To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the number of political prisoners in Burma. (265357)

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomas Quintana, in a statement to the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2009, indicated that there remain over 2,100 prisoners of conscience in Burma. This figure is in line with our own estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Burmese Government on the sentencing of Eint Khaing Oo for reporting on Cyclone Nargis. (265877)

We condemn the lack of media freedom in Burma and the arrest and detention of journalists, including Eint Khaing Oo.

Our ambassador in Rangoon frequently raises the need for the release of all political prisoners in Burma with ministers in the military government. We also take every opportunity to underline our concern in our public statements and through the EU, UN Security Council and UN human rights bodies. We support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomas Quintana, who, in a statement to the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2009, again called on the Burmese authorities to release all prisoners of conscience.