New Zealand Senator against scholarships to Burmese junta employees

Friday, 23 April 2010 22:01 Sai Zuan Sai

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Ms. Maryan Street, a New Zealand Senator has expressed her displeasure and has said today that she will try her utmost to stop her government providing scholarships to Burmese military government employees.
Her reaction came in the wake of a disclosure by New Zealand Foreign Minister Mr. Murray McCully that three Burmese government employees had arrived in the country for further studies. He also said that more will follow soon.

“We are concerned over giving scholarships to Burmese government staff members because it will provide them an opportunity to spy on Burmese dissidents here and be honoured when they go back home,” Ms. Maryan Street of the Opposition new Labour Party told Mizzima.

After severing official ties with Burma in 2008, the New Zealand Foreign Ministry decided to grant scholarships to Burmese government staff at the end of 2009, she said.

Ms. Street is also the Chairwoman of ‘Burma Cross-Party Parliamentary Group’ which is comprised of MPs from all political parties in New Zealand striving to restore democracy in Burma.

“We cannot accept giving such assistance to the military regime,” she said.

A six-month English course at the Autergo University costs USD 35,000 for each Burmese going over to study.

According to the Autergo Daily Times, 35 Burmese have studied in New Zealand since 1998.

Mr. Murry McCully defended his government’s policy of engagement with the military junta saying that it is just following the pro-engagement policy followed by the international community led by the US.