Burma

There is as I write growing concern about the fate of the brave Monks who last week took a stand against the ruling junta that is misgoverning Burma.

I want Britain, the EU and the world to take a firm stand on the unacceptable human rights abuses that have been tolerated for far too long. I know I'm not alone in this.

Although these are effortless and possibly inconsequential measures, a facebook group supporting the monks' protest had about 70,000 subscribers last Thursday. By Friday it was over 100,000; by the end of the weekend over 200,000 and earlier today the total passed 330,000. Just one of many online petitions to the UN has amassed over 36,000 signatures.

The biggest contribution Britain can make is pushing for much tougher EU action: the French oil giant Mobil is one of the biggest investors in Burma. Their involvement in the country must end. Britain itself has virtually no remaining major trade links with Burma but there are plenty of small businesses who do.

We have seen strong leadership from the ASEAN nations: every single member other than Burma itself has criticised the military response to peaceful protests. China, which can do more than any other nation has gone further than it ever has before to criticise the military junta, but it must go further: it remains the break on the UN Security Council taking far tougher action than it has been able to so far.

It's often hard to see any tangible results brought about by diplomacy. But international pressure is bringing results - far too slowly, but the regime would not have even countenanced meeting the UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari without such universal condemnation. We should not be grateful for this - but nor should we dismiss it as inconsequential either.

We in Britain must appreciate that as the former colonial power in this part of Asia, we cannot be seen to be reasserting our Imperialist tendencies, however just the cause. It must be the region that takes the lead on Burma: that means China, Japan and ASEAN. Britain's role must be to lead the UN Security Council towards unremitting, crystal clear opposition to the Burmese Junta.

What we need - and we rarely get - are sanctions to be observed by everyone. The reason Saddam Hussain piled up reserves while Iraqis starved is that too many multi-national corporations - and I'm afraid to say, nations - felt that sanctions applied to everyone else but them. If we can bring about a genuine embargo enforeced and abided by, then the chance of Aung Sun Suu Kyi being reinstated as Burma's rightful leader will be massively advanced.