David Cameron calls for a suspension of economic sanctions against Burma and invites Aung San Suu Kyi to visit the UK, but Channel 4 News hears there are still reasons for businesses to be cautious.
Speaking alongside the Nobel peace prize laureate in the garden of her lakeside villa, Mr Cameron said the Burmese regime’s recent moves towards reform should be rewarded.
But he made a distinction between suspending sanctions, and lifting them permanently, saying that the government still had to demonstrate that moves towards democracy were “irreversible”.
“Of course we must respond with care, we must always be sceptical and questioning because we want to know those changes are irreversible, but as we have discussed, I think it is right to suspend the sanctions that there are against Burma – to suspend them, not to lift them – and obviously not to include the arms embargo,” said Mr Cameron.
Mr Cameron met President Thein Sein earlier in the day, in what is thought to be first visit to the former colony by a British prime minister. His visit follows the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) landslide win in the recent by-elections, winning 43 out of the 44 seats it contested, after President Thein Sein allowed the Nobel laureate’s party to contest the ruling party.
Speaking outside the house where she spent 15 years under house arrest, Ms Suu Kyi welcomed the prime minister’s decision as an acknowledgement of the reforms that have been made so far.
“We still have a long way to go but we believe we can get there.
We would say they need to be very aware of the situation there. We have to make sure businesses are aware so that they’re not complicity in human rights violations. Forced labour has been a huge issue in previous years. Donna Guest, Amnesty International
“I believe President Thien Sein is genuine about democratic reforms and I am very happy that Prime Minister Cameron thinks that the suspension of sanctions is the right way to respond to this,” she said.
“It would also make it quite clear to those who are against reform that should they try to obstruct the way of the reformers, then sanctions could come back.”
In answer to whether she would take up Mr Cameron’s offer of a visit to the UK, she added that would have been prevented from returning to Burma if she had left the country in previous years: “Two years ago, I would have said thank you for the invitation but sorry. Now I am able to say perhaps. That is great progress.”
Burma became independent from Britain in 1948, and for almost 50 years was ruled by a military junta which exerted absolute power. As a result, sanctions against the country were imposed by the EU and the US, isolating the country diplomatically and economically. The country’s first general election was held in 2010, when a military-backed government came to power, and there have been a series of reforms since then which involved the release of political prisoners, including Ms Suu Kyi.
Mr Cameron is likely to propose lifting sanctions at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers is on April 23 – a move that he said would impact on the country financially.
However Donna Guest, Amnesty International‘s deputy director for Asia Pacific, warned that business would have to be conducted with an awareness of the political situation that while improving, is still not ideal.
“We’d like to see the people benefit from business, so it’s not just extraction of services,” she told Channel 4 News. “China and many other Asian companies have gone in there and extracted various minerals, and that’s not necessarily going to contribute.
“We would say they need to be very aware of the situation there. We have to make sure businesses are aware so that they’re not complicit in human rights violations. Forced labour has been a huge issue in previous years. Yes, things are opening up and changing, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Law reform will also be an issue for doing business with Burma, added Ms Guest, so that business practice can be transparent.
Mr Cameron’s visit attempted to strike a balance between being seen to approve of President Thien Sein’s recent moves towards democracy, while also supporting Ms Suu Kyi.
“Being cautious is right,” Gareth Price, senior research fellow at Chatham House, Asia told Channel 4 News. “What everyone wants is the reform process to continue, the question is, how do we do that? It does seem that the regime is keen for sanctions to be lifted, which gives the west leverage.”
The lead-up to the 2015 elections will be a crucial test for Burma. Some in the country were of the view that the NLD were on the way out, said Mr Price, so their recent by-election victory could have been met with surprise by hardliners, who may not be so keen to have open elections if they believe they will lose.
Concerns also remain, with regard to prison conditions, the use of torture and law reform, not to mention concerns of minority groups.
“But now is the time to engage with President Thien Sein, and to be doing everything we can to help to help the country, without overwhelming it,” said Ms Guest.