DFID defies MPs on Burma aid – no support for democracy or cross-border aid
Burma Campaign UK
23 October 2007

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DFID takes no action on any key recommendations by Parliamentary Committee.

The Burma Campaign UK today expressed its shock and disappointment at the
Department for International Development’s response to an inquiry into UK
aid to Burma by the International Development Committee. DFID has not
taken action on any of the key recommendations made by the Committee.

The MPs’ report called for a fundamental change in DFID’s Burma aid
policy, including:

* A quadrupling of aid to Burma by 2013, taking aid from £8.8m to £35.3m a
year.
* Providing cross-border aid in addition to in-country aid, to ensure aid
reaches internally displaced people who cannot be reached through
in-country mechanisms because of restrictions imposed by the regime.
* Funding projects promoting human rights and democracy, including exile
based Burmese women’s groups and the trade union movement.
* Setting up alternative mechanisms to provide funding for HIV/AIDS,
malaria and TB in parts of the country that the 3D fund can’t reach
because of restrictions by the regime.

“DFID’s response is disgraceful and inexplicable,” said Mark Farmaner,
Acting Director of the Burma Campaign UK. “They have not changed their
position on any key issues, no commitment on increasing aid, no
cross-border aid, and no funding for pro-democracy work. They are ignoring
the democratic process in the UK, and refusing to fund pro-democracy work
for Burma.”

Despite already knowing what its budget for the next three years will be,
following the Comprehensive Spending Review earlier this year, DFID has
made no commitment to quadruple aid, as MPs requested. It has only said it
is ‘considering’ increasing aid.

The regime will not let the UN or other aid agencies deliver aid to large
parts of Burma, mainly ethnic areas in the east and north of the country.
The people in these areas are among the poorest and most vulnerable in the
country. Millions of people could be reached by cross-border aid from
neighbouring countries, but DFID refuses to fund this kind of aid.

DFID uses figures that downplay the number of people that can be reached
by cross border aid, as it only counts Internally Displaced People (IDPs),
not everyone in need of assistance. For months now DFID has tried to
deflect criticism by saying it is waiting for the outcome of a UN study
into the humanitarian needs. However, DFID did not need a lengthy study
before its recent announcement of a £1 million increase in in-country aid
following the crackdown. While DFID dithers, people are dying from
preventable diseases every day. These lives could be saved by UK aid.

With tight restrictions inside the country, organisations and projects
promoting human rights and democracy have to be based in exile, and work
through underground networks in Burma. Despite the International
Development Committee reccomending funding for these organisations, DFID
is still refusing to fund such projects. Many of these organisations
played a crucial role in getting news and images out of Burma during the
recent protests and crackdown.

“This is not joined up government,” said Mark Farmaner. “The government
isn’t putting its money where its mouth is. The Prime Minister and Foreign
Secretary have been leading the international community in supporting
Burma’s democrats, but DFID seems to be going in a different direction,
only prepared to deliver aid to people and projects that the Burmese
dictatorship agrees to.”