Chris Bryant Visits Asia-pacific To Discuss

[churchill]

Foreign Office Minister, Chris Bryant, is making his first ministerial visit to the Asia-Pacific region from 26 July to 7 August, visiting Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. The visit covers climate change, consular help for Brits overseas and domestic violence in Papua New Guinea.

With hundreds of thousands of Brits visiting Thailand each year, the Minister is looking at the work of the British Embassy to help Brits who get into trouble, including a visit to British nationals in jail in Thailand. Chris Bryant will also convey the Prime Minister's support for Thailand’s active stance on Burma and look at Thailand's "Big Switch Project" which aims to build public awareness of Climate Change and its impact on the environment and lives.

Chris Bryant said:

"With 800,000 Brits visiting each year, I want to get across a tough message to British tourists in Thailand, to help them avoid trouble. We should always respect the customs and laws of the countries that we visit. That includes wearing helmets on motorbikes, but it also means avoiding drugs at all times. The Thai authorities rightly take a harsh attitude towards drugs offences, and it is depressing to see how many British people end up in very tough jails for a very long time. We cannot be Mum and Dad and Auntie and Uncle to every Briton on holiday - though we will provide support for those who need it."

The trip includes a short 24-hr visit to Laos to meet ministers and to discuss and sign a Memorandum of Understanding to bring into immediate effect the UK-Laos Prisoner Transfer Agreement signed in London on 7 May, a key step in enabling British prisoners in jail in Laos, Samantha Orobator and John Watson, to transfer to the UK to serve their sentences.

http://ow.ly/isJ2

[verydumbubba]

Shape up or ship out, lads

Bubba

The Thai authorities rightly take a harsh attitude towards drugs offences, and it is depressing to see how many British people end up in very tough jails for a very long time. We cannot be Mum and Dad and Auntie and Uncle to every Briton on holiday - though we will provide support for those who need it."

[solace2]

Looking forward then