Letter: Action on Burma

Sir: Many of us have been appalled by the news of Rachel Goldwyn's "arrangement" with the ruling junta in Burma ("Out of jail into a storm of protest", 9 November). The fact is that, after refusing to heed a plea from democracy activists inside Burma, she nevertheless went into the country and her arrest meant attention was deflected away from the hundreds of political prisoners held by the military.

However, in order to ameliorate the situation, it is necessary to ensure that the truth is told and that appropriate action is taken by the EU, our own government and by our citizens. We need to put pressure on those who keep Ang San Suu Kyi under virtual house arrest in Rangoon, and that means accepting that the current EU Commission position is not putting the regime under sufficient pressure.

It remains the case that thousands of ethnic minority people have been "relocated", and that the economy of Burma is propped up by slave labour. Burma is also one of the largest producers of heroin in the world. These are the inescapable truths.

The tragic death of Derek Fatchett, the Foreign Office minister, has meant that there is a void where his steadfastness on Burma used to be. We know, however, that Robin Cook and John Battle will want to continue to put international pressure on the junta in Rangoon.

One possible avenue would be serious consideration of the imposition of unilateral sanctions. If a solution is "urgent", then EU law permits a member state to take such action. Many of us feel that the suffering of the Burmese people demands extraordinary action.

GLENYS KINNOCK MEP

(Labour, Wales)

Cardiff