Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the authorities in Burma concerning the arrest of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo along with five villagers from Inn Din village whom they had interviewed.

The British Embassy in Burma raised with the Burmese authorities our concerns about the treatment of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo in the hours after their arrest on 12 December. The Foreign Secretary publicly expressed his concerns on 14 December, and called for respect for freedom of speech and media freedoms. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific called for the two journalists' release on 15 December, whilst attending the UN Security Council in New York.

The British Embassy issued a statement expressing deep concern following the charging of the journalists by the Burmese authorities on 10 January, at a court session attended by a member of the Embassy's staff. The British Ambassador reiterated this concern in his meeting the following day with the Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor.

The UK will continue to take a close interest in this case and make representations as required.