Diplomatic relations with Burma put on hold

Plans to establish diplomatic relations with Burma have been put on hold because of the failure of its military junta to release Ms Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, confirmed that the Government's diplomatic engagement with Burma, renamed by the military regime as Myanmar, had been postponed "on the basis that they did not honour their arrangement".

Mr Ahern said that "not a semblance of progress has been made. They have broken all their promises" which included political progress, improved human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, who raised the issue, described the Burmese as a "very nasty regime".

The Taoiseach told him that "everything that could go wrong with Myanmar from the point of view of making progress has gone wrong". The Government had planned to exchange ambassadors on a non-residential basis under certain conditions, including the release of the Nobel prizewinner, whose victory in the country's general election over a decade ago was never accepted by the military regime.

"My sense is that they are not listening," said Mr Ahern. "The military is in control. They have not completed any of the measures set out in the criteria in Tullamore," in April, when EU foreign ministers agreed the conditions for engagement with the Burmese.

The Taoiseach pointed out that on Tuesday Burma had changed prime ministers. Mr Ahern said he believed the new appointment "will only make things worse".

Mr Ahern represented the EU at an ASEAN meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, and he told the Dáil he had condemned the Burmese authorities at that meeting for their failure to meet those conditions.

"Listening to the responses of their representative it appears they do not accept any of the criticisms of the rest of the democratic world. There is some concern about Aung San Suu Kyi because she has not had as much contact as she would normally have with international authorities, although I understand from the British government that she is safe."

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, had told the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, in a written reply, that in April there was "considerable hope" that the Burmese regime was about to release the opposition leader.