Irish in Burma safe, says Ahern
Five Irish people including a Buddhist nun are safe and well in Burma, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern confirmed today.
Diplomats have been working with the International Red Cross to locate the Irish nationals known to be in the country during the brutal military crackdown on democracy protests.
One of two expatriates living in Burma had left Ireland three years ago to become a Buddhist nun in the junta-controlled country.
Her family had become extremely worried about her safety when the military began rounding up Buddhist monks who were driving the demonstrations.
The three others are understood to be backpackers who were travelling through Burma as part of a trail of south east Asia.
Because Ireland does not recognise the Burmese military rulers, Foreign Affairs officials had to work through the aid agency Red Cross to find the Irish nationals.
Mr Ahern confirmed that all five were safe after talks in Dublin with Burma's Prime Minister in exile Dr Sein Win.
"We spoke about the issue of the disappeared and the detained," said Ahern.
"I was able to say to the Doctor that there were five Irish people that we were aware of in Burma, three of whom who were, we think, tourists - they are safe and two others who are residents, one including an Irish nun who apparently joined the monks as a nun - she is also safe."
Mr Ahern told the exiled leader that Ireland supported a number of moves proposed against the Burmese junta including sanctions and the appointment of an EU envoy.
"Similarly I have also said that Ireland is to the fore in pushing for further targeted sanctions in order to put pressure on the military authorities to engage in a democratic way with the opposition and civil society in Burma. At the moment they are not," he said.
"Right across the spectrum, we will be keeping the pressure up, as we can only do through diplomatic means, at the UN, the EU and directly on a bi-lateral basis with countries such as China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, various countries, Indonesia, Thailand and our neighbours."
Dr Sein Win, a cousin of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years, said he appreciated the Irish Government's help.
"This is our second time this year to visit Ireland and the Irish people are very close to ours, even from the 30's, we all look to Ireland," he said.
"We are very much satisfied with Minister Ahern talking about all these measures. We agree on these issues and of course we would like to thank very much Ireland for accepting Burmese refugees.
"We hope that Ireland will keep in touch and go forward for peace in Burma."
