Envoy urged to secure Sean Turnell's release from Myanmar imprisonment

NTEU is calling on Foreign Minister Marise Payne to intervene and appoint an envoy to help secure the freedom of Australian Professor Sean Turnell who has now been detained in Myanmar for more than 12 months.

Professor Turnell, an Australian citizen, Macquarie University economist and NTEU member, was taken from his hotel in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, five days after a military coup.

Prior to the coup, Professor Turnell had been advising the Myanmar Government on economic policy, using his expertise to help bring investment and job opportunities to the country, to help Myanmar integrate with other economies in the region and the world, and to help lift people out of poverty.

He has since been arbitrarily charged and imprisoned, accused of illegally possessing official secrets.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) he is one of more than 12,000 people arrested since the coup, and more than 1,500 have been killed by the junta.

NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said the Australian Government needs to get Professor Turnell home safely before it’s too late.

'We appreciate the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Professor Turnell, however, more must be done to secure his freedom,' Dr Barnes said.

'Professor Turnell’s survival currently rests upon the whims of junta soldiers.

'His trial is a travesty and after more than a year of negotiations, it is clear they have no interest in justice.

'Sean is a much-loved member of his university and union, and on behalf of his colleagues and fellow union members, the NTEU calls on the Australian Government to do everything within its power to secure his immediate release.'

A petition has also been created calling on the Australian Government to insist that the charges against Professor Turnell be withdrawn or the trial closed. And for the remainder of his detention, Professor Turnell is able to receive weekly visits by Australian officials, is able to meet freely with his lawyers and access an interpreter in court. ◆

Sign the petition to Parliament here: www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/ EN3917

The first image of Sean Turnell inside Myanmar jail, released in July 2021 as he received his coronavirus jab.