On the Occasion of the 60^th Birthday of Aung Suu Kyi

Notes for an intended Address by David Kilgour to be given at a protest rally organized by Friends of Burma

(Left at the Burmese Embassy)

Embassy of Burma, Ottawa

June 17, 2005

 I would like to congratulate Aung Suu Kyi today on her 60^th birthday and to reflect on the monumental struggle that she continues to wage on behalf of Burmese everywhere. She is the only Nobel Laureate under house arrest and it is a testament to her that the regime in Burma is so afraid of her and the democratic ideals that she represents that they must keep her under guard. Today, on her birthday I hope we can all reflect on the struggle for freedom that she epitomizes. I call on the Canadian government to continue to push for her release and to put pressure on the regime in Burma to respect human rights and democracy.  

I am happy to note that the House of Commons just recently passed a motion concerning Burma on May 18^th which calls on Canada to uphold its longstanding commitment to democracy and human rights in Burma. The motion calls for Canada to implement stricter trade and investment sanctions against the military regime, to take a strong stance on human rights abuses and to increase support to the legitimate government of Burma in exile.

This ruling junta in Burma has dominated and isolated Burma for almost fifty years and is already subject to sanctions by the United States and the European Union governments. Likewise, Canada has also taken a principled stand against the egregious violations of human rights that continue to take place there.

Canada’s response to the situation in Burma in the past has been commendable. We were one of the first countries to suspend bilateral aid and official commercial relations in 1988.  We were also one of the first countries to implement export controls on Burma and to call on Canadian companies to suspend further investment there. We also maintain a ban on visits by senior officials and maintain travel restrictions on Burmese diplomats in Canada.

I hope that we can continue to build on this legacy and reiterate our stance on the human rights abuses in Burma by continuing to limit the engagement of Canadian companies with Burma and pressuring the regime to allow the legitimate government of Burma to take its place. Until such time as this happens the regime in Burma should not be allowed to benefit economically while it continues to subjugate and impoverish its own people.

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