Summary: July 23, 2003: EU Presidency Statement by Mrs. Brunella Borzi, First Counsellor, Permanent Representative of Italy, on behalf of the European Union. Item 14 (g) of the Agenda: Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar. Substantive Session of ECOSOC (GENEVA, 30 JUNE - 25 JULY 2003)
Mrs. Vice-President,
I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the European Union on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar. This statement has been agreed by the European Union as a whole, by the Acceding Countries to the European Union Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia and the Associated Countries - Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey - have aligned themselves to this statement.
In the light of the events of 30 May 2003 and of the serious and rapid deteriorating overall situation in Burma/Myanmar, the EU deems it necessary to voice its preoccupation in the context of the action of ECOSOC on CHR Resolution 2003/12 on the "Situation of human rights in Myanmar".
Mrs. Vice-President,
The European Union is deeply concerned over the increase of politically motivated arrests and arbitrary detentions and in particular of the arrest and arbitrary detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The EU urges the Burmese authorities to immediately release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and to re-open NLD offices throughout the country. The European Union calls on the Burmese authorities to ensure that those responsible for the attacks
on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues at Saging during which a number of deaths occurred are held to account.
In order to re-launch a process of national reconciliation and transition to democracy in Burma/Myanmar, we urge the authorities to enter into a substantial and meaningful political dialogue with the NLD as well as other political groups and respect their promises made earlier to release all political prisoners.
Mrs. Vice-President,
The EU expresses its support for the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Myanmar, Ambassador Razali, and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Human Rights, Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro and reiterates its support for the UN's vital role in bringing about political progress in Burma/Myanmar.
Mrs. Vice-President,
The EU will continue to monitor closely the situation in Burma/Myanmar, and would like to reaffirm its readiness to react proportionately to future developments.
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