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Burma: Democracy

Volume 477: debated on Tuesday 17 June 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with representatives of Burma's democracy movement in the last 12 months. (208464)

As the Minister responsible for Burma, I have held a number of meetings with representatives of Burma's democratic movement over the last year, including Maung Maung, General Secretary of the Federation of Trade Unions Burma on 7 February; Dr. Sein Win of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma on 30 October; and Bo Kyi, Secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Burma, on 15 November 2007.

I chaired two of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's four meetings over the past year with a range of stakeholders with an interest in Burma. These have involved UK-based non-governmental organisations and representatives of the Burmese exile community, Burma's ethnic groups and the Burmese Buddhist community.

During my visit to Thailand in February, I also met representatives of Burmese exile groups there.