British Prime
Minister David Cameron (L) greets Myanmar President Thein Sein at 10 Downing
Street in central London on July 15, 2013. (AFP/ANDREW COWIE)
By Andrew Osborn
July 15, 2013
LONDON (Reuters) -
President Thein Sein, the first leader of Myanmar to visit Britain in more than
25 years, held talks with Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday as activists
protested against the Asian nation's human rights record.
Sein said in a
statement released on his website on Sunday that he had disbanded a security
force accused of rights violations against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State in
the west of Myanmar, scene of deadly violence between Muslims and majority
Buddhists in the past year.
Sein was due to
talk trade, aid and democracy with Cameron and his ministers during a two-day
visit at a time when Myanmar is opening up its oil, gas and telecoms sectors to
foreign investors, with further liberalisation likely.
Cameron was under
pressure to confront Sein over the treatment of Myanmar's Muslim minority, but
faced a tricky balancing act since he has made it clear he wants to expand
Britain's trade links with emerging economies such as Myanmar.
Sein, a former
military commander, is trying to get the West to help Myanmar's economy recover
from decades of military dictatorship, Soviet-style planning and international
sanctions.
Western leaders
have praised him for ending the house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi, releasing some political prisoners, and allowing the opposition to fight
an election.
But they want him
to further loosen the military's grip on the mineral-rich state formerly known
as Burma before a 2015 presidential election which the British-educated Suu Kyi
hopes to contest. Suu Kyi visited Britain last year.
About 30 activists
from campaign group Avaaz protested outside the British parliament with a
banner reading: "Cameron - Don't let Burma become the next Rwanda", a
reference to the 1994 genocide when hundreds of thousands were killed.
Two activists
wearing papier mache head mouldings of Cameron and Sein hugged each other in
front of dozens of stylised cardboard Muslim graves.
"Cameron
should never have invited Sein," said Jamal Ahmed, General Secretary of
the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. "Giving him the red carpet treatment
knowing about the record level of human rights abuses is wrong."
Before the talks,
Human Rights Watch urged Cameron to press Sein on justice for crimes against
humanity, to release remaining political prisoners and to end repressive laws.
At least 237 people
have been killed in Myanmar in religious violence over the past year and about
150,000 people have been displaced. Most of the victims were Muslim and the
deadliest incidents happened in Rakhine State, where about 800,000 Rohingya
Muslims live, according to the United Nations.
Cameron's office
said it would provide details of the talks later. A spokesman said he had
planned to raise human rights.
"In all our
relationships, nothing is ever off the table," the spokesman said.
"This will be an opportunity to discuss political and economic reform in
Burma and, yes, as part of that human rights will be discussed."
Rushanara Ali, a
lawmaker from the opposition Labour party, said Britain's voice could make a
difference.
"It is
important not to underestimate the soft power influence that Britain has on the
Burmese government. We've got a unique responsibility," she told Reuters.
Cameron visited
Myanmar last year, and Sein, who remains close to the military, this year
became the first leader of his country since 1966 to visit the White House.
His British trip is
thought to be the first since the late General Ne Win, who ruled Burma for 26
years, visited in 1986. Burma became independent from Britain in 1948.
Sein is expected to
visit France afterwards.
(Additional
reporting by Jemima Kelly and Peter Griffiths; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
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