Almost 400 Myanmar civil society organisations wrote to Australia’s Foreign Minister this week, accusing Australia of “shameful inaction”.

The groups are urging the Morrison government to impose sanctions on army generals who staged the February coup.

Christopher Lamb is the President of the Australia Myanmar Institute and a former Australian diplomat who served as Ambassador to Myanmar.

He is calling on the Australian government to impose sanctions on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of Myanmar’s military.

“The hope would be, that by putting sanctions on Min Aung Hlaing, it would bring other people in the senior military ranks to realise that Min Aung Hlaing was not the future for the country or for them,” Mr Lamb told Ticker News.

DFAT says imposing additional sanctions could limit Canberra’s influence.

But Mr Lamb says he hasn’t “seen any evidence at all that we’ve been able to exercise any influence of any value”.

Australian man Sean Turnell, who worked as an economic adviser to the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was taken into custody in February.

Mr Lamb believes the military may see him as “someone who can help them as they consolidate their case against Aung San Suu Kyi”.

“It doesn’t surprise me that this military hasn’t released him. I think they want him for reasons unconnected with his potential guilt, and I don’t think he’s got anything to do with the situation that has come about in the country or has led to it.”