Seán Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will confirm that Ireland will not open diplomatic relations with Burma until Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39259/06]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the new proposals he has in mind in relation to the actions of the Burmese military regime, in particular in relation to the release of Aug San Suu Kyi; if he has lost confidence in the ASEAN process; and his views on whether the present situation in that country is grave. [39532/06]

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the recent conversations he has had at European level with regard to violations of human rights and democracy in Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39471/06]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the pro-democracy leader in Burma; if her detention has been discussed at European level in recent months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39470/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 55, 107 and 108 together.

Ireland will not open diplomatic relations with Burma until Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest. The Government consistently takes a strong position on Burma on all possible occasions, including in the European Union framework and at the United Nations. Together with our EU partners, we avail of all opportunities to call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, to condemn the abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms and deplore the lack of progress towards democracy in Burma. Ireland and our EU partners apply a range of sanctions and restrictive measures against Burma, referred to as the EU Common Position, which was renewed in April for a further year. In the absence of any significant progress in Burma, Ireland strongly supported the renewal.

The exchange of non-resident Ambassadors was put on hold by Ireland in 2004. Significant and positive moves by the Government of Burma, including and in particular — as I have indicated above — the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, will be required before any decision to proceed with an exchange of Ambassadors can be made. There has not been any recent direct bilateral contact with the Government of Burma. However, at the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit held in Helsinki in September, the Taoiseach raised the situation in Burma in the presence of the Burmese Foreign Minister and called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma attended as a member of ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) and was the only participant at the Summit not invited at Head of State or Government level. The EU Troika met with the Foreign Minister in the margins of the Summit to reinforce the EU's strong concerns about the lack of progress in Burma. We raise the issue of Burma with our ASEAN partners at every appropriate opportunity and I welcome their increased efforts to put pressure on the Burmese régime.

In my statement on behalf of Ireland to the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September, I referred to the particularly grave human rights situation in Burma. I called, once again, on the Burmese régime to move towards democracy and to release all political prisoners, in particular Aung San Suu Kyi. These statements by the Taoiseach and myself are consistent with the strong position on Burma which Ireland takes on all possible occasions, including in the European Union framework and at the United Nations.

The situation in Burma was most recently discussed at the EU General Affairs and External Council Meeting in Luxembourg on 12 June. Subsequently, the UN Security Council included Burma on its agenda on 29 September when it was briefed by UN Under-Secretary-General (UNUSG) Gambari, who had visited Burma in May. In a welcome development UNUSG Gambari paid a second visit to the country earlier this month. These visits were the first high-level visits to that country by a UN representative in more than two years. I welcome the fact that during his visits he was able to meet with the most senior Burmese leaders, as well as with Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives of her party, the National League for Democracy. I strongly welcome the inclusion of Burma on the Security Council agenda. It is vitally important that the Burmese government allow the UN to play a role in promoting common ground between the government and the National League for Democracy so that the resumed National Convention can proceed in a more inclusive way.

I remain deeply concerned that Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained continuously for over three years without charge and, once more, urge the Burmese government to restore fully her freedom and civil liberties. On 27 May, the EU issued a statement which deeply regretted the decision of the Burmese government to extend the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and deplored the fact that international appeals, including that of the EU, had once again gone unheard.