ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Mizzima | Chiang Mai - Australia on Wednesday announced the expansion of financial sanctions against Burma's ruling generals, saying the move aims at encouraging the country's rulers to move towards political reform.

Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Minister, in a ministerial statement read out to Parliament on Wednesday, said Australia views sanctions against the Burmese generals as necessary in order to gain maximum impact in encouraging them to implement reforms.

"To ensure this, the Australian Government has renewed the list of individuals subject to Australian financial sanctions," Smith said.

The updated sanctions list names 463 individuals, including members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, ministers, senior military officers, prominent business associates of the regime, and immediate family members of these individuals. The list previously named 418 individuals.

"The updated sanctions list, which comes into effect and which I announce today, reflects personnel movements in the regime during the last year, as well as information obtained since October 2007," Smith noted.

He added that while sanctions will maintain pressure on the Burmese regime, they are not aimed at the Burmese people themselves and reassured the public of Australia's commitment to providing humanitarian assistance for Burmese people.

Australia has thus far provided $55 million in humanitarian aid to assist in the relief and recovery efforts following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, which left an estimated 130,000 dead or missing.

Australia first introduced a ban on defense exports to Burma in 1991, later imposing financial sanctions in October 2007.