Sean Turnell Popular Books

Sean Turnell Biography & Facts

Sean Turnell is an Australian economist and former economic policy advisor to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar. He is also an honorary professor of economics at Macquarie University, a former staff member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and the director of research at the Myanmar Development Institute. In 2009, the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies published his book on key periods in the history of Myanmar's financial sector, Fiery Dragons: Banks, Moneylenders and Microfinance in Burma. Turnell was under detention in Myanmar between February 2021 and November 2022 for 650 days, charged with breaching the Myanmar Official Secrets act while working in an advisory capacity to Aung San Suu Kyi. Early life and education Turnell was raised in Macquarie Fields, a working-class suburb of Sydney. Turnell graduated with a bachelor of economics and a PhD degree from Macquarie University in Sydney. Professional background He worked for a period as an analyst in the Reserve Bank of Australia before joining the Economics Department at Macquarie University in 1991. He has specialised in research on the Myanmar economy, as well financial sector reform in developing countries, the history of global monetary institutions, and the history of Australian economic research. Turnell has published in numerous international journals on these and other topics including in the ASEAN Economic Review, Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, Asian Survey, Australian Economic History Review, and The Economic Record. He has also been widely cited in the media and has made many media appearances in Australia and internationally. In Australia, before his detention in Myanmar in February 2021, he frequently took part in seminars and other public discussions about the situation in Myanmar. In August 2020, while addressing the Australian Institute of International Affairs in Sydney, he discussed the evolving political situation in Myanmar and the role of the military in government in the country: "One of the most memorable queries of the night was whether he believed there was a possibility of the military seizing full control of the government again, which he did not rule out as impossible, although highly undesirable for the country's progress." 2021 Myanmar coup d'état Detention in Myanmar Turnell was detained in Yangon on 6 February 2021, in the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, while he was working as an advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi. Turnell became the first foreign national known to be arrested in relation to the coup. Within a few days, the Australian government called for his immediate release. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne stated that Turnell: "… is a highly regarded adviser and member of the academic community in Australia ... We called in the Myanmar ambassador into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to raise our concerns in relation to this, and we will continue to do that and press strongly for Professor Turnell's release." The Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University, Professor S. Bruce Dowton, also expressed deep concern about the detention of Turnell and said that the University had "long supported his work and commitment in advising on the economic aspects of the emergence of the fledgling democracy in Myanmar." Shortly afterwards, on 15 February, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) along with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) issued a statement of support for Turnell. The National President of the NTEU, Alison Barnes, said that, "the NTEU calls for his immediate and unconditional release". Charges and imprisonment On 23 March, possible charges against Turnell were detailed for the first time. During a press conference, a spokesperson for the military government, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, said that Turnell was being investigated and faced two possible charges in connection with the accusation that he tried to flee the country with secret financial information following the 1 February military takeover. The two offenses, under the national immigration and Official Secrets Act, carried imprisonment terms of five and seven years respectively. At first, no information was available as to where Turnell was being held. In late April, it was reported that he was being detained in Insein Prison in Yangon where other political activists were being held. In late May, reports suggested that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with several of her advisers, including Turnell, were being charged under the Official Secrets Act of Myanmar which bans the possession or sharing of state information that is "useful to an enemy." In early June, Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in a court in Naypyidaw. It was announced that she would face a total of five charges for certain specific offences plus a sixth charge under the Official Secrets Act. The charge under the Official Secrets Act had been filed separately in the Yangon Eastern District Court. At the same time, it was reported that Turnell along with several former ministers of planning and finance (Soe Win, Kyaw Win, and Sett Aung) also faced charges for violating the Official Secrets Act. Later, on 16 June, the Australian Government again pressed for Turnell's release when Vice Admiral David Johnston, the Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Force, spoke with the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar military, Vice Senior General Soe Win by telephone. At the same time, news reports suggested that Turnell had been transferred from jail in Yangon to Naypyitaw. Commenting on the situation, former Australian ambassador to Myanmar Nicholas Coppel said that, "For Sean Turnell and for other political detainees, the chances of a fair trial are close to zero." Coppel added, "The big fish is Aung San Suu Kyi and what they will be wanting to show is that she has betrayed secrets to a foreigner. They'll need Sean for that." Location of trial In September, it was confirmed that the venue for Turnell's trial had been moved from Yangon to Naypyitaw. In mid-September, one of the lawyers working with Aung San Suu Kyi, Kyi Win, said that the Myanmar Supreme Court had agreed to the move. A week later it was reported that on 23 September, Turnell had appeared in the Dekkhinathiri District Court in Naypyitaw along with three ousted Union ministers: U Kyaw Win (former planning minister), U Soe Win (former finance minister), and U Set Aung (former deputy planning and finance minister). They all appeared in court in full COVID-19 personal protection equipment. Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in the same session attending via video. It was reported that Turnell had been charged with two cases under the Immigration Act. His lawyers filed their power of attorney for the second charge at the hearing. The lawyer representing Aung San Suu Kyi, U Khin Maung Zaw, was reported as saying that the lawyers representing the accused asked that the court allow an in-person meeting with their clients and also applied.... Discover the Sean Turnell popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Sean Turnell books.