Speaking to media earlier today, the Prime Minister said that the human rights of the Burmese people “must be respected.”
PM calls for “immediate international action” on Burma26 September 2007
Gordon Brown warned Burma’s leaders today that “the whole world is now watching” as Burmese authorities launched a crackdown on the protestors who have taken to the streets over the last few days.Speaking to media earlier today, the Prime Minister said that the human rights of the Burmese people “must be respected,” adding that the Rangoon regime will be held to account “in the eyes of the world.”The PM paid tribute to the “courage, bravery and resilience of the Burmese people” and said there would be “no impunity” for those responsible for the violence.There are reports of a monk being killed by the military in Rangoon as pro-democracy protestors continued to march in defiance of the country’s leaders.The Prime Minister repeated his calls for a threefold approach to the crisis including a United Nations Security Council meeting this afternoon; the sending of the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Burma, and for the EU to discuss the issue at the highest level later today.Mr Brown said that international pressure over next few days is “incredibly important”. “The whole world is now watching Burma and its illegitimate and repressive regime should know that the whole world is going to hold it to account.”The age of impunity in neglecting and overriding human rights is over.” Yesterday Mr Brown wrote to the current holder of the European Union presidency, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and called for tougher sanctions.He told Mr Socrates: “I would strongly support a presidency initiative to warn the Burmese government that we are watching their behaviour and that the EU will impose tougher EU sanctions if they make the wrong choices.”And in his letter to Mr Ban, Mr Brown said: “We need concerted international action, including the UN, to discourage violence. We need to stand together.”
Read the PM’s interview on Burma
Read the transcript
Prime Minister:The whole world is now watching Burma and this illegitimate and oppressive regime should know that the whole world is going to hold it to account and that the age of impunity for neglecting and over-riding human rights is over.I want to pay tribute to the courage and the resilience and the bravery of the Burmese people and of Aung San Sun Kyi who everybody around the world admires.And as a result of the deterioration of the situation I think there’s three things that have got be done immediately. The European Council will be meeting at official level immediately and I believe that they will decide that if there is action taken against human rights that there will be an extension of sanctions. And I hope the whole of the European Union will support that. At the same time I hope the Security Council will meet immediately – meet today – discuss this issue and look at what can be done. And the first thing that can be done is that the UN Envoy should be sent to Burma – and I hope he’s in a position to go – to make sure that the Burmese regime directly is aware that any trampling of human rights that takes place will have the whole eyes of the world upon them and will not be acceptable in future.
PM calls for
“immediate international action”
on Burma
25 September 2007The Prime Minister has called on the international community to take a tougher stance with Burma as pro-democracy demonstrations in the country intensify.Mr Brown also called on the ruling junta in Rangoon to “exercise restraint” in its response to demonstrations that have seen thousands of monks, nuns and ordinary citizens take to the streets of the capital, Rangoon.In letters today to the current holder of the European Union presidency, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the PM called for a warning to Rangoon of tougher sanctions if there is a crackdown.He told Mr Socrates:”I would strongly support a presidency initiative to warn the Burmese government that we are watching their behaviour and that the EU will impose tougher EU sanctions if they make the wrong choices.”And in his letter to Mr Ban, Mr Brown said:”We need concerted international action, including the UN, to discourage violence. We need to stand together.”The PM said he would support an urgent visit to Burma by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, as well as discussions at the UN Security Council.The “unfolding human tragedy” in Burma requires “immediate international action”, he added.Calling the widespread demonstrations “unprecedented”, he said that the Burmese regime had failed to promote “a genuine process of political reconciliation”.”It is vital that the Burmese authorities exercise restraint in the face of the demonstrators and seize the opportunity to launch a process of real political reform.”Mr Brown called on “all those with influence” over the Burmese regime use it to “deter violence and encourage reconciliation”.Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has under house arrest in Burma since 2003.