Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the series of economic, diplomatic and legal proposals by the European Parliamentary Caucus on Burma for the European Union to address the imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23525/09]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on a global arms embargo against Burma, a commission of inquiry into crimes against humanity against ethnic minorities in eastern Burma and the introduction by the EU of targeted financial sanctions including on insurance, financial, transactions, banking and investment and adding the judges and prosecutors involved in Aung San Suu Kyi's trial case to the EU visa ban list; the steps that he is taking with its partner states in the EU and UN to achieve these objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23526/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together. As Deputies will be aware, and as stated previously in this House on many occasions, the Government is deeply concerned about the situation in Burma and plays an active role in international efforts to bring about positive change there. The decision of the Burmese regime to put Aung San Suu Kyi on trial on the most spurious of charges, further compounds the already bleak situation in that country, where repression against members of the opposition, the ethnic groups and the population at large continues unabated and human rights and fundamental freedoms are systematically denied.

The international community has worked hard to assist the delta region to recover from the devastating effects of Cyclone Nargis, which struck in May last year. Much remains to be done and the country's economy continues to decline in the face of mismanagement and corruption. More than 2,100 political prisoners are serving sentences in deplorable conditions, many on questionable charges.

The authorities are pushing ahead with plans to hold elections next year on the basis of a discredited Constitution, elections which, if they are not opened up fully to the opposition and to all ethnic groups, will have no credibility or legitimacy. Efforts by the international community, including those by the UN Secretary General personally and his good offices mission, to secure the release of political prisoners and the launching of a process of national dialogue and reconciliation have been fruitless so far. Ireland has long been in favour of strong international action against the Burmese regime, including sanctions and an arms embargo. We would be strongly supportive of mandatory UN sanctions and regret very much that there remains insufficient consensus among Security Council members to allow formal, enforceable, UN sanctions and an arms embargo to be imposed on the regime. In the absence of UN sanctions, which would be legally binding on all UN members, we favour imposing, maintaining and extending EU sanctions on Burma. We have been proposing a strengthening of EU sanctions in response to the action taken by the regime against Aung San Suu Kyi. As a result of pressure from us, and other like-minded Member States, the EU is currently examining ways in which sanctions could be reinforced. One of the measures being examined is to extend the EU visa/travel ban to include judges who have been responsible for the imposition of extremely severe sentences on pro-democracy advocates. If Aung San Suu Kyi is sentenced for the charges currently facing her, we will also be arguing for similar treatment for any judges involved in her case.

I have a great deal of sympathy with the points raised by the European Parliamentary Caucus on Burma in March this year and other appeals from them. The Caucus has called on EU governments to reiterate that the military dictatorship's planned 2010 elections and Constitution are unacceptable in their current form, and to support the National League for Democracy and other democratic forces' proposals for genuine dialogue and reform. We are already doing this, including, through the provision of support to the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) and other opposition and ethnic groups in their efforts to prepare a common platform for dialogue with the regime.

Regarding the call from the Caucus for the EU to work towards a global consensus for a global arms embargo, I have made clear my wish to see an arms embargo in place against the Burmese regime and my regret that it has not been possible so far to gain UN Security Council or sufficiently broad support for such an initiative.

The Caucus has also called on the EU to consider carefully targeted economic sanctions, including targeted financial sanctions, and sanctions stopping European companies providing insurance in Burma. The EU is currently reviewing ways in which EU sanctions can be strengthened in response to the action which is being taken against Aung San Suu Kyi and I would expect proposals such as those put forward by the Caucus to be examined in that context. I am also supportive of the Caucus call on the EU to continue increasing humanitarian assistance in Burma, and to do more to challenge restrictions on aid delivery imposed by the regime. More recently, following the recent arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Caucus has issued a direct appeal to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to intervene personally to try to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. I fully support this call. I very much hope that the Secretary General will succeed in his efforts to visit Burma soon and that he will be able to achieve progress on the issue of prisoner releases and the broader political agenda, including the elections, while he is there.