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Foreign Affairs and Defence

I pay tribute to the long-standing commitment that the hon. Gentleman has shown to bringing an end to the suffering of the people of Burma. I noticed with some regret that the word ““Burma”” never appeared in the foreign policy section of the Conservative manifesto, so clearly his concern is not as widely shared on the Opposition Benches as I believe it is on the Labour Benches. On the substantive point that the hon. Gentleman raised, first I would like to point out that I have met Association of South East Asian Nations ambassadors in recent months and urged them to take further action in relation to the difficulties being encountered in Burma. It is with some regret, however, that I must tell the House that the fact that we have been unable to make further progress is not the result of a lack of will on the part of the United Kingdom but, I fear, a reticence on the part of many Asian neighbours of Burma. In the European Union, Britain has undoubtedly been at the forefront of efforts to bring pressure to bear on the Burmese regime, and I hope and believe that that will continue to be our policy as we review ways of taking forward our steps against the Burma regime in the months ahead.