Sanctions targeting the military regime that overthrew Myanmar's democratically-elected government would be delayed by months of regulatory changes, foreign affairs officials have said amid criticisms of Australia's "constipated" response to the regional crisis.
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Federal MPs on Tuesday questioned bureaucrats overseeing the Australian response to the military's coup and subsequent violent crackdown on protesters, and have called out the federal government for delays in responding to the emergency.
Labor MP Julian Hill said the government's response had been slow and suggested Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne had been distracted from the Myanmar coup.
"There's a theme through this discussion that you've got a lot under consideration, there's a lot in review and a lot of internal talking in the bureaucracy," Mr Hill said.
"It sounds somewhat constipated, shall I say, so I do hope that some of these actions can be brought to bear sooner that things unblock and that the newly-crowned prime minister for women actually gets time to do the job of the foreign minister."
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials confirmed that changes to Australia's sanctions regulations to allow targeting of economic arms of the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar regime that seized power on February 1, could take several months.
Australia does not have a sanctions regime relating to Myanmar that targets entities, however the regulations could be changed.
Greens senator Janet Rice said the delay added to the perception that Australia's response to the crisis was moving too slowly.
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DFAT's first assistant secretary in the south-east Asia division Ridwaan Jadwat said the government was considering all options for sanctions.
"It is something that is being looked at very closely," he said.
Mr Jadwat rejected criticisms that Australia had not done enough or moved fast enough to condemn the military regime, saying the government had expressed deep concerns on the day of the coup.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne had made more than 20 calls to regional counterparts, and the government had backed multilateral statements and resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council, among other actions, he said.
"I would call it active, sustained and engaged diplomacy," Mr Jadwat said.
The federal government has targeted five senior members of the military regime with sanctions for their involvement in atrocities committed in Rakhine state.
More than 700 people have died in the violence that followed the military coup as the Tatmadaw cracks down on protesters pushing to restore the nation's democracy, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma.
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