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British PM ‘to support, not just befriend’ opposition

British PM ‘to support, not just befriend’ opposition thumbnail
British PM David Cameron 'supportive' of opposition (Reuters)
By NANG KHAM KAEW
Published: 5 August 2010

Britain’s new prime minister, David Cameron, has said that he will do more than the
previous Labour government to help Burma’s beleaguered opposition.

The message was passed on to the National League for Democracy (NLD) party
yesterday by British ambassador Andrew Heyn, on the same day that 1,600 letters were
delivered to Downing Street by campaigners calling on Cameron “to take the lead in
pushing for strong and effective international action on Burma”.

Tin Oo, deputy leader of the NLD, said that he and two other senior members, Win Tin
and Nyan Win, met with Heyn yesterday in Rangoon.

“The UK…prime minister passed on a personal message, that the UK government fully
agrees with the democratic forces continuing their activity and supports all their work,”
he said. “[Heyn] said…that [the new UK government] will be more supportive and striving
than just the friendly work done by the previous Labour government.”

Britain’s criticism of the Burmese junta has been fairly sporadic, although former prime
minister Gordon Brown used his last days in office to pen a letter to Aung San Suu Kyi
in which he said “I will do everything I can to support you. You are, for me, what courage
is and I will fight for you to be free and your people [to be] free”.

Like the US, Britain holds sanctions on Burma, but rights groups say that Burma
remains a ’boutique issue’ for the West as it concentrates priorities elsewhere.

The London-based Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) yesterday delivered 1,657 letters to
Downing Street in lieu of the 22nd anniversary of the 1988 uprising this Sunday.

The letters call on Cameron to push for a global arms embargo and UN investigation
into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, as well as increasing
aid and persuading the junta to “enter into genuine dialogue with Burma’s democracy
movement and ethnic groups”.

“David Cameron has already shown that he sees Burma as a priority,” said Mary Hla,
campaigns officer at BCUK, in a statement released yesterday.

“We hope he will take the lead in building support for practical steps. When he goes to
the UN General Assembly in September he has the opportunity to push for them to
establish a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in
Burma.”

Fellow BCUK campaigner Seng Pan added that “The British government is one of the
few not to fall for the regime’s election lies”.
Author: NANG KHAM KAEW Category: News, Politics