E&OE

11 May 2008

Media conference

Subject: Aid to the Burmese people

STEPHEN SMITH: Well, thanks very much for turning up. I'm announcing this morning that the Australian Government is increasing its assistance to the people of Burma, the victims of the cyclone, to $25 million. This includes the three million dollars that I announced last week.

The $25 million will be evenly split to the United Nations Flash Appeal, the United Nations Appeal to Emergency Assistance, so $12.5 million there, and $12.5 million to Australian NGOs and to United Nations agencies, including the World Food Program, along the lines of our announcement last week.

And this is, I think, an appropriate contribution so far as Australia is concerned, reflecting the terrible adverse circumstances that we now see the people of Burma in. It's become clear since the first few days of the cyclone that we're now dealing with a human tragedy on a mammoth scale. And it's a human tragedy on a mammoth scale which no one nation can handle.

And that's why it's absolutely essential that the government of Burma commence cooperating with the international community and the international agencies. The single biggest important thing that can occur now is for the government of Burma to be persuaded that international assistance and international on the ground assistance through the UN agencies and the NGOs is now paramount. Australia has been making efforts diplomatically behind the scenes to seek to secure this outcome.

We've spoken through our officials, both in Canberra and in Rangoon, to Burmese officials urging them to open up access to the international community. We've also been speaking to countries in our region and across the world to press the same point on Burma. The Prime Minister, for example, has spoken to Ban-Ki Moon. He's also spoken to the Singaporean Prime Minister, Mr Lee, in his capacity and Mr Lee's capacity as the chair of ASEAN.

In the last couple of days I've spoken to my Japanese counterpart, Mr Komura, and late last night I spoke to the UK Foreign Secretary, Mr Miliband. In addition to that, our offices in our posts throughout the world are urging countries to put the same point of view to the Burmese Government.

This, in particular, applies to our ASEAN neighbours, and in Singapore late last week member groups of ASEAN were meeting at officer level in preparation for East Asia summit meetings later this year. And those officers passed a resolution along the liens of the urgency and importance of international assistance now being given.

So the Australian Government's been working very actively behind the scenes to try and secure the outcome of that - the whole world now wants.

Can I just say before responding to your questions, I just got off the phone to our Ambassador in Rangoon. The state on the ground remains essentially the same and the so-called referendum in which voting took place yesterday on the reports that we've had effectively took place without incident.

But, I again make the point, as I've made consistently, Australia regards the referendum process as nothing more, nothing less than a sham, and our view would be that the referendum process be deferred completely rather than just being deferred until the 24th of May in the most adversely affected areas.

I've also this morning had a conversation with Tim Costello, who is in Rangoon, to advise him of the Government's decision, which I've just announced. And to also compliment him on the fine work that he's endeavouring to do in Rangoon, and I've made the same point to our Ambassador. People in our Embassy in Rangoon are working very, very well and very hard to try and get the outcome that we need.

So before responding to your questions, we will increase our humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma to $25 million: split evenly to the United Nations Flash Appeal and to Australian and international NGOs.

And we continue to urge, continue to urge with the Burmese Government to open up access to the international community to allow assistance to be given to the victims of the cyclone.

If that assistance is not provided, then our great fear is that in the next few days is that disease will take hold and the adverse consequences will be on an enormous, calamitous scale.

I'm happy to respond to your questions.

QUESTION: Just on that matter of disease, obviously there could be fears that it could spread outside to other countries possibly, or just a concern that…

SMITH: Well, our exclusive concern at the moment is for the people of Burma who are in the worst affected areas, Rangoon and the Irrawaddy Delta area.

But when we announced our initial contribution, it was in the area of water, water purification and shelter and medical assistance. It's now quite clear that unless there's an urgent assistance on the ground, that the danger is that lack of clean water will lead to the spread of diseases. And so we won't just have the initial terrible impact of the cyclone, but also disease which follows as a result of lack of sanitation, lack of shelter, lack of on-the-ground, everyday facilities.

And that's, again, why our assistance, which I've announced this morning, will again go in those key areas.

QUESTION: The $25 million is nowhere near the relief offered after the Boxing Day tsunami. Why just that amount, regardless of what other countries are offering?

SMITH: Well, I think that comparisons with Aceh and the tsunami aren't well placed. The single biggest issue and difficulty here is getting international access, and the international community, in my view, has responded well. So when you look at the international community response, it is, in my view, a good international community response to date.

