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Column 833

Ryder, Rt Hon Richard

Sackville, Hon Tom

Shaw, David (Dover)

Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb')

Shepherd, Colin (Hereford)

Shersby, Michael

Skeet, Sir Trevor

Smith, Tim (Beaconsfield)

Spicer, Sir Jim (Dorset W)

Stern, Michael

Stevens, Lewis

Stewart, Andy (Sherwood)

Sumberg, David

Taylor, Ian (Esher)

Taylor, John M (Solihull)

Thompson, D. (Calder Valley)

Thompson, Patrick (Norwich N)

Thurnham, Peter

Townend, John (Bridlington)

Twinn, Dr Ian

Walker, Bill (T'side North)

Waller, Gary

Wardle, Charles (Bexhill)

Wells, Bowen

Widdecombe, Ann

Wilshire, David

Wood, Timothy

Yeo, Tim

Tellers for the Ayes :

Mr. Sydney Chapman and

Mr. Nicholas Baker.

NOES

Adams, Mrs Irene (Paisley, N.)

Canavan, Dennis

Cryer, Bob

Dalyell, Tam

Darling, Alistair

Davis, Terry (B'ham Hodge H'l)

Dewar, Donald

Dixon, Don

Doran, Frank

Dunnachie, Jimmy

Eadie, Alexander

Ewing, Harry (Falkirk E)

Ewing, Mrs Margaret (Moray)

Foster, Derek

Foulkes, George

Fyfe, Maria

Galbraith, Sam

Galloway, George

Godman, Dr Norman A.

Griffiths, Win (Bridgend)

Macdonald, Calum A.

McKelvey, William

McMaster, Gordon

Marshall, David (Shettleston)

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Nellist, Dave

Pike, Peter L.

Ruddock, Joan

Skinner, Dennis

Spearing, Nigel

Strang, Gavin

Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

Watson, Mike (Glasgow, C)

Welsh, Andrew (Angus E)

Welsh, Michael (Doncaster N)

Worthington, Tony

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. Allen McKay and

Mr. Thomas McAvoy.

Question accordingly agreed to. [Special entry.]

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS, &c.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.).

NORTHERN IRELAND

That the draft Cinemas (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 15th May, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.] Question agreed to.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.).

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ANIMALS

That the draft Welfare of Pigs Regulations 1991, which were laid before this House on 21st May, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.] Question agreed to.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Statutory Instruments, &c.).

CRIMINAL LAW

That the draft Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 7th June, be approved.

That the draft Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 (Designated Countries and Territories) (Amendment) Order 1991, which was laid before tis House on 1st May, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.]

Question agreed to.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Statutory Instruments, &c.).

CRIMINAL LAW (NORTHERN IRELAND)

That the draft Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 7th June, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.]

Question agreed to.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Statutory Instruments, &c.).

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNITIES AND PRIVILEGES

That the draft Vienna Document (Privileges and Immunities) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 23rd May, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.]

Question agreed to.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101(5) (Statutory Instruments, &c.).

CRIMINAL LAW (SCOTLAND)

That the draft Confiscation of the Proceeds of Drug Trafficking (Designated Countries and Territories) (Scotland) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 22nd May, be approved.

That the draft Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 (Enforcement of Overseas Forfeiture Orders) (Scotland) Order 1991, which was laid before this House on 7th June, be approved.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.]

Question agreed to.

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Column 835

Burma

Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.-- [Mr. Kirkhope.]

2.39 am

Mr. Jim Lester (Broxtowe) : This is the second time that I have sought to draw the Government's attention to the situation in Burma and to press for comprehensive action from the United Kingdom Government. The first time that I did so was on 1 November 1989. I seek to raise this issue again to deal with one of the most objectionable regimes in the world today and to express the sense of widely felt frustration about the fact that it seems impervious to outside influence. It is a coincidence that my hon. Friend and neighbour, the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell), is seeking an Adjournment debate on human rights under that regime. I have asked him if he will speak for five minutes. My hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) has also expressed an interest and wants to speak for one minute. The fact that three hon. Members have shown an interest in raising this issue on the Adjournment at this time of night is of some significance.

