Madam Speaker, today we remember the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma on May 2, 2008.
Canada was one of the first countries to respond to Cyclone Nargis and contributed more than $25 million to relief efforts. It is estimated that over 150,000 people were killed and a further 2.4 million were affected.
The Government of Burma initially imposed significant restrictions on access to international humanitarian actors. This only improved after sustained high level pressure from international actors.
The Burmese junta continues to rule in a repressive and uncaring fashion. There are estimated to be over 2,100 political prisoners in detention and, since August 2008, there have been over 300 political prisoners sentenced.
Canada calls upon the Burmese regime to immediately release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all the people of Burma.