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Hugo Swire responds to letters on political prisoners in Burma
Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire has responded to members of the public concerned about political prisoners in Burma
- Published 16 April 2014
The cause of political prisoners has long been one the UK has championed, and it is one that we continue to raise at the highest levels. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary discussed political prisoners with President Thein Sein, alongside the full range of our concerns on human rights and ethnic issues, during the President’s visit to London in July 2013.
I warmly welcome the release of many hundreds of political prisoners under this Burmese government. It is important that we commend positive steps as much as we draw attention to areas of continuing concern. But I do of course remain very concerned about those who remain in jail, including recognised prisoners of conscience such as Dr Tun Aung and Kyaw Hla Aung. We will continue to emphasise to senior members of the Burmese government that even one political prisoner is one too many.
On my most recent visit to Burma in January, I urged continued dialogue between the government, political parties, ethnic armed groups and civil society to resolve these remaining cases as a matter of urgency. I have also lobbied directly on individual cases – for example raising the detention of Dr Tun Aung and Kyaw Hla Aung with the President’s Office.
We remain deeply concerned by credible reports following the 2012 violence in Rakhine State of mass arbitrary detentions, torture of detainees, and trials which did not follow due legal process. These have not been addressed. We will continue to call for a comprehensive and transparent mechanism to review existing cases and to support the reintegration of former political prisoners.
We also continue to call on the government to ensure that democratic activists are able to voice their opinions freely and without fear of arrest, and to emphasise the importance of press freedom in a democracy. The recent detention of journalists, arrested in the course of carrying out their work, highlights that there is still work to be done. I urged the Speaker of Parliament to repeal those laws which are not in line with democratic standards. As many of you noted in your letters, repealing these repressive laws will be vital if Burma is to continue on its path to greater democracy. We will also continue to encourage constitutional change in order to support the growth of independent and effective judicial systems.
We are strong supporters of the transition in Burma and we welcome the progress that has been made. However, we are under no illusion as to the scale of the challenges that remain. Our Embassy in Rangoon remains in close contact with the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) and other civil society networks in support of their work to identify and advocate for those that have been unjustly convicted.
My speech in January at the British Council in Rangoon made clear the many concerns we continue to have on political prisoners and other human rights issues.
On 8 April, the British Government published UK Activities in Burma – a document which sets out for the first time the range of work in Burma being undertaken by the Foreign Office, Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence and UK Trade and Investment. It sets out the importance of Burma to the UK, our five key areas of work and the main activities we are doing under each of them.
If you require any further information, please consult the UK and Burma website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter: @UKinBurma
Thank you for your support in highlighting these issues in Burma. Human rights – not least the plight of political prisoners – will remain at the heart of British policy. We will remain a vocal advocate for change in Burma and continue to press for action to resolve what are issues of real concern.
- World location:
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UK Commons Select Commitee Democracy and Development in Burma
Extracted from UK
Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/international-development-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/democracy-and-development-in-burma/
Commons Select Committee
Democracy and development in Burma
Inquiry
status: Report published
Since
2010 there have been remarkable changes in Burma. The UK Government considers
that there is now a great opportunity to transform the lives of poor people in
the country and DFID believes that British aid can now achieve a greater
impact. Nevertheless, despite the political progress so far Burma remains one
of the poorest countries in Asia. The country is off track to reach many of the
Millennium Development Goals and suffers from poor health, including amongst
the highest rates of malaria, malnutrition (especially amongst children) and
tuberculosis in the world. Underlying ethnic tensions have the potential to
undermine the reform process.
The
International Development Committee has now concluded the inquiry into
Democracy and Development in Burma. The Report concluded that the UK
Department for International Development’s Burma budget should be increased
promptly from £60 million to £100 million to enable greater support for education,
including teacher training, the peace process and parliamentary strengthening.
Further information
UK Burma IPCC Climate Change FCO UK
Extracted from Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK
UK and Burma’s ‘Weatherman’ welcome IPCC report on Climate Change
Page history:
Published 1 April 2014
World
location:
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agency:
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priorities:
UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases second report that deals
with the impacts of climate change on humans and environment.
On Monday
31 March, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published
‘Climate Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’. This is the second volume of
the collective Fifth Assessment Report, the latest and most comprehensive
assessment of the science of climate change since the last publication of such
a report in 2007.
The
Foreign Secretary, William Hague, addressed the urgency of the report’s latest
findings, stating that:
"It is
clear from the IPCC’s report that a two degree increase in the world’s
temperature would be dangerous, and four degrees would be catastrophic. But
that is the likely trajectory, unless there is unprecedented global cooperation
to bring down emissions. No country would be left unaffected. Governments
everywhere have to act."