I have sought this debate now because of two anniversaries. First, 28 May is the anniversary of the elections in Burma that overwhelmingly returned the National League for Democracy, which received 86 per cent. of the vote and 392 seats, as opposed to the National Unity party which received 3 per cent. of the vote and 10 seats. The latter was the close ally of the military junta, known as SLORC. By any standards, that was an overwhelming result--all the more so because of the incredible way in which SLORC attempted to stifle true expression before the election. It was so flagrant that I sought to ask my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to ignore the result, but the true expression of the people prevailed and the result was overwhelmingly in favour of the National League for Democracy.

However, a year later, not only has no transfer of power taken place, as was requested by all outside observers, but there has been a cold-blooded systematic offensive against the second and third levels of the leadership of the National League for Democracy, with the systematic arrest of elected representatives and savage sentences on trumped-up charges for various members of the party. Kyi Maung, the acting leader of the NLD, has recently had his sentence doubled from 10 to 20 years. Thirty-five Members of Parliament, including four women, have been given 25-year sentences for upholding the democractic will of the people who elected them. Over 80 have been arrested and about 1,000 of those who work for the NLD have been held in prison without trial.

I cannot remember or recollect any similar action by any country. Those in power must have sought to use the elections, presumably to reinforce the 40 -year-old military regime's power, against all democratic and international legal precedent, defying the election results and the constitutional process over which no unelected military junta does or should have power. That has been confirmed by the legal director of the international committee on human rights. The second anniversary was on 19 June, which is closer to the date of this Adjournment debate. It is the birthday of Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the lady was the catalyst for democratic change--a role that she did not seek, and which has resulted in her being kept under lonely house

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Column 836

arrest for over 21 months, without mail, telephone, calls or visits. Even the international civil servant who was appointed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights could not make contact with her. She has had no contact with her family in recent months. Everyone who knows about the lady's position realises that that is a wholly uncivilised way to treat anybody, let alone the leader of a party before an election.

To keep that lady in the same situation after the result that I have described and systematically to undermine her role as a party leader and a patriotic Burmese citizen is wholly unacceptable. Until recently, her role has been unsung, although earlier this year the European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov prize. She has been nominated for the Nobel prize and has already won the Norwegian peace prize. In those ways, those of us who understand the position can try to change world opinion. That lonely lady, an indomitable flame, stands alone against a regime that has increased its forces by over 100,000 since 1988--it now has some 280,000 soldiers and is still recruiting--and is spending its slender national reserves on purchasing ever more arms from China.

I know that the Government share my concerns and I know about the statements made by the European Community on 27 May. I am particularly grateful to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for his interest at the meeting with ASEAN Foreign Ministers, when he spoke strongly of our desire to help to bring about a peaceful political change. What else can and should we do to bring about a change in that obnoxious regime? How can we stop arms sales, especially from China, which can be used only to subjugate the people within Burma? As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, there are no external threats to Burma, so its massive army and those weapons can be used only to continue subjugation. Although my right hon. Friend has called on members of the Community, the permanent five and ASEAN to be careful not to supply arms, arms have been purchased from China.

Will my hon. Friend the Minister ensure that Burma's overall position is raised at the United Nations General Assembly this year? Active help should be sought from the United States, Australia and Canada, which all have larger Burmese communities living in exile than does this country. Will he consider the suggestion that we could move to a full United Nations aid and trade embargo on goods originating from Burma? I know that all the countries now provide no aid other than humanitarian aid. Could the credentials of the delegation to the United Nations, who have clearly resisted the democratic will of their people, be challenged?

Will my hon. Friend the Minister consider seeking to grant observer status to the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, some of whose members I have met in the House and who have risked terrible consequences by leaving Burma and trying to set up a government in exile. Will he also look at the Swedish draft resolution, which in the United Nations last year was not regarded as sufficiently supportable? I suspect that, because of the continued attitude of SLORC, it might be rather more supportable this year. Will my hon. Friend ensure that the position that I have described in so few words is highlighted?

Will my hon. Friend the Minister follow up the report on human rights that Professor Ogata presented to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva? Those of us who

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