Burma  Speaker, yesterday the Minister for International Co-operation said she would be prepared to restore the programs to provide assistance to Myanmar. However, Canada's ambassador to this country recently stated that Burma was one of the worst Asian countries for human rights violations and a major heroin exporter as well. He added that changing the existing system would be a protracted effort.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, Canada's policy on Myanmar, by the way that is the name of the country now, has not changed. That being said, we always review the situation and if the country and the government is willing to show some movement on human rights and good governance, we would be happy to look at resuming our programs.

Canada Remembers  This pilgrimage on which we embark tomorrow will visit cemeteries where Canadians lie in Burma, now Myanmar, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. I will take great pride in joining our veterans of those campaigns as we pay tribute to their many comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice and did not return.

Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act  In 1990-91: Somalia, 200 per cent military spending compared with health and education spending; Ethiopia, 190 per cent; Angola, 208 per cent; Yemen, 197 per cent; Pakistan, 125 per cent; India, 138 per cent; Myanmar, 222 per cent; Iraq, 271 per cent; Sri Lanka, 107 per cent; Syria, 373 per cent of its spending for education and health was spent on military expenditures. Clearly these countries are not among the richest of the world; rather, they are among the poorest.

Department Of Citizenship And Immigration Act  Some of the numbers mentioned in the same report were as follows: 420,000 Somali refugees in Kenya; 80,000 Bhutanese in Nepal; 250,000 refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh; and 280,000 Togolese in Benin and Ghana. These are only a few of the many people around the world whose lives have been shattered and who are often living on the edge of survival.

External Affairs  Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fourth anniversary which occurred just last week of the democratic election in Myanmar or Burma. Unfortunately we cannot celebrate this important date because a repressive military regime has not allowed the democratically elected government to take its rightful position.

Global Parliamentary Appeal For Democracy In Burma  The swift and complete implementation of a transition to civilian rule, as mandated by the May 1990 general election, as per resolution 47/144, entitled "Situation of human rights in Myanmar", which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1992. I would like to thank all members of the House of Commons from all parties who have supported the initiative of the Global Parliamentary Appeal for Democracy in Burma which has been initiated by the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development.