"The toughest sanctions in the world"

Canada imposes 'toughest sanctions' against Burma

Peter Goodspeed, National Post

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Advocating a new "international realism" in Canadian foreign policy, Maxime Bernier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced sweeping new sanctions against Burma this morning."

The repression in Burma has grown worse in the past weeks and months," Mr. Bernier said. "people are being arrested, people are being tortured and people are being killed. Peaceful demonstrations by unarmed Buddhist monks were met with bullets."

He condemned Burma's ruling military junta for fostering a record of destruction, forced labour, systematic rape, the use of child soldiers, illegal drug trafficking, and for failing to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

"Each of these factors contravenes what our foreign policy stands for," he said. "Each is rejected by governments of countries we share our values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Each is an affront to the United Nations Charter."

"The question is simple," he declared. "What can we Canadians do? What can we do as Canadians to force change?"

His answer was to announce what he described as "the toughest sanctions in the world" against Burma.

Canada will immediately ban all exports to and from Burma with the exception of humanitarian aid. It will freeze assets in Canada of Burmese nationals connected with the government. It will prohibit Canadian financial services to and from Burma and it will prohibit the export of any technical data to Burma.

There will be a ban on all new investment in Burma by Canadians and Canadian-registered ships and aircraft will be prohibited from docking or landing in Burma. Burmese shipping and aircraft will not be allowed to enter Canada.

"We know we are getting out ahead of other countries," Mr. Bernier told a breakfast meeting of Bay Street financiers at the Economic Club of Toronto. "But Canada has done so before, and we have been proven right."

He praised past Canadian governments for using sanctions to fight apartheid in South Africa and for playing a leadership role in Sudan and for Canada's "noble and necessary" sacrifice in Afghanistan.

"In every case, Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are being promoted," he said.

"A strong foreign policy is one that is anchored in strong values -- and in a clear-eyed assessment of our interests," he added. "In Burma there is no more room for compromise with this odious regime."

pgoodspeed@nationalpost.com