Burma: Human Rights (Hansard, 10 June 1991)

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)
My Lords, we have received representations from Members of both this House and of another place, from non-governmental organisations and from members of the public.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for answering my Question. Does he agree that the situation in Burma is critical? On the one hand the National Union Party will not hand over power to the democratically elected National League for Democracy and on the other hand repression and abuses of human rights continue. Can the Minister say when Her Majesty's Government will confer with the EC and the UN on these matters? Can he also say what was the outcome when the Foreign Secretary met members of the Association for South East Asian Nations recently?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, I am sure that the whole House will agree with the noble Baroness in deploring the situation in Burma. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State expressed our outrage at the violations of human rights in a statement to the EC-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on 30th May. That followed our statement on 27th May, which was the first anniversary of the elections in Burma, and several démarches that we have made jointly with our European partners against the Burmese situation.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, can the noble Earl say whether it is the case that Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest in Rangoon?

The Earl of Caithness
Yes, my Lords.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, is it not the case that the conduct of the régime in Burma, which is of unparalleled brutality and contempt towards all civilised behaviour, has been condemned by the United Nations and the European Community? Words are insufficient to describe the appalling conduct of the régime. Can the noble Earl say what 890 further action is proposed by Her Majesty's Government through the United Nations or in concert with our partners in the Community?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we wholeheartedly agree with the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition when he condemns the Burmese Government for the treatment of their civilians, from all parts of Burma. They have behaved in the most brutal and unwarranted fashion. We shall continue to make appropriate démarches to the Burmese Government jointly with our European partners, because that is the most effective approach. In Europe we are leading a movement to get all members of the European Community to sign up to stop exporting arms to Burma. That initiative is British led. We hope that it will be taken forward at the ASEAN working group on 19th June. As the noble Lord, the Leader of the Opposition expects, it will indeed be raised in the United Nations at the forthcoming General Assembly.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Earl for what he has said, but is it not the case that, although Western European countries and the United States may not be supplying arms to Burma, it is China—one of the permanent members of the Security Council—which is selling arms?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, so I understand. We believe that Burma has recently signed an agreement to import arms worth billions of dollars.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, are we supplying aid to the government of Burma, either directly or indirectly?

The Earl of Caithness
No, my Lords. We do not provide aid to that government. However, we supply some aid through NGOs to the citizens of Burma. That should continue because that is where the aid is needed.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, can the Minister give the trade figures between Burma and Britain? Can he also give an indication of the number of political prisoners and elected MPs who are detained and say whether the Red Cross has been given access to them?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the problem in answering the noble Baroness's question is that it is very difficult to obtain accurate figures. The most accurate figure we have is Amnesty International's recent list of February this year which named 347 political detainees in Burma who are of concern to Amnesty International. I am sure the House will agree that that is an underestimate.