Australia to lift sanctions against Burmese officials

“But senior serving military officers and people of human rights interest
will stay subject to those Australian sanctions.”

Burma has surprised observers with a series of reforms following the end of
nearly half a century of military rule, and historic by-elections this month
have been widely praised.

The elections gave democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi her first seat in
parliament after spending 15 of the past 22 years locked up by the junta.

Canberra sent a team of five observers to track the by-elections but Carr
warned that if progress was not continued, his sanctions decision could be
reversed.

“I think the president is sincere, I think he deserves these rewards but
of course it’s always possible to resume these sanctions,” he said.

On Friday, Mr Cameron became the first Western leader in decades to visit
Burma.

While in the country, he announced a dramatic shift in stance, calling for all
European Union sanctions, except an arms embargo, to be suspended, but not
scrapped completely.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose support is seen as crucial for any
easing of sanctions, for the first time also called for a suspension of the
measures against her country.

Source: AFP

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