25 January

Burma: Joint Statement from US, Britain & France

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, together with foreign ministers from Britain and France, today issued a joint statement on the current situation in Burma. They called for global pressure on Burma's military junta to end human rights abuses and return the country to a civilian rule. The appeal was issued at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Following the harsh crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Burma last September, the UN Security Council censured the Rangoon government for the first time, and called on it to release all political prisoners and create conditions for a genuine dialogue with the opposition. To date the Burmese generals have defied the call.

China, a major arms supplier to the Burmese military, has consistently blocked attempts for tougher action from the UN Security Council.

In their Davos statement, Secretary Rice, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the present situation in Burma cannot continue. They called on those attending the Davos Forum - world leaders from all fields - to demonstrate that "while the Burmese regime may be indifferent to the suffering of the Burmese people, the world is not."

ENDS

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