§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet Tan Sri Razali Ismail to discuss the situation of the Karen people in Burma. [35791]
§ Mr. BradshawTan Sri Razali Ismail is doing an excellent job as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy to Burma. The Foreign Secretary met him last year and assured him of our full support for his efforts to promote national reconciliation among all the peoples of Burma. Foreign Office officials remain in regular contact with him.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he plans to take against the Burmese Government over their treatment of the Karen people in Burma. [35790]
§ Mr. BradshawThe UK has been at the forefront of the international community's efforts to press for human rights, national reconciliation and democracy in Burma. The EU Common Position on Burma contains measures targeting the military authorities (such as a visa ban and asset freeze on regime members, an arms embargo, a ban on items that can be used for torture and a ban on non-humanitarian assistance). In addition we do not encourage trade, investment or tourism with Burma. In response to concerns over forced labour, the European Commission suspended Burma's Generalised System of Preferences trading privileges in 1997. These measures will remain in place until there is firm evidence of political progress in Burma.
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§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations his Department has received from(a) hon. Members and (b) others regarding the situation of the Karen people in Burma. [35787]
§ Mr. BradshawRecords are only available to show the number of letters we receive about Burma issues in general. However the plight of the Karen people is a consistent theme in letters the Foreign Office receives from hon. Members and members of the public. Since January 2001, the Foreign Office has received over 200 letters about Burma from Members of Parliament and over 1,800 letters from members of the public.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made by the United Nations Special Envoy to Burma. [36009]
§ Mr. BradshawSince the beginning of 2001 there has been a modest improvement in the political and human rights situation in Burma. Mr. Razali Ismail is doing an excellent job in promoting national reconciliation in Burma.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation of refugees who have left Burma and set up camp in Sangklaburi, Thailand. [35789]
§ Mr. BradshawThe closest camp to Sangklaburi is Ban Don Yang. It hosts around 3,900 refugees. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who provide assistance to the refugees there believe the conditions are generally satisfactory, though not perfect as it is quite isolated and very close to the border. Foreign diplomatic staff including from the British embassy in Bangkok also visit the camp.
DfID has significantly increased UK funding this year for the UN High Commission for Refugees, the International Commission for the Red Cross and the Burmese Border Consortium for their work with Burmese refugees.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) Karen, (b) Karenni and (c) Shan people are estimated to have left Burma following their treatment by the Burmese military. [35788]
§ Mr. BradshawJust over 125,000 Burmese refugees live in camps on the Thai/Burmese border, nearly all of whom are from Karen and Karenni states, although exact figures on ethnic background are not kept. In addition there are a large number of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand. Again exact figures are not known, but estimates range form 500,000 to 2 million.