The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed the action the British government is taking with regards to the current crisis in Burma. The measures were summarised in a ministerial statement by Foreign Secretary David Miliband today.
“The steps the British government is taking are exactly what is needed,” said Mark Farmaner, Acting Director of the Burma Campaign UK. “They are applying pressure in all the right places. We are very pleased to see the government taking decisive action in this way.”
The steps proposed by the British government are a combination of applying political pressure for national reconciliation through the United Nations, the stick of economic pressure through the European Union, the carrot of promises of support for economic development in response to genuine reform, and an immediate increase in aid to tackle the terrible poverty resulting from the policies of the regime.
There has been a significant change in the British government’s approach to Burma in recent weeks. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband are both actively engaged in trying to build international support to increase pressure on the regime to enter into genuine dialogue and start a process of reform.
Significantly, this also includes discussions with their counterparts in Asia. “Gordon Brown clearly feels strongly about this issue and is taking the lead in pushing for international action,” said Mark Farmaner. “Burmese people are contacting us to say that they appreciate what he is doing, it is giving them hope.” Previous Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries have rarely made any public statements about Burma.
Key areas of action:
United Nations Security Council & United Nations Secretary General;
The United Nations has consistently failed to give Burma the priority it deserved, UN envoys were not given sufficient political backing, and were ignored by the regime and even banned from entering the country, with no repercussions from the UN. The Burma Campaign UK has been calling for the UN Secretary General to personally manage UN efforts in relation to Burma, and to go to Burma to lead negotiations with the regime. Those efforts should have the backing of a binding United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma. The British government has been very active ensuring discussions on Burma take place at the Security Council, and supporting high level engagement by the UN.
EU Economic Sanctions;
For more than a decade the Burmese democracy movement has supported targeted economic sanctions against the regime. These include a ban on all new investment, a ban on the imports of key commodities, such as timber, gems and metals, a ban on financial transactions, and freezing the assets of the regime. Such sanctions would place significant economic pressure on the regime, while at the same time not have an impact on most ordinary Burmese people, the vast majority of whom depend on agriculture. The British government has taken the lead in pushing for the EU to support such sanctions. These sanctions should be implemented as soon as possible to ensure the regime gets the message that it cannot act with impunity.
Support for economic development in response to change;
The Burma Campaign UK warmly welcomes the proposal by the British government for an economic support package for Burma in response to genuine change. This would include support from the UN, International Financial Institutions, and bilateral donors. There is also a proposal for a Trust Fund for Burma, support for debt relief, an investment conference and supportive trade measures.
“This sends a message to the generals in Burma and those parts of the business community in Burma that are helping to bankroll this regime. Keep backing Than Shwe and economic pressure will increase, but if you support democratic reform there will be development assistance and economic opportunities,” said Mark Farmaner.
Increase in Aid;
The Burma campaign UK has been lobbying for a major change in aid policy by the British government, including a significant increase in aid, funding for cross-border aid to reach the parts of Burma that the regime does not allow aid to reach, and for financial support for projects promoting human rights and democracy in Burma. On July 25th the International Development Committee issued a report strongly criticising DFID aid policy for Burma, calling for aid to be quadrupled by 2013.
“The extra £1 million is welcome, but we hope this will be followed by a much more substantial increase after the Comprehensive Spending Review,” said Mark Farmaner. “If Burmese people received as much aid as African countries with equivalent levels of poverty, the annual aid budget would be £80 million, not £8 million.”
What more could the British government be doing?
• Support a United Nations arms embargo on Burma.
• Release the names of companies trading with the regime. For many years we have been calling on the government to publish the names of companies that import goods from Burma into the UK. £26 million of goods were imported last year, but the Treasury refuses to disclose the names of those companies, citing a duty of confidentiality. However, the information could be released if the relevant government Minister decided it was in the national interest to do so. This would give the British public the choice of avoiding purchasing goods from Burma if they choose to do so.
For more information contact Mark Farmaner on 0207 324 4713.