Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the jailing of Burma's pro-democracy leader (details supplied); if he will report on the international efforts being made to highlight this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20853/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I deplore the arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma and esteemed Nobel Peace laureate, her imprisonment in the notorious Insein Prison in Rangoon and the laying of charges and institution of court proceedings against her.

In a statement on 14 May, I condemned her arrest, saying that it represented the latest chapter in an ongoing effort to silence this courageous pro-democracy advocate and opposition leader before, during and after the elections which are due to be held in Burma in 2010. I noted also that her arrest and incarceration were particularly distressing given the very real concerns regarding her state of health. I made clear my view that Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma must be released and a process of dialogue and reconciliation initiated without delay.

The EU Presidency also issued a Declaration on 14 May, deeply regretting the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and strongly urging the Burmese authorities to release her. The Declaration called on the regime to engage in an inclusive process of national reconciliation, which is essential for setting Burma on a genuine path to stability and prosperity, and to initiate a new phase in the development of the country.

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting on 22 April, EU Foreign Ministers agreed the renewal of the Common Position on restrictive measures on Burma for an additional year. We also agreed to keep open the possibility of revising the Common Position in the light of developments on the ground. In this context, the situation in Burma was discussed again at the GAERC on Monday last and Ministers agreed that, following the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the EU should look at new steps, including additional restrictive measures, which could be taken against the Burmese regime.

Ministers at the GAERC also discussed the up-coming EU-Troika meeting with Burma which will take place on 25 May in the margin of the ASEM Ministerial meeting in Hanoi. There will also be an opportunity on the occasion of both the ASEM meeting and the EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh which follows it, to convey to the representatives of many of Burma's neighbours who will be attending these meetings our very strong concerns and views about Aung San Suu Kyi, and the situation in Burma more generally. It is essential that we make clear to them, individually and collectively, how important it is that they use their influence in relation to the situation in Burma, including the position of Aung San Suu Kyi and the elections scheduled for 2010.

I myself have repeatedly made clear the Government's view that the elections will have no credibility unless all political prisoners are released unconditionally and a political process is initiated with the support of the United Nations on the basis of an inclusive, long-term dialogue in which the opposition and ethnic groups can participate fully. I fully support the role of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy, Dr Ibrahim Gambari, and the personal engagement of the UN Secretary General himself. I spoke to him about the situation in Burma when I was in New York on 8 May. I very much hope that Secretary General Ban will be able to visit Burma shortly, as he plans, and to making concrete progress on the political and humanitarian agenda there.

I will continue to work in the EU and UN frameworks and with the countries of the region to do all possible to advance our objectives in relation to Burma.