Following a 500-strong vigil in Melbourne on September 27 protesting the Burmese military regime's repression of pro-democracy protests, 600 people took to the city's streets the next day in solidarity with Burma's pro-democracy movement. They marched from Melbourne Town Hall to the claps and cheers of onlookers.
In Sydney, 300 people rallied in Martin Place on September 27 before marching.
Farida Iqbal reports from Canberra that 120 protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy on September 28 for a rally called by the Australia Mon Association (AMA), which represents the Mon people, a stateless group in Burma and Thailand.
The rally was addressed by AMA spokesperson Nai Siri Mon Chan; ACT Greens Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker, who called for stronger sanctions to be imposed on Burma by the Australian government, in particular ending the training provided by the AFP to the Burmese intelligence police; Liberal Senator Gary Humphries; and Andrew Hall from the Socialist Alliance, who condemned the Howard government's hypocritical "support" for the right to protest in Burma.
"This after 17 years of going soft on the military regime, and this just two weeks after the Liberals — and Labor — said we didn't have the right to protest peacefully at APEC", Hall said.
The protesters attempted to march past the embassy but were prevented by police, many of whom were not wearing their identification badges.
The protesters then marched to the Chinese embassy appealing for stronger action against the Burmese military junta by China, Burma's main trading partner.
In a media release issued on September 29, the Human Rights Monitors group accused the Australian Federal Police's actions in removing their ID badges at the Canberra protest as illegal under federal law.
Dale Mills, coordinator of Human Rights Monitors, said: "The law allows for a penalty of $550 for AFP officers failing to wear their badges. How many of these police officers will be charged?"
Jim McIlroy reports from Brisbane that 50 people participated in a rally, called at a day's notice, in in the Brisbane Square on September 28 to support democracy in Burma.
Sam Watson, Indigenous activist and Socialist Alliance
candidate for the Senate, told the protesters: "The
Burmese people need our support for their demand for
democratic rights. We have our chance to send a clear
message to these military demagogues in Burma that
they must stop the repression.
"We also need to send a clear message to our
political leaders in this country that they must stop
supporting this brutal regime.
The rally was also addressed by Don Sinnamon, Australian Democrats candidate for the seat of Brisbane, and Willy Bach, Greens candidate for Griffiths.
Rally chairperson Paul Benedek said that more protest actions would need to be held to maintain the pressure on the Burmese
military regime.