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Welcome for British support for arms embargo on Burma
Friday, 28th March 2008. 11:11am

By: Nick Mackenzie.

THE DECISION by the UK Government to support a UN arms embargo on Burma has been welcomed by human rights groups.

On March 25 the Foreign Office Minister Meg Munn MP, in response to a question in the House of Commons, said: "We are concerned about the lack of progress [in Burma] and, indeed, in some respects, matters have gone backwards. We would certainly consider pushing for the issue to be discussed further at the UN, and we would support a UN call for an arms embargo."

Now the human rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has welcomed the decision.

In a report following a visit to the Thai-Burmese border last month, CSW called for a universal arms embargo to be introduced at the UN Security Council. The European Union currently has a ban on arms sales to Burma, but there is no universal embargo in place.

CSW's Advocacy Director Alexa Papadouris said: "We warmly welcome the Minister's support for a universal arms embargo on the regime in Burma. It is appalling that any country should sell arms to the military regime in Burma, which is one of the most brutal in the world and which uses those arms solely to suppress its own people. A universal arms embargo is long overdue, and we hope the British Government will now actively work to build support for it within the UN Security Council."

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