenant Angus Campbell held frank talks with at a military conference in Seoul last September.


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Source: AAP


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