To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the Governments of (a) India, (b) China and (c) South Korea on the Shwe gas project in Burma. (140108)

We have not discussed the Shwe gas project with the Governments of India, China or South Korea.

However, we regularly raise Burma’s appalling human rights record with its neighbours, including India, China and South Korea.

I discussed the human rights situation in Burma with the Chinese Government on 20 June 2006 and again during my visit to Beijing in July 2006. I raised my concerns with the South Korean Government on 20 July 2006 and on 4 September 2006. I spoke to the Indian Government about Burma on 20 June 2006 and 27 November 2006.

Most recently, I raised the human rights situation directly with the Burmese Foreign Minister at the Asia-Europe Meeting Foreign Ministers meeting in Hamburg on 28 May.