Written questions, answers and statements

Burma

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 205642, tabled on 14 July 2014

Question

Mr Gregory Campbell
Democratic Unionist Party
East Londonderry
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of recent changes in the Burmese authorities' attitude to freedom of expression.

Answer

Mr Hugo Swire
Conservative
East Devon
Commons

Answered on

17 July 2014

We welcome the overall widening of media freedom under this Burmese government. However, we are deeply concerned by the intimidation, detention and sentencing of several reporters in Burma in recent months, which contrary to the longer positive trend is further restricting Burma's media environment.

Our Ambassador has raised our concerns about the detention of journalists with Deputy Minister of Information Ye Htut, and the cases of the five journalists sentenced to 10 years hard labour were also discussed during the first EU-Burma Human Rights Dialogue in May. We will continue to raise the issue of media freedom in discussions with the Burmese government and in international fora.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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