Burma sanctions are working; don't relax them now

Below is my letter to our MP. You can write to your MP from this website: www.writetothem.com

Dear Neil,

I am writing to ask you to sign two cross-party Early Day Motions (EDMs) about Burma. As you know there has been some good news in Burma in the past year, but as Aung San Suu Kyi has said, there is still a long way to go. Human rights abuses have actually increased in the past year, aid to some ethnic areas is still being blocked by the government, and there have been no legal or constitutional reforms which give recent changes a legal footing.

I am very concerned that the British government has not been taking a strong line to ensure EU sanctions are maintained. We still need the targeted economic sanctions that have already brought about changes - to remove them is to remove the incentive for the military backed government to make deeper and more fundamental changes.

EDM 2710 calls on the British government to ensure that all sanctions on Burma are not relaxed prematurely before all political prisoners are released, military attacks against ethnic minorities are ended, and there is real constitutional and legislative reform. The European Union has to renew sanctions at the end of April, and the British government has not been taking a strong line to ensure EU sanctions are maintained.

EDM 2719 calls on the British government to increase aid to the refugees and internally displaced people in ethnic states in Burma. Despite big increases in aid to Burma, DFID has not provided significant increased to help these people.

The people of Burma still need our support. Please do sign these Early Day Motions.

Yours sincerely, Philip Booth