§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to raise the issue of atrocities by the Burmese military against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people in Burma at the United Nations Security Council [HL3649]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe United Nations Security Council has not formally considered the issue of Burma. However, we are in discussions with Security Council partners to help to bring this about. Should Burma feature on the Security Council agenda, the Government would ensure that the plight of Burma's ethnic minority groups was taken fully into account.
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§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will lobby the United Nations Security Council for a global arms and investment embargo against Burma. [HL3650]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe are in discussions with partners in the Security Council to determine whether the Security Council can consider the issue of Burma. The Government are encouraging all the appropriate bodies of the UN to tackle the issue of helping to bring about national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy in Burma. Despite our efforts, there is currently no consensus for Security Council action for a global arms and investment embargo against Burma.
§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will lobby at the United Nations Security Council for the setting up of an international criminal tribunal on Burma to try members of the Burmese military regime for alleged atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. [HL3651]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe UK is one of the strongest critics of the Burmese regime's violations of human rights. There has been a consistent pattern of serious violations over many years in Burma, particularly against ethnic minorities. These have been highlighted in UK co-sponsored resolutions on Burma in both the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. There is currently no international criminal tribunal with jurisdiction over Burma; and ultimately, it will be for the people of Burma to decide how they view this period of their history. The UK is against impunity for breaches of international law. That is why it is one of the strongest supporters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is able to try cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Since the beginning of 2003, on how many occasions the British Ambassador in Rangoon raised concerns with the Burmese military regime regarding atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people; and what response the Ambassador received on each occasion. [HL3653]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe UK has been at the forefront of international action to bring pressure to bear on the Burmese regime to improve the human rights situation and restore democracy. Our Ambassador and other UK Government representatives regularly raise a wide range of human rights abuses including those against ethnic minorities, in their contacts with senior regime figures. However, these contacts are limited in view of the current state of relations between the United Kingdom and the 73WA Burmese regime. Responses have so far been unsatisfactory.
§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Since the beginning of 2003, on how many occasions they have participated in a European Union demarche to the Burmese regime regarding atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. [HL3654]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe UK has been instrumental in pressing for and supporting demarches against the Burmese regime, including on human rights abuses against the ethnic groups. The EU has made numerous statements and demarches covering a wide range of human rights abuses including those inflicted on the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. The most recent EU demarche was made on 9 June. These have been conveyed to the regime by the local presidency in Rangoon.