Getting the Facts First

Andrew Heyn, the new British ambassador to Burma, met with Aung San Suu Kyi recently to discuss the issue of Western sanctions on the military-ruled country. He found her engaging and fully focused on the subject at hand—clearly intent on learning all the facts before coming to any conclusions.

In this exclusive interview with The Irrawaddy, Ambassador Heyn describes his encounter with Burma’s leading pro-democracy activist, and discusses some of the challenges of his latest diplomatic posting.

Andrew Heyn

Answer: The meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was a very welcome opportunity to discuss the issue of sanctions with her in person. She was clear that this was a fact-finding exercise and that she had not yet reached a policy position. She wanted to know more about what sanctions are in place, what led to the measures being imposed and whether there had been any assessment made of the impact of sanctions on the ground. It is too early to discuss specific proposals—she wants to know the facts first, and then discuss the issue with her party. I hope our meeting with her is the first of many. We would also be encouraged if the regime permitted her to meet her party members, and a broader range of Burmese and international interlocutors.

Q: Did she talk about the conditions of her house arrest or about the recent court case against her? Did you detect optimism on her part?

A: I had seen her once during her trial earlier this year but this was my first opportunity to engage with her in discussion. She is impressively articulate, focused and gracious. She did not talk about the conditions of her house arrest—our conversation was limited to the issue of sanctions, as requested by the regime. Throughout the meeting she had a positive, constructive approach to the discussion.

Q: Your predecessor as ambassador, Mark Canning, was notably forthright in his criticism of regime policy, particularly of the violent crackdown on the demonstrations of September and October 2007. How would you describe your relationship with the Burmese leadership so far? What is your benchmark on Burma?

A: Each ambassador will have his or her own distinctive style, but the key thing is that in this job you represent the UK view. I think Mark put it pretty well when he said “UK ambassadors to Burma might change, but our commitment to this country does not.” We are committed to this country—to seeing a peaceful, inclusive and sustainable settlement for the people of Burma, to seeing broad socio-economic development and to seeing a country where a government is committed to protecting and responding to the needs of its people, and to promoting the diverse cultures and identities of its diverse ethnicities.

Q: Former Ambassador Canning was a valuable source of news for Burma-watchers and journalists, and he wrote a regular blog for the British newspaper The Guardian. He left something of a legacy for you to follow.

A: The Guardian requested that I carry on the ambassador’s blog. You can find my early efforts at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2009/oct/09/aung-san-suu-kyi-burma.

Q: What are the most difficult challenges for a British ambassador in Burma? Is Britain’s troubled history in Burma a problem in dealing with the current regime?

A: It is a great honor to have been asked to do this job. My previous posting was in Ireland, where the bilateral relationship has been at times extremely difficult. But both there and in Burma, the important thing is to look forward and try to build on the good things that our historic links have brought and show due sensitivity on issues where our previous links raise particular complications.

Q: The US recently announced that it would engage in direct talks with the Burmese junta while maintaining sanctions.