Summary: September 16, 2004: Situation in Burma/ASEM - No to Burma participation (Strasbourg)
Joint motion for a resolution on the situation in Burma/ASEM Doc.: B6-0046/2004, B6-0048/2004, B6-0056/2004,B6-0059/2004, B6-0061/2004 Debate: 16.09.2004 Vote: 16.09.2004
In adopting a joint resolution on the situation in Burma and the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM), MEPs deplored the decision of the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs to allow the participation of Burma at the ASEM V Summit and to delay the imposition of further actions until after that summit has taken place. MEPs consider that this decision could give a signal to the Burmese regime that the EU attaches a lessening priority to the release of Aung SAN SUU KYI. The House continues to insist that Burma should not attend the ASEM V Summit, and that Burma should not become a member of ASEM, until irreversible political change towards democracy takes place in that country.
The House insists that the EU's Common Policy on Burma should be strengthened immediately, and, in addition to the measures proposed by the Council, should also ban the import of goods and services from enterprises owned by the military, military personnel and their associates, and ban the import of strategically important goods from sectors of the economy under monopoly, such as gems and timber. It calls on travel agencies and independent tour operators in the EU to stop promoting and selling tourist visits to Burma. MEPs call for an EU envoy to be appointed to work towards securing the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and freedom for the National League for Democracy (NLD). MEPs call on the UN to impose targeted sanctions on Burma, on the UN Security Council to address the situation in Burma as a matter of urgency, and on UN Envoy Razali to be given unrestricted access to Aung San