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UK premier's call for Burma crisis talks welcomed |
The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed Prime Minister Gordon
Brown’s statement calling for the United Nations Security
Council, and European Union, to discuss the current crisis in
Burma. The Burma Campaign UK and other Burma pro-democracy
organisations around the world have been calling for both these
steps.
“We are delighted that Gordon Brown is personally taking this
initiative on Burma,” said Mark Farmaner, Acting Director of
the Burma Campaign UK. “This is a major breakthrough. The
Prime Minister has backed both our key demands, for Security
Council discussions, and EU discussions. It is also very
significant that he is pledging to personally raise Burma with his
counterparts. We have been calling for this for many years. Tony
Blair never raised Burma in meetings with world leaders.
"We hope this is the first step in a much more proactive approach
to Burma by the UK government. It is the first good news we have
had in a long time.”
The British government and European Union have been coming under
increasing pressure to take action, following the arrests and
crackdown on peaceful protestors in Burma began on August 21st. On
Tuesday the Burma Campaign UK held its first protest at the UK
foreign office in more than a decade, as the foreign office had
seemed content to merely issue statements of concern. On Friday
campaigners in 15 countries took part in a day of action calling
for EU ministers to discuss Burma when they meet on 7th September.
More than 150 peaceful protestors have been detained in the past
two weeks. On Tuesday 4th September there will be an international
24-hour hunger strike in solidarity with 41 detainees who are on
hunger strike in an attempt to force the regime in Burma to allow
medical care for one of their number, whose leg was broken when he
was attacked by a regime militia. Activists from almost 20
countries on four continents are expected to take part.
The Prime Minister's statement follows:
"I deeply deplore the Burmese government's violent supression of
peaceful demonstrations. I call upon the Burmese authorities to
release immediately all those detained merely for protesting at the
hardship imposed on them by the government's economic
mismanagement and failure to uphold fundamental human rights.
"I also reiterate the British Government's call for the release of
all political prisoners, including Nobel Prize winner, Aung San Suu
Kyi who has now spent almost 12 years of her life under house
arrest.
"As the lives of ordinary Burmese people continue to deteriorate,
it is all the more important that all countries and organisations
with an influence over the regime impress upon the generals the
need for an early transition to democratic rule, full respect for
human rights and genuine national reconciliation.
"I support calls for the grave situation in Burma to be considered
by the UN Security Council at the earliest opportunity. I also call
for the UN General Assembly to address this issue.
"We give our full support to the efforts of the UN
Secretary-General's good offices mission. It is time for the UN
human rights bodies to give this alarming situation the attention
it so patently deserves.
"I am asking the Foreign Secretary to discuss this issue with our
European partners next week. I will seek an early opportunity to
raise the situation in Burma with my counterparts in the key
regional countries and with our partners in the EU and the US."
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