§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they have responded to the call of three Nobel peace laureates on the Burmese Government to free Aung San Suu Kyi, to refrain from violations of human rights, and to transfer power to democratically elected representatives, and their call on all governments meanwhile to prohibit sales of military equipment to Burma, to halt economic assistance and to impose sanctions on trade with, and investment in, Burma.
The Earl of CaithnessWe, together with our EC partners, have regularly called on the Burmese authorities to release Aung San Suu Kyi. We have also urged them to put an end to all violations of human rights and to transfer power to democratically elected representatives. We co-sponsored a UN General Assembly resolution on these matters in 1991. The EC and its member states suspended all non-humanitarian aid to Burma in 1988 and, following a UK initiative, imposed an embargo on all defence sales to Burma in 1991. Our trade with Burma is minimal. Trade sanctions would not be effective without the support of Burma's principal trading partners. This is not forthcoming at present.