Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

Does the Minister agree that the decision in early 2004 to open diplomatic relations with both Burma and North Korea was the most bizarre and ill-judged? It gave an air of respectability to those two areas of repression, that have been described as outposts of tyranny. In the case of Burma, does the Minister agree that this decision, based on assumption that the opposition leader was to be released, was a serious error of judgment? Will he give a clear signal to these two regimes that their lack of action towards implementing democracy cannot be tolerated? Will he tell them Ireland has no further interest in establishing diplomatic relations until such time as democracy is put into force in their respective countries?

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