Dear Mr. Ayrs:
The Office of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, has forwarded to me on September 27, 2007, your email concerning the situation in Burma.
I regret the delay in replying to you.
I share your concern about the situation in Burma and the safety and well-being of its people. Over the last months I have made several statements on Burma. I have strongly reiterated Canada's condemnation of the use of deadly force by the military and police against monks and other protesters in Burma who were exercising their right to peaceful dissent.
I sent a Canadian diplomat to Rangoon to assess the situation and to show Canada's support for the democratic movement.
Canadian embassies and high commissions around the world have been working with representatives of other like-minded countries to seek creative solutions and to coordinate our approach to Burma.
In Ottawa, senior officials of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) called in the Burmese Chargé d'affaires to ensure that Canada's interest in this matter was clearly understood.
I have also called upon the Government of Burma to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
On October 2, 2007, I stated at the United Nations General Assembly that it was imperative to restore democracy and human rights in Burma.
I invite you to view my news releases and statements on Burma at:
w01.international.gc.ca/minpub/ListPublications.aspx?isRedirect=True&PubTypeId=261&Year=2007&language=E.
On October 17, 2007, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, tabled a motion in the House of Commons to confer honorary citizenship on Aung San Suu Kyi, which was adopted by all party agreement.
In doing so, he stated: " We must ally ourselves with those in the world who share our values, and especially those who are denied them...the adoption of today's motion sends a message to her, her people, and the world, that Canada stands up for the universal values that are under siege in Burma today."
On November 14, 2007, I announced that Canada intends to impose economic sanctions against Burma under the Special Economic Measures Act in order to demonstrate Canada's abhorrence for the regime's complete disregard for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Burma. These sanctions, the toughest in the world, will:
*Ban all goods exported to Burma, except those humanitarian goods
*Ban all goods imported from Burma into Canada
*Freeze assets in Canada of designated Burma Nationals
*Prohibit the provision of Canadian financial services to Burma
*Prohibit the export of any technical data to Burma
*Ban new investment in Burma by Canadian persons & companies
*Prohibit Canada's registered ships or planes from docking/landing
*Prohibit Burmese ships/aircraft from docking & passing thru Canada
Furthermore, a number of measures have been taken at the multilateral level to address this situation.
At the G8 Foreign Ministers meeting in New York on September 26, 2007, I joined my counterparts in unanimously condemning the violence in Burma and calling for a resumption of dialogue.
Canada continues to urge Burma's neighbours such as China and India to encourage Burma to undertake genuine reform.
On October 12, 2007, I issued a news release following the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) statement on Burma, which strongly deplores the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and emphasizes the importance of the early release of all political prisoners and remaining detainees.
Moreover, Canada welcomes the UNSC's reaffirmation of its strong and unwavering support for the mission of Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burma, as well as its recognition of the resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council on October 2, 2007.
Canada also welcomes the efforts of Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, to address the situation in Burma, and has called upon the Government of Burma to facilitate his work.
Canada will continue to work with the international community to put pressure on the Burmese government to respect the human rights and fundamental freedom of the people of Burma, and engage in a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition.
The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy. Canada will continue to stand up for human rights and take principled positions on important issues to ensure that freedom, democracy and the rule of law, values that define our country, are enjoyed around the world.
Thank you for writing and sharing your concerns.
Sincerely,
Maxime Bernier
Minister of Foreign Affairs
