The Embassy can help if you are a victim of crime.

What we can do to help

We can give general information about local police and legal procedures. We can’t give you legal advice, but can put you in touch with a local lawyer.

If you need medical treatment, we can help you to contact a local doctor.

Contacting friends and relatives

If you want us to, we can contact your relatives and friends and let them know what has happened. In some cases, we can offer financial assistance. 

We cannot collect evidence or investigate crimes ourselves, and in many countries investigating authorities and the courts will refuse to answer enquiries from other people and organisations, including our staff.

Local lawyer

So, you should consider appointing a local lawyer who can look after your interests in court, and follow any trial for you. We can give you a list of local English-speaking lawyers. We would not ordinarily attend a court case involving a British national and cannot influence the outcome of any trial.

Back in the UK, you may feel you would benefit from extra support to help you cope with the effects of the crime. Organisations such as Victim Support can help.

We have also produced a leaflet called  Victims of crime abroad  [PDF 329KB, new window] which offers more detailed information. 

We can offer help which is appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case including:     

• Issuing replacement passports
• Providing information about transferring funds
• Contacting family or friends for you if you want
• Providing appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital
• Providing details of local lawyers, interpreters, doctors and funeral directors
• Offering you basic information about the Burmese police and legal system
• Offering support and help in a range of other cases, such as death of a relative in suspicious circumstances overseas

We cannot:

• Get you out of prison, prevent the Burmes authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings 
• Give you legal advice, act on your behalf with the local authorities in any legal action, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, though we can give you details of people who may be able to help in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers
• Get you better treatment in hospital or prison then is given to local people
• Pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money, from public funds, which you will have to pay back.