Fiona Bruce MP works with Burmese Government on Democracy Building
Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton, has spent part of her Parliamentary recess working with the Government and Members of Parliament in Burma.
After sixty years of dictatorial military rule the country of Burma held elections two years ago during which the world renowned campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to Parliament.
At her request, the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, led a delegation of 3 MPs, one from each of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, including Fiona Bruce, to work with Parliamentarians on strengthening the democratic structures in Burma, without which long term peace, stability and freedom of speech, belief and action will not be achieved.
Fiona Bruce said “It was a great privilege to be involved in this delegation; the country of Burma still has a long way to go in terms of respect for human rights, individual freedom, justice and the rule of law. Anyone under the age of sixty has virtually no experience of living in a free country and the democratic structures in Burma are still very weak. So individual MPs asked for our help in how to represent their constituents, the Parliament needed advice on how to work democratically – we ran a session for example on the function of Select Committees and how these are meant to scrutinise and challenge Government – not do its bidding – and Aung Sang Suu Kyi herself requested research help.
The Constitution requires redrafting – for example, and importantly, at present it prohibits anyone who has married a foreigner from standing for election for President. This would exclude Aung San Suu Kyi herself (she married an Englishman who has since died) and advice on a review of the Constitution to enable her to stand for President in 2015 is therefore imperative.
Despite the elections, severe fighting still exists amongst several ethnic groups in parts of Burma. We met with several representatives from different groups and proposed the appointment of an independent international mediator to facilitate peace talks between them and including the Burmese National Government – much as Senator John Mitchell facilitated talks in Northern Ireland.
During a meeting with the current President of Burma, we challenged him to use his authority to stop this fighting and to arrange the immediate release of those people imprisoned by the previous regime for criticising it and therefore classed as political prisoners. We raised cases of torture and imprisonment without trial and ask for these to be looked into urgently. A particular request was for access to all areas of the country by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief.”
At a particularly moving speech given by John Bercow in the University of Rangoon campus where many students lost their lives, gunned down by the army fighting for freedom for their country only a few years ago, the Speaker of the House of Commons said the following speaking to a hall of some 200 students “A free, peaceful and democratic future for your country can be built on these foundations – the release of political prisoners, legislative and constitutional reform, a nationwide peace process involving a political dialogue leading to a federal system in which equal rights are protected and diversity is celebrated. There is, however, one further element without which peace and democracy cannot be achieved...respect for human rights, including religious freedom, justice and the rule of law.”
Reflecting on the eight day working visit, Fiona Bruce said “Some people may ask, why undertake this kind of work? One very clear reason is that helping to promote peace and stability in another country is of itself helping to promote this across the globe and this in turn benefits us all.”
A full copy of the speech of the Speaker of the House of Commons at Rangoon University, Burma, on 1st August 2013 can be found on the Government website https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/speech-of-house-of-commons-speaker-at-rangoon-university-burma
