§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the development of democracy in Burma. [134921]
§ Mr. BattleOur policy is to press the Burmese regime at every opportunity to enter into substantive dialogue with democratic parties, including ethnic minorities, and to improve their appalling human rights record. In April this year we successfully persuaded EU partners to strengthen the EU Common Position on Burma by publishing the list of regime members subject to an EU travel ban, imposing a freeze on their funds held in the EU, and banning the supply of equipment that might be used for internal repression or terrorism. We believe continued pressure forces the regime to take note of the international community's concerns, as witnessed by their recent release of the British prisoner, James Mawdsley. We will continue with this policy: forthcoming opportunities include the UN General Assembly resolution, the ILO Governing Body, and the EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting. We also support the work of Razali Ismail in his good offices roles as the UN Special Envoy for Burma.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU and UN counterparts concerning multilateral investment sanctions against Burma. [136764]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 6 November 2000]: We regularly discuss measures against Burma with our EU Partners but there is no consensus for multilateral investment sanctions. Nor is there consensus for such measures within the UN. We do not encourage trade or investment in Burma. We have suspended financial support for trade missions and trade promotions. In March I told Premier Oil, the largest UK investor in Burma, that we would welcome its moving out. We discourage 185W tourism as well. We are currently working with partners on a resolution on Burma to be adopted at the UN General Assembly.