When you look at the contribution that was made to Aceh, Aceh was a billion dollars over a five year period. Half of that included a half billion dollar loan. The $500 million for Aceh was over a five year period. And, again, in Aceh the contribution and contributions increased over time as a consequence of both Australia and the world appreciating the full extent of the crisis.

But I think in this case, because of communications difficulty, because of the length of time its taken for media to get out into the international community, it's taken longer, I think, for the international community to appreciate that we're dealing here with a disaster on an enormous scale. And that's why you've seen in recent days the United Nations launching its flash appeal, and why you've seen Australia, together with other nations, increasing its contribution.

But there's a qualitative difference between the tsunami relief and the Burma relief. The key critical issue now for Burma relief is not the amount of pledges; it's getting the international assistance in on the ground.

And that's why, as much of our efforts have gone to persuading the Burmese Government, and to urging countries in our region and internationally, to urge and persuade the Burmese Government to allow the international assistance from the United Nations from the international non-government organisations and from Australia's own NGOs. The key issue now is not the amount of the pledges; it's getting the assistance on the ground now urgently.

And, of course, what we're dealing with here is urgent humanitarian assistance. Of course, given the devastation that has occurred in the longer term the international community and the government of Burma will need to look at what is required for long term reconstruction, and the Aceh or the tsunami contributions that you and I have referred to included long term reconstruction. So I think those comparisons are misplaced.

But, in any event, whatever people's views of that, whatever, for example, people's views might be of the Burmese regime, of which the Australian Government's view is robust and well-known, those things now pale into insignificance into the urgent requirement now to get access on the ground so that the lives of men, women and children will be saved. That's the key point.

QUESTION: Does Australia need to put more pressure on countries like China and Indonesia to in turn…

SMITH: Well we, as I indicated we have been diplomatically behind the scenes, both from the Prime Minister, myself, and our officials both in Canberra and in our relevant posts, speaking to all of the countries that we regard as relevant.

In the first instance, countries in our region, the ASEAN countries, but in particular countries who effectively have a better dialogue with Burma than Australia does, urging them to put the same points of view that we think are the most urgent and the most important to the Burmese Government. And they obviously include countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand and other, Singapore, and other ASEAN countries. And these contacts have been made rigorously and consistently in the course of the last week or so.

QUESTION: Mr Costello said that there are less than 20 international aid workers in Burma. Is that still the case?

SMITH: Well, in my conversation with Mr Costello, we didn't go into any great detail, but we were obviously - because of the work that he's doing, because he's on the ground, I wanted to let him know of our decision before we announced it. So I spoke to him in general terms in the last half an hour or so.

Both of us agreed that the urgent priority now, the absolute urgent priority, is getting the assistance in on the ground. So whatever the specifics, what we do know is much more assistance on the ground is required than currently the international community and the international NGOs are being given access for.

QUESTION: Have you been able to confirm reports that the generals are using aid as propaganda and plastering their name over boxes?

SMITH: Well, I've seen those reports, I can't confirm them. Can I say as a general proposition Australia delivers its humanitarian and emergency assistance through the well-respected, well-regarded, well-recognised national and international agencies; whether they're NGOs, non-government organisations, or whether they're UN agencies. On this occasion everyone is going to have to, in some manner or form, deal with the Burmese Government.

We understand that, and so what we would regard as being the approach that we would adopt in other circumstances we will. We know Australia, and other members of the international community, will have to deal in some manner or form with the Burmese Government. We're happy to do that because the objective here is not the way in which we've delivered aid or assistance in the past, it's getting the assistance in on the ground now. We'll do that through Australian NGOs if they can get access. We'll do that through United Nations agencies if they can get access. We'll do it through international NGOs if they can get access, and we'll cooperate with other governments if they can get better access than we can.

QUESTION: In Sudan and Bosnia the US Government just unilaterally went in and conducted aid drops. Should they do that here?

SMITH: Well, I've seen that suggestion. I've also seen the comments by the US Secretary of Defence, Mr Gates, saying that that was not a road the US was proposing to go down. And I think at this point in the cycle all efforts should go to persuading the Burmese Government to open up access to the international community.

QUESTION: Do you have any advice for local Burmese people who are frustrated by the - trying to communicate with their relatives there, and who are trying to gather relief. Is there any advice you have for them?

SMITH: Well, I might just make, in response to that, just make some general questions about what we know about the Australian community on the ground. We've been very careful to ensure that in the initial aftermath of the cyclone, the welfare and safety of Australians in Burma. And all our advice to date has been that the ones that we have made contact with are well and safe. We've had no reports of any Australians in adverse circumstances.

But we continue to urge Australians who haven't reported in to let family or friends in Australia now, or to let Smart Traveller or DFAT know that they're in Burma so that we can account for them.

And Australia also, so far as Burma is concerned, provides cultural assistance to Canadians in Burma, and our consistent advice and most recent advice is the same that applies so far as Canadians are concerned.

So, fortunately, in the face of a massive tragedy on a great scale, we haven't had any reports of Australians being in difficulty. Those Australians, or members of the Australian Burmese community, who've got Australian friends or family in Burma whom they haven't made contact, we continue to urge them to try and make contact with them.

I know that communication remains very difficult. This morning, more than a week after the cyclone, I had difficulty getting through to our Ambassador, in some senses, perversely, a bit less difficulty getting through to Tim Costello. But there remain communications difficulties. We continue to urge Australians in Burma who haven't yet reported in to do so, so that friends and families and our embassy in Rangoon will know of their whereabouts and be able to confirm that they're safe and secure.

QUESTION: There's a [indistinct] in the room here. Would it be a good idea if the politicians and the generals step aside for 24 hours and just let some food and water get through to where it's needed?

SMITH: Well, the point we've been making all along is if you look at the Australian Government's approach and attitude to the Burmese Government, to the Burmese regime, we have been very, very critical of Burma, very critical of the sham referendum process, urging Burma to move to a democratic state where human rights are respected.

But from the first moment I made this point, and I make it again. All of that now pales into insignificance in trying to get the urgently needed humanitarian assistance in on the ground. And all we need now is for the Burmese Government to cooperate with the International Community to allow that to occur.

This is not about Burma and the Burmese Government. The scale of the tragedy that we now see is beyond the capacity of any one nation state to deal with. It is beyond the capacity of any one nation state to deal with. And that is why the international community is there ready, willing and most importantly able to assist, so the key point, which is at the heart of your question, is the Burmese Government allowing access to the international community for that to occur.

And whether, ultimately, the aid is delivered by other nation states with whom the Burmese Government have a better relationship with than Australia, or by national or international non-government associations is not the point. We just want the assistance on the ground and on the ground now, because if it's not delivered very quickly the calamity that we'll see will just get bigger and bigger.

And the spread of disease in the next few days is now a very significant worry. Whether it's disease caused by lack of sanitation or because of lack of shelter, in the longer term the spread of malaria.

QUESTION: Can I just quickly ask on another news, other issues, you sponsored, by the way, Morgan Tsvangiraisays he will take part in the Presidential run off. Your thoughts on that?

SMITH: Well, the Australian Government has always believed that if there is to be a so-called second round run off in Zimbabwe then that needs to occur under full, free and fair participation. It needs to occur in the absence of violence, and it needs to occur subject to international supervision and scrutiny.

And I notice Mr Tsvangiraihas said that he's prepared to take part, provided two basic conditions are satisfied. One, that violence ceases, and there's a capacity for a full and free and fair election, and secondly that it is subject to observation by the Southern African or the South African development community, SADAC.

Australia strongly believes that such international observation is required. In the first instance the obligation, in our view, is on the relevant African nation states, members of the South African Development Community and members of the African Union. As I've made the point before, Australia also stands ready to provide such election observer assistance, if we are asked to do so.

QUESTION: Just a question in regards to the budget, is the Government playing politics of envy by pushing up luxury car tax and means testing the baby bonus?

SMITH: Well, as you'd understand, a couple of days before the budget I'm not proposing to make any detailed comment on the budget at all. I'm happy to leave that entirely to my colleague, the Treasurer Mr Swan. The detail of all of these things will, obviously, be known on Tuesday night.

So on a Sunday morning a couple of days before the budget I'm very, very happy to defer to Mr Swan, who's been out and about today, as you would know. Okay? Thanks very much, everyone. Thank you. Cheers.

Media Inquiries: Foreign Minister's office (02) 6277 7500