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 On 23 October, one day before the 13th anniversary of the unjust incarceration as a political prisoner of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD) the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Burma, deploring the fact that the human rights situation has continued to deteriorate and political repression has escalated.
Amongst other things, the parliament urged the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) states to appeal to the Burmese military authorities to release all political prisoners, called on the Commission to insist on the lifting of all restrictions on aid delivery imposed by the Burmese military authorities on areas afflicted by Cyclone Nargis, and to present a full report on the efficacy of its assistance and the extent of assistance still required, called on the European Council to use its meeting on 11-12 December 2008 to review Council Regulation (EC) No 194/2008 of 25 February 2008 renewing and strengthening the restrictive measures in respect of Burma/Myanmar, to broaden targeted sanctions to include access to international banking services for companies, conglomerates and businesses owned by or closely linked to the Burmese military, to halt all imports of Burmese manufactured clothing, and to terminate access by selected generals and their families to business opportunities, health care, consumer purchases, and foreign education. On 29 October, the European Commission co-hosted a one-day conference on "Burma/Myanmar - prospects for the future" in Brussels. European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner took the initiative to invite NGOs, advocacy groups, international organisations and think tanks from Burma/Myanmar and from Europe to discuss the present situation in the country and its future outlook. The meeting also took a closer look at the role of civil society. On the occasion of these events, a delegation from Burma traveled to Brussels to attend the Commission meeting but also to meet with different policymakers within the European institutions and with representatives from the donor community. Source: |
