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Stuart Hume named next
Ambassador to Burma
By IAN McPHEDRAN,
" Foreign Affairs Reporter
Australia will maintain diplo
matic tics with the military regime
in' Burma after July, after appoint
ing a new ambassador to the trou
bled.country.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Gareth Evans, has announced the
appointment of Stuart Hume as the
successor to Geoff Allen.
Senator Evans said Mr Hume's
appointment occurred at a critical
time in the political evolution of
Buniia, where a National Conven
tion was attempting to establish
principles for the drafting of a new
^constitution.
The convention is widely be
lieved by opponents of Burma's
military junta to be a sham. They
spy it would enshrine the role of the
military as the cornerstone of any
future government in the former
British colony, which has had a
troubled history since becoming
independent in 1947.
The military has been in control
since 1962, when General Nc Win
toppled the civilian government.
In the ensuing 30 years the for
merly wealthy country has been re
duced to an economic basket case
and an estimated 60 per cent or
more of gross national product is
devoted to military spending. Pro
democracy ethnic groups are sup
pressed violently.
"Australia strongly supports the
transfer of power at the earliest time
to a democratically elected govern
ment," Senator Evans said.
Given that the new constitution
will only be drafted if it perpetuates
the military's right of rule, it is un
likely that the Australian Govern
ment will be able to have an
each-way bet.
It either supports the military —
as it does now — or it supports
democracy and demands that the
military recognisc the will of the
people who voted overwhelmingly
for democracy at the election in
May, 1990.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi remains under
house arrest in Rangoon. I
Reports from there have de
scribed the pro-democracy leader as
being in failing health but high
spirits.
Stuart Hume studied Burmese at
London University and worked in
Rangoon from 1967 to 1970.
His predecessor, Geoff Allen,
caused a furore at a Brisbane semi
nar last year when he said the Bur
mese military junta — the State
Law and Order Restoration Coun
cil — was undertaking "genuine"
democratic reforms.
That statement was widely criti
cised by diplomats and opposition
groups.
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