§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Burmese Government about the future of human rights and democracy in Burma; and if he will make a statement. [32759]
§ Mr HanleyWe have taken action both bilaterally and in international fora such as the United Nations to put pressure on the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council in Burma to implement democratic and human rights reforms. We have severed defence links and have imposed an embargo on arms sales and all non-humanitarian aid.
We issued a statement on 22 May condemning the detention of National League for Democracy members and urged the SLORC to enter into meaningful dialogue with pro-democracy groups. Our ambassador in Rangoon repeated these concerns in a démarche to the SLORC on 7 June.