Burma Protest Thursday 4 October

Today we stand in solidarity with the people of Burma.

Today we join together to keep international focus and attention on the abuses of a brutal regime.

Today we gather to demand that our own government takes every action available to it to bring pressure on the ruling junta in Burma to cease it's abuses and hand power back to it's 40 million citizens.

In recent weeks monks, students and ordinary people have dared to stare down the military regime in their own country.

In the face of killings, beatings, arbitrary arrest, threats and intimidation, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand a return to democracy and a release of political prisoners.

After years of human rights abuses - including political imprisonment, torture, forced labour, systematic rape, recruitment of child soldiers and the killing of ethnic villagers.

A once proud and wealthy nation now one of the poorest on the planet.

The people through the leadership of the monks and people like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are standing up for their country and for themselves.

We are humbled by their conviction and their courage.

By being here today we stand with them in their struggle.

It is time for countries around the world to bring every pressure to bear on a regime that one of the most brutal in the world.

Australia must do more. We must sever diplomatic ties. We must introduce economic and trade sanctions. We must not train the Burmese police so they can go hame and continue to perpetrate abuses against their own people.

Australia must use its middle power leverage with countries like China and India to encourage their intervention and support for an international intervention to restore democracy in Burma.

Everyone here must continue to take action to keep the eyes of the world on Burma and their struggle for democracy and freedom.