Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will request the government of Burma to release former monk U Gambira from custody.

We are aware of the arrest of U Gambira, a well known political activist and former political prisoner, on 19 January, for alleged immigration offences. Our Embassy in Rangoon is following the case closely. The UK regularly raises our concern over political prisoners with the government of Burma, both publicly and privately. Most recently our Embassy in Rangoon issued a statement on 25 January calling for the government of Burma to ensure that all remaining political prisoners are released. We remain concerned that some 78 remain incarcerated, and will continue to raise this with the Burmese authorities.