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June 19, 2005
John Bercow on Burma
John Bercow initiated a parliamentary debate on ‘Human Rights (Burma)’ on 15 June (in connection with the 60th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi on 19 June). At the close of an excellent speech detailing the background to human rights violations in Burma, he said:
… it is a great indictment of the House that, so far back as records can be traced, not one ministerial oral statement has been made in Parliament about the abuse of human rights in Burma. That situation should change. If we declared our intention as a Parliament to oppose the regime, we could make a difference in time. If we were to adopt, through the European Union and the United Nations, the sanctions that are needed in respect of the oil, gas, timber and gems sectors on the one hand and follow up with a comprehensive UN arms embargo on the other, what a difference that could make. The Government of Burma have a responsibility to stop subjugating their citizens and to start liberating them. If they will not act voluntarily, they must be squeezed, squeezed and squeezed again. Like many other despotic regimes throughout the world, the Government of Burma are contemptuous of weakness. They respect only strength. They will respond only — if at all — to pressure, pressure and more pressure.
www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2005-06-15.107.1&s=Burma#g124.0
Posted by Simon Holledge at June 19, 2005 01:59 PM
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Comments
John Bercow has come a long way, on a number of topics, in recent years; it's good to see! Burma is a tragic indictment of inaction by many governments, in the UK not just this one, but the last, too. It was at one time suggested that I accompany a colleague in a visit to Yangon, but it didn't happen (I was in Phnom Penh at the time!) and amazingly he was able to trace some of our former staff there (from many years before, when our office still existed) who were overjoyed to see him. The Burmese are a gentle and well-educated people - it is a tragedy what has happened there.
Posted by: Bill at June 19, 2005 11:17 PM