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Burma

Much of what I had prepared to say has already been touched on by the noble Lord, Lord Alton, but the noble Lord is right to ask this Question. He is right to call on the Government to raise this very serious and pressing issue with the United Nations Security Council. For far too long, the suffering and persecution of civilian people in Burma has been well known to the world. Every effort should and must be made by the Security Council to bring the suffering to an end. Of course, that is much easier said than done, but however difficult and daunting the task may be, it is our duty and responsibility to bring the Grand Committee’s attention—and, in turn, the Government’s attention—to what is happening in the former British colony. What we can do is press our Government to voice the concern of all right-thinking peoples that the atrocities and brutality perpetrated by the military powers in Burma against innocent civilians within the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples should be brought to an end. Who else can do anything to relieve the daily suffering of these brave but unfortunate people but the United Nations? For many, many years, the Burmese Military have relentlessly pursued their persecution against their own civilian population. The list of atrocities is long and heartbreaking. Summary executions, torture, and disappearances are commonplace together with forced labour, rape and the destruction of village communities. Military units operating in eastern Burma deliberately and systematically destroy the crops painstakingly cultivated by the long suffering and ill fed people as they struggle to survive. Besides destroying their crops the military destroy their food stores and livestock. To avoid the brutality, many hundreds of thousands seek safety in the jungle with scant food and no medicines. In the House, we have spent many hours discussing hunting, so it is right and proper that we should spend this little time today thinking of the people hunted down in the jungle and killed like animals. The noble Lord, Lord Alton, has given the Grand Committee the opportunity to give thought to this catalogue of suffering and brutality. We are all, I am sure, most grateful to him for once again bringing to our notice the plight of the Karen, Karenni and Shan civilian population. The Karen number around 8 million—40 per cent of whom are Christians. The Karenni number about 1 million of whom 50 per cent are Christians. Most of the 7 million Shan people are Buddhists or Animists. Although human rights abuses by the Burmese military are inflicted on a wide variety of ethnic groups including the Burmans, the sheer intensity and systematic nature of the atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people are such that it would be accurate to say that the Burmese military are committing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against their own people. The Question posed by the noble Lord, Lord Alton, asks the Government specifically to request the Security Council to examine the alleged genocide committed against these peoples, and to ask the Security Council to consider an imposition of an arms and investment embargo on Burma. It is sad to recall that our Government have yet to acknowledge that the actions and policies of the military government in Burma are in fact crimes against humanity. I said earlier that it is our duty and responsibility to voice our concern—without doubt, it is the duty and responsibility of Her Majesty’s Government to recognise what is going on in Burma. So far, our Government have failed to explain their denial of the undisputed facts of the brutality and suffering that continues unabated. Perhaps today my noble friend the Minister will explain the denial of the genocide and crimes against humanity. The immediate and desperate situation of the Karen, Karenni and Shan civilians should not be ignored because of the continuing struggle for democracy in Burma. Their need is now—there is no point in arguing that we should wait for democracy to come one day. To do that would condemn hundreds of thousands to prolonged suffering. The struggle for democracy in Burma has been very long and even the most optimistic observers would admit that there is very little chance of achieving success in the foreseeable future. It follows that the urgent need of the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples should be addressed immediately. There is no guarantee that if and when democracy arrives in Burma the suffering of the Karen, Karenni and Shan will end. A look at what is happening in neighbouring West Papua, where the Indonesian military has a long record of involvement in national politics, is a clear example. Democracy will not by itself take away the abuses of human rights by Burmese troops. The daily tragedies of the Karen, Karenni and Shan people should be reason itself for the United Nations to act swiftly and decisively in pursuit of far stronger and more effective measures that are at the disposal of the Security Council. Supporting words contained in resolutions is not enough—it never has been and never will be. Actions will always speak louder than words. Burma’s history as a former British colony and our place as a permanent member of the Security Council means that we have a special responsibility to bring about change, change that would allow these peoples to have a better and more secure life. I understand that our Government have not made any determined attempts to get the United Nations to actively intervene in what is happening to the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples. Our Government must change from being passive, over-cautious and rigid when it comes to doing something positive. When the United States Government banned all new investments by US companies in Burma, many thought that what they had done would encourage—or perhaps I should say shame—other nations, including our own, to follow suit. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has claimed that it discouraged such investment. It is time that the FCO did more than talk about discouraging and get on with introducing legislation that would ban UK companies from investing in Burma. Without the necessary laws, business will pursue profit before principle. Are there any signs that we here in Britain will soon move into a mood of active lobbying at the United Nations for a global ban on arms and an investment embargo against Burma? The Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples are looking to the free world to give them some hope for the future. It is worth noting that the State Peace and Development Council spends an estimated 60 per cent of the national budget on the military, much of it on weapons from China—expenditure that is used to control and kill its own people. There are many parts of our troubled world where human rights abuses regularly take place. In many places, the abuse is perpetrated by so-called democratically-elected governments and military force. It is a sad but true fact that bullies who govern by force and torture come to understand that nations such as ours are serious about bringing about change only when their own economies and military power are endangered by properly enforced economic sanctions.