KEY POINTS:
New Zealand will follow the United Nations lead in imposing economic sanctions against Myanmar's repressive military junta, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade last week warned New Zealanders not to travel to Myanmar - previously known as Burma - following a military crackdown on anti-government protesters which has left at least 13 people dead.
Hundreds more, including many Buddhist monks, have been jailed after Myanmar's ruling generals unleashed security forces on demonstrators to put down the biggest wave of public dissent in the Southeast Asian nation for 20 years.
Green MP Keith Locke has called for New Zealand to impose sanctions against the country.
Mr Locke said the United States, the European Union, Japan and Australia were all talking about putting in place extra sanctions against the country's regime, but New Zealand's long-held position was it would not pre-empt the United Nations.
However UN sanctions had been repeatedly vetoed by China.
Miss Clark, speaking from the United Kingdom, said New Zealand would follow the United Nations' lead.
"We act on a multilateral basis. If the UN declared sanctions we would impose them. We almost certainly do have targeted visa sanctions on Burma already." Miss Clark said.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen had raised the issue with the Chinese Government during his visit to Beijing, because their views on what should happen in Myanmar were very important.
New Zealand's diplomats were also discussing with their counterparts in the Asean (Association of South-East Asian nations) about developments in Myanmar.
Myanmar is part of Asean and Miss Clark said she believed the regional alliance organisation was "embarrassed" by the oppression in that country.
"What has impressed me is the strength of the statement from the Asean ministers meeting," Miss Clark said.
"I think the signs are they are getting much tougher on Burma. They are moving in the direction of having a good governance aspect and what is happening in Burma does not even remotely meet those requirements."
Miss Clark said those calling for New Zealand to suspend trade talks with Asean because of Myanmar's membership missed the point.
"I don't think it is fair to the rest of Asean. I think Asean is deeply embarrassed by Burma's behaviour.
"Asean is making it clear that Burma is an embarrassment to them and it puts Asean in a bad light and they are agitating for change there."
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand's exports to Myanmar were small and mainly made up of milk products.
"I don't really see how the New Zealand people would think it wise to cut off the supply of food to baby and infants... it is hardly the child's fault," Mr Peters told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Locke said New Zealand should follow the United States' lead and cut off exports from Myanmar.
Mr Peters said that his advice was that New Zealand's imposition of sanctions on Myanmar would not be in the best interest of the people in that country.
- NZPA
