Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Burma-Myanmar in particular in view of the testimony provided by boat people who have sought refuge in Indonesia. [5211/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am deeply concerned by the situation in Burma. There has been no political progress since the events of September 2007, and harassment and repression of monks, political activists and others by the military junta has continued unabated since that time. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is also still under arrest.

Meantime, the junta appears intent on holding elections in 2010, based on the new Constitution which it forced through by means of a fundamentally flawed referendum in May 2008. In spite of the recent visit of the UN Secretary General's Special Representative, Dr Ibrahim Gambari, which I welcome, the régime has not responded to the demands of the international community for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the initiation of a political process on the basis of an inclusive long-term dialogue in which the opposition and ethnic groups can participate fully.

The ongoing repressive policies of the Burmese junta have caused great suffering to the ethnic groups in Burma. Many have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries. The plight of Rohingya refugees in both Indonesia and Thailand is of particular concern. According to interviews given to international news agencies, the 400 Rohingya boat people, to whom the Deputy refers, were subjected to violence by the Burmese military junta and were then driven from their country. There are also allegations of ill-treatment against some of them on arrival in Thailand, before they were cast adrift once again, only to wash up in Indonesia.

I very much appreciate the fact that Burma's neighbours have had to accommodate large numbers of refugees over many years. In this context, I call on the governments of both Indonesia and Thailand to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law with regard to the Rohingya refugees and to support fully the work of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in assisting them. Officials in my Department have already communicated my concerns on this issue to the Governments of Indonesia and Thailand.

Ireland remains committed to helping the Burmese people in their struggle for justice, democracy and development. We have also sought to aid refugees from Burma through our support since 1998 for the UNHCR-led resettlement programme. Among the nationalities resettled to date are 97 Burmese Karen refugees who arrived in Ireland in 2007 and were resettled in County Mayo. A further 78 Burmese Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh have also been accepted for resettlement in Ireland under our 2008 quota and are due to arrive in early to mid March.

Ultimately, I believe that the only solution to the plight of Burmese refugees is the creation of a safe and secure environment in their own country. This requires serious engagement on the part of the Burmese regime with representatives of ethnic minorities and the opposition on political reform and a return to democracy and justice for all in that country.