Newly arrived refugees have been denied full welfare assistance by Centrelink - despite government legislative programs which outline assistance for refugees (under Social Security Act 1991, Activity Test Exemption - Special Circumstances for being refugees).

New arrival refugees from Burma have been pressured to look for jobs while they are on fulltime studies, and there is also an issue on accessing Burmese interpreters while they meet the Australian government agency Centrelink and Job Network.

The Burma military regime held a press conference to describe the Shan leaders' activities.  Even from the government statement read at the press conference, it is clear that the Shan leaders were merely exercising their lawful right to peacefully assemble, associate and express themselves.  At the press conference, the government announced that the Shan leaders gave some speeches and read statements at a meeting that resulted in a recommendation to form a consultative council. According to the government press conference, afterwards, the Shan State Academics Consultative Council was formed. The Council would not only be based in Shan State, but would also have branches in each of the six remaining states and the seven divisions. After the meeting, there was a dinner at “Sein Taung Tan” restaurant in Taung Gyi Township paid for by the Shan State Army. More statements were distributed during the meal, some with motivational quotes such as, “Now we are at the first step of creating our own fortune for Shan state” and “All ethnic nationalities living in Shan State are encouraged to actively participate and work together with united spirit.”  From these actions, the government concluded that the objective of the involved groups was to facilitate the construction of a genuine federal union. The government added, however, that the term “genuine federal union” can be easily misunderstood.  They accused the Shan leaders of actually intending to use this term to get people's support but that their real intent was to one day secede from the union and establish a separate state.