UK Prime Minister Cameron expresses concerns to Myanmar president about human rights (Sang Tan, Pool/ Associated Press ) - President of Myanmar Thein Sein, left, meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron in 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, July 15, 2013. (Sang Tan, Pool/ Associated Press ) - President of Myanmar Thein Sein, left, meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron in 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, July 15, 2013. (Sang Tan/ Associated Press ) - Myanmar President Thein Sein, right, meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron as he arrives for a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, July 15, 2013. (Matt Dunham/ Associated Press ) - Campaigners supporting the “Avaaz, Burma Campaign UK” organization wear masks representing British Prime Minister David Cameron, right, and Myanmar’s President Thein Sein as they pose for photographs during a protest photo call outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Monday, July 15, 2013. The protest was held Monday to coincide with the London meeting of the two leaders with Avaaz calling for Cameron to not sign a trade deal with Thein Sein because of alleged human rights violations in ethnic conflicts going on in the country. LONDON — The president of Myanmar pledged Monday to release all political prisoners in his country by the end of the year as he visited Britain for the first time. Thein Sein, a former general who retains close ties to the military, has introduced democratic changes after decades of authoritarian rule that had led to international isolation. He said Monday that thousands of prisoners already have been released from Myanmar’s jails as the country shifts away from military rule, and that a committee is working through the cases of those still behind bars. “I guarantee to you that by the end of this year, there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar,” he told an audience at Chatham House in London, shortly after meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron — who had said that Britain welcomed the president’s reforms and looked forward to free and fair elections in 2015 — also raised concerns during the meeting about attacks on minority Rohingya Muslims in the predominantly Buddhist nation. Attacks on the Rohingya have killed hundreds in the past year and uprooted about 140,000 people. Observers fear the violence presents a threat to Myanmar’s transition to democracy because it could encourage security forces to re-assert control. “We are also very keen to see greater action in terms of promoting human rights and dealing with regional conflicts,” Cameron said. “We are particularly concerned about what has happened in Rakhine province and the Rohingya Muslims.” In his remarks at Chatham House, Thein Sein said recent violence in Myanmar has “rightly concerned the world.” “I promise you that we will take a zero-tolerance approach to any renewed violence and against those who fuel ethnic hatreds,” he added. Thein Sein’s visit was met by some protests in London outside of Parliament. Ricken Patel, executive director at human rights campaign group Avaaz, said the attacks on the Rohingya “should be ringing alarm bells” everywhere. “Cameron has a responsibility to use all his diplomatic leverage to get real, concrete measures from President Thein Sein to protect these groups,” Patel said. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:35:06 +0000
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