§ Baroness Ewart-Biggsasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will meet representatives from Burma's ruling military junta, and what representations they have made to the Burmese authorities with respect to alleged human rights abuses in that country.
The Earl of CaithnessWe remain prepared to discuss directly with the Burmese military junta, the SLORC, our concerns over human rights and other issues at any time. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs wrote personally to the Chairman of the SLORC on 6th July 1990 and we have taken numerous opportunities since to make the SLORC aware of our views—most recently in a public statement on 27th May (a copy of which has been placed in the Library) and at a meeting between EC and ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on 30th May, when the Secretary of State drew attention to the continuing abuses of human rights in Burma. We have also expressed our concern over human rights in Burma jointly with our EC partners, and will continue to do so.