Hugo Swire, the Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for Myanmar, has abandoned Philip Blackwood, a British political prisoner serving hard labour in the country’s notorious Insein Jail, the group said in a statement on 5 October.

.. when Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire visited Myanmar a few weeks ago, and met with government officials, he didn’t even call for the release of Philip Blackwood or the other two political prisoners in this case.

The Foreign Office is trying to treat this as a lower level consular case, rather than a political case where Ministers must intervene. They are also trying to hide behind Philip’s dual nationality, saying consular arrangements have to be made with New Zealand. This is a red herring, as this should not be treated as simply a consular case. There is no justice or rule of law in Myanmar.

“We have seen how the British government has abandoned Burmese political prisoners as it prioritises securing trade deals with Burma’s military backed government, but now it is even abandoning its own citizens,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.

“Hugo Swire seems prepared to let an innocent British citizen and his colleagues rot in a Burmese jail rather than risk upsetting his new friends in the Burmese regime. It is time for a fundamental review of British policy on Burma, and a return to prioritising human rights.”