Burma: Tourist Advice

– in the House of Lords at 2:52 pm on 17 January 2000.

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Photo of Lord Faulkner of Worcester Lord Faulkner of Worcester Labour 2:52, 17 January 2000

asked Her Majesty's Government

What advice they offer to British tourists planning to visit Burma.

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, our travel advice says that the political situation remains unsettled; visitors to Burma can visit only officially designated areas; some ethnic insurgents remain active in Burma, particularly in border areas; and that visitors should seek medical advice before travelling. The full text of our latest travel advice for Burma can be found on the FCO website, on Ceefax or by telephoning our travel advice unit. We have drawn attention in Parliament, in correspondence and on our website to the views of Burmese democratic leaders that tourism to Burma is inappropriate at present. I have placed a copy of our travel advice in the Library of the House.

Photo of Lord Faulkner of Worcester Lord Faulkner of Worcester Labour

My Lords, I thank my noble friend very much for that reply. I am not sure how often the tabling of a Question in your Lordships' House makes an immediate difference to what a government department does, but it seems to have happened in this case. Is my noble friend aware that I tabled my Question because I was concerned that, when I looked at it in December, the travel advice on Burma issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office contained no reference whatever to human rights? Will she confirm that the FCO's website was changed last Friday so that, as she rightly says, the travel advice now includes a link to the letter by the late Minister of State, Derek Fatchett, to the chairman of ABTA in which he drew attention to the request from Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratic leader of Burma, that British tourists should not visit the country, as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office brief entitled Burma: Ten Years of Oppression?

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, I can certainly confirm that my noble friend's Question caused us to look at the two sites where information about Burma was entered. It was clear that a link between those two sites would ease the situation and make it easier for people to find out the full picture. Therefore, that link was arranged. I thank my noble friend for bringing the matter to our attention. However, all the information was available to those who wished to find it.

Photo of Lord Alton of Liverpool Lord Alton of Liverpool Crossbench

My Lords, I welcome what the Minister has said to the House, but is she aware that many of the hotels and the tourist infrastructure in Burma have been built by slave labour, often involving in particular the Kareni people and others from different ethnic minorities, who have been forcibly exploited and many of whom have even died during the creation of that tourist infrastructure? Is she further aware that in the past five years in the Karen state alone, some 30,000 Kareni people have died, 300,000 have been displaced, and that clearly that amounts to genocide? I welcome what she said to her noble friend Lord Faulkner of Worcester. However, in reviewing the tourist policy, will she also review Her Majesty's Government position so far as concerns economic sanctions in order to bring them into line with those of the United States Government? Will she agree that it would be better to follow the brave lead given by the young British national, James Mawdsley, in campaigning for democratic rights in Burma, rather than seeing Burma as a potential tourist destination?

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, first, I join wholeheartedly with the noble Lord to say that we deplore the forced labour used in Burma. That has been a position upon which Her Majesty's Government have been consistent. Forced labour is one of a large number of human rights violations in Burma. The report in 1998 by the International Labour Organisation highlighted the use of forced labour in Burma and made three recommendations for the regime to implement. Your Lordships will know that we have continued to pursue the matter. I believe that the position taken by Her Majesty's Government in relation to unilateral financial sanctions is well known and there has been no change as far as concerns that policy. However, we have let no opportunity go by to make absolutely clear to the Burmese our revulsion at the oppressive nature of their regime. So far as concerns James Mawdsley, of course, we appreciate that he has chosen that particular way to demonstrate his dissent in relation to the Burmese Government. However, our Government wish to take those courses which are most likely to bring about productive results.

Photo of Baroness Cox Baroness Cox Conservative

My Lords, is the Minister aware that in many of those parts of Burma which are closed to tourists and visitors, countless people are suffering and dying of starvation and disease, including the Kareni people, who are of particular concern to James Mawdsley, who is in prison partly to highlight their plight? Therefore, will the Government ask the SPDC regime to open parts of Burma not only to tourists but also to visitors concerned with humanitarian aid to see whether some relief might be brought to save the lives of those people in the closed areas?

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have continued to work with all our interlocutors to try to ease the situation. Obviously, I hear what the noble Baroness says. She will be very aware that there are certain security difficulties in relation to NGOs working in that area. However, certainly our efforts in that regard will continue and we shall take every opportunity to do so. The noble Baroness will know that we co-sponsored the UN resolutions which condemned violations. We are working with our partners to co-ordinate action in the ILO, based on the Burmese regime's response to the ILO recommendations on forced labour, etc. Therefore, those efforts continue.

Photo of Lord Brett Lord Brett Labour

My Lords, I have been spurred to my feet by the contribution of the noble Lord, Lord Alton. Will my noble friend comment further? I recognise the policy of sanctions on a unilateral basis, but the International Labour Organisation, of which I have the privilege of being vice-chairman of the governing body, carried a resolution at its 1999 international labour conference. That resolution was sponsored by me as a British worker representative and by other worker representatives, it was supported by 95 per cent of the conference and the vast majority of governments of the world, and it condemned Burma in no uncertain terms. This year we shall call on the United Nations and beyond for sanctions which go beyond those of the ILO, which are merely moral sanctions. In the same way as the Government were supportive during the 1999 conference, I hope that the Minister will support the strongest sanctions against this pariah regime.

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, there is no doubt that my noble friend is right to describe Burma as a pariah regime. As I said earlier, we continue to work with our partners to co-ordinate the action. We supported the renewal of the EU common position on measures against Burma in October for a further six months. We look forward to discussions with our partners about the further measures which we may take. We shall support any such measures which are practical and effective.

Photo of Lord Avebury Lord Avebury Liberal Democrat

My Lords, notwithstanding the advice that was given by the late Derek Fatchett, many important British tour operators and holiday firms are still advertising holidays in Burma. Will the noble Baroness renew the advice which Mr Fatchett gave by writing to all those companies urging them to cease operations altogether in that country?

Photo of Baroness Scotland of Asthal Baroness Scotland of Asthal Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

My Lords, we have written to those tour operators and continue to have contact with them. But the noble Lord will know that this is still a democratic country. We can exhort, suggest and persuade but we cannot compel. We shall continue in those efforts until the Burmese situation has eased.