Burma's top envoy to Australia talks reforms, Rohingyas, China

Updated 29 August 2012, 17:02 AEST

In Burma, since May, dozens have been killed, thousands of Muslim and Buddhist homes in Rakhine State have been destroyed, and foreign media have been barred after the Burmese government declared a state of emergency.

Burma's top envoy to Australia talks reforms, Rohingyas, China (Credit: ABC) 

The treatment of the Rohingya minority, regarded by many Burmese as illegal immigrants, continues to cause concern around the world, and Indonesia is sending former vice president, Jusuf Kalla, to the region as its special envoy.

Karon Snowdon's been talking to Burma's Ambassador to Australia, Paw Lwin Sein, and in this rare interview, she asked him for the Burmese government's view on why tensions between Muslims and Buddhists in his country persist.

Correspondent: Karon Snowdon

Speaker: Paw Lwin Sein, Burmas Ambassador to Australia

SEIN: The Rakhine state conflict is actually based on the community conflict only, not relating to the religious matter. This is a very important point. Some people are highlighting that this is between the clash of Buddhist and Muslim or something like that. It's totally wrong. It is just the local people. But local people are also some are Buddhists, some are Muslims, but they live together a long time already. It's harmony and peace. But talking about Rohingya, Rohingya is not in our country before. Because if we go back to the history of this problem actually it was in 1824, the British forces they brought the Bengali people - they are not Rohingya at that time they are Bengali people and they came into our country. They occupied those regions of Rakhine state.

 

SNOWDON: But now, are they not citizens, does the Burmese government want them to leave?

 

SEIN: Those generations now already the citizens of Myanmar people. We are not rejecting the people as our citizens. Even some people now they don't have the citizenship. We gave the Immigration Department also accepting. If you have the evidence that you stay in our territory since when,  and they can apply for the citizenships.

 

SNOWDON: Does the government need to do more to ease the community tensions?

 

SEIN: Yes, the government is trying the utmost effort not to get such a kind of problem, which is really very sensitive and very important issues. So we are doing our bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh and also we are cooperating with the international organisation, UN and at the same time, we are cooperating with the international NGOs group.

 

SNOWDON: And in the longer term, I suppose there would be calls to improve the economic and social integration perhaps of this community. Are there concrete policies to develop economically those communities?

 

SEIN: Surely, surely, surely, the country is now providing those area much more and the government is also inviting everybody, including the OIC and some international organisation group to there and they're doing the humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation, everything.

 

SNOWDON: Is the Burmese government happy with the international reception so far to its quite remarkable reforms?

 

SEIN: Ah, we are very pleased to rejoin the international community. The international community also welcomed our transformation.

 

SNOWDON: The situation of sanctions remains a bit of a cloud still hanging over Burma with some countries maintaining some of those. Is that situation changing fast enough for your liking?

 

SEIN: Yes, sanctions are really a greater barrier for our development, that is why we are requesting the international financial institution and also the country who made sanctions on our country to lift as soon as possible.

 

SNOWDON: What are the specific impacts of the remaining sanctions on the people of Burma?

 

SEIN: You know sanctions,  it's barrier in everything, like in trade and investment. Sanctions doesn't work, cooperation and engagement is beneficial for both sides.

 

SNOWDON: Is there any intention by the Burmese government to wind back the military's involvement in the economy directly? Sections of the military own a lot of businesses. As the economy opens up, is there any need to review that situation from the Burmese government point of view?

 

SEIN: Yes, we are transforming, not only the government system, but also the economic transformation, social transformation. We are not the old government anymore. We are now the civilian government and the military side is still they are doing their own duty. Everything are trying to privatise right now.

 

SNOWDON: Well the ADB has come out and said that Burma will be the next big thing economically in Asia, as it progresses. Is that putting a lot of expectation on a country that has still a long way to go?

 

SEIN:  You know Myanmar was really a great country round about in 1950s, 60s. At that time, the international community they thought that the first tiger would be Myanmar, Burma, at that time, but unfortunately it didn't happen. We are hoping for the best, but at the same time, the realities. We still need to do many, many things.

 

SNOWDON: When I visited Myanmar some years ago, one of the great concerns of people I spoke to was the health system, because it had been unsupported, it was failing to deliver public health. Are there direct policies now? Is the government in a position to redress some of those shortcomings?

 

SEIN: Exactly, that is why the new government now focusing on education and health reform. But also by the cooperation of the regional international community, including Australia. It's focusing on health and education sector.

 

SNOWDON: And what's the budget allocation for say health this time around?

 

SEIN: Oh actually, I don't know in detail, but health and education surely may be double or tripled.

 

SNOWDON: Looking more regionally in Burma's place in ASEAN and Asia, many countries are reassessing the shifting, economic, strategic defence issues around the region, given the rise of China, the US's role and things like that. Is Burma in a similar fashion reassessing its relationship with China?

 

SEIN: Everything is changing, each and everyday and every time, every second. Myanmar cannot stay alone, But now that we're reviewing everything and we're moving in accordance with the time and changes of the world. So that many people is talking about now the rise of China and the United States are also focusing the importance of Asia-Pacific. So those are also the important factors that we have to take into account. So we are also watching and learning and at the same time, we are doing the appropriate strategy and tactics  to reach the regional and international goals.

 

SNOWDON: This may put you on the spot. I apologise in advance. But many people have speculated I think about Myanmar's relationship with China and how close it was it seemed until recently, when there were some significant changes of direction, the building of the dam and a few other infrastructure projects coming under question, which raised questions in the international community of whether or not Burma had felt it was being influenced perhaps or China had too high expectations, if I could put it that way, I'm not sure. Can you clarify that for us?

 

SEIN: For me, our foreign policy is based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence. We have a very special relationship with our neighbouring country, including China. Now we had a very.....

 

SNOWDON: Did it change?

 

SEIN: No, not exactly, but we do have some other priorities among our region and also the whole world, so that we give priority in some other areas. But normally we can say the relationship with China is still keep maintain as a good neighbour.