The
Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Climate Change, Sir David King,
agreed that action is required now:
"We must
avoid the impacts of dangerous climate change. The results of a failure to take
action will be widespread, with serious consequences for human health, global
food and resource security and economic prosperity. There are limits to how
much we can adapt to these impacts and only by working together to secure an
international agreement to successfully lower carbon emissions can we hope to
meet the climate challenge."
The
report provides strong evidence of the widespread and consequential impacts of
climate change, as well as the need to consider adaptation options for those
impacts that we can no longer avoid.
“The thematic areas from the second UN CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPACTS & MITIGATION REPORT such as water security, extreme weather and
climate impacts are all threatening to Myanmar, which is the second most
impacted country in the world as far as impacts from climate change and natural
disasters are concerned. Currently the levels of UV and the Heat Index are
rising, especially in the summer and pre-monsoon seasons. Myanmar’s monsoon
characteristics have drastically changed since 2006 such as:
1. Later
onset of monsoon season by as much as 15 days
2. Earlier
withdrawal of monsoon season by as much as 25 days
3. A
shortening of the rainy season by as much as 40 days
4. A
disappearance of depressions in the Bay of Bengal by as much as 40%.
Note for editors:
The full
Summary for Policymakers for Working Group 2 Report will be published on http://www.ipcc.ch/
. Dr U Tun Lwin’s website can be viewed on http://www.tunlwin.com/index.php?english.
All the
latest news is available on the Foreign Office page of the gov.uk website at: www.gov.uk/fco
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the Foreign Secretary on facebook
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https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/uk-and-burmas-weatherman-welcome-ipcc-report-on-climate-change
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Foreign Office: UK Activities in Burma English and Burmese
This document was prepared by the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office, including the British
Embassy in Rangoon, and with the support of the
Department for International Development, UK Trade
& Investment and the Ministry of Defence.
It explains the British Government’s approach and
activities in support of Burma’s current transition
towards democracy and economic reform.
April 2014
Available in Burmese at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-activities-in-burmaTuesday, March 4, 2014
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Private Leslie Cryer 2WW Burma
Anyone with information on:
British Soldier Leslie Cryer
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Private Leslie Cryer 2WW Burma
From 'Telegraph and Argus', Tuesday 4th March 2014
Private Leslie Cryer died behind enemy lines in Second World War, aged 27
9:00am
Tuesday 4th March 2014 in News By Chris Young, T&A Reporter
Philip Davies hopes to trace relatives of a
Bradford soldier
A
historian is hoping to learn more about a Bradford soldier who died behind
enemy lies in the Second World War.
Leslie
Cryer was a private of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry who was fighting
in Burma in 1942 when he escaped surrounding Japanese forces.
He lived
in the wild for a fortnight before being taken in by the Karens, a Burmese
ethnic group who supported the English during the war.
Despite
being nursed by a group of Karens, Pte Cryer eventually died of pneumonia aged
27. He was buried near Pawmuder, in a grave marked by bamboo canes and crosses
which is still tended by villagers to this day.
London-based
historian Philip Davies came across the story of Pte Cryer while researching
Major Hugh Seagrim, another soldier who was trapped behind enemy lines, about
whom he is writing a book.
Part of
the book will deal with Pte Cryer, who Mr Davies says: “epitomises the fate of
so many young men” who were sent to the Far East during the war
.
Before
being conscripted, Pte Cryer was a natural history photographer. He survived an
attack by the Japanese at Martaban, living in the surrounding forests by
surviving off leaves and herbs. Eventually his hunger led him to a nearby
village, where he was nursed by the sympathetic Karens who lived there.
Mr
Davies, who hopes to release his book England’s Lost Warrior – Seagrim of Burma
later this year, has been unable to find any living relatives of the private,
and hopes someone in Bradford may know his family.
It is
also possible that his sister, Jeanne, of whom Pte Cryer regularly spoke of and
was nine years younger than him, might still be alive.
Mr Davies
has tracked down letters written by Pte Cryer’s parents Harry and Beatrice, to
the people who looked after him in 1947. Their address at the time was
Wharncliffe Road, Frizinghall.
Mr. Davies
said: “Pte Cryer’s fate was common amongst many who died in similar
circumstances.
“Many
died simply because they gave up or simply lacked the will to live in the face
of what must have seemed impossible odds and acute physical hardship.
“His
grave still remains in Pawmuder tended by the local villagers.”
A letter
written by the Cryers says: “You can be assured that we are deeply grateful to
you for your efforts to save our son’s life.”
Anyone
with information about Pte Cryer or his family can contact Mr Davies on
phd52@btinternet.com.
e-mail:
chris.young@telegraphandargus.co.uk
or karensofburmakuk@gmail.com
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