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Burma

I am grateful for the opportunity of the gap to mention that, as the noble Lord, Lord Alton, knows, my wife’s niece worked for several years until recently in a refugee camp on the Burmese border. Her husband is Karenni. I spoke on the phone to her just before this debate began today and she said three things. The first was encouraging. They are delighted that some of the Karenni refugees they know in Thailand are among those to be sent to New Zealand, Finland and the USA—I gather 500 of them are being allowed out in January—and there is a hope that in a further wave some might be able to come to this country. But the rest of what she said was not so encouraging. She told me that she and her husband are at the moment deeply concerned that Karenni families whom they know are currently hiding in utter fear in the jungle from Burmese authorities. Their children obviously have no education at all and the health situation, as she described it to me, is dire. Most of those families have absolutely no medical help of any kind while in hiding. Thirdly, she spoke of experiences such as the tragedy that happened to her husband Eh Htoo’s uncle. These tragedies are continuing, as the noble Baroness, Lady Cox, has described. He was grabbed by Burmese soldiers to be a porter to carry weapons. When he could not carry the load any longer—as she told me a few moments ago—they beat him to death. She said that it sometimes seems that things get a bit better only to turn worse again. As noble Lords have said, things are not in a good way at this moment. Members of my wife’s family are deeply grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Karenni, Karen and Shan. I want him to know that he can rely on the support and prayers of the Bench of Bishops in pressing for action to prevent this tragedy that has already gone on far too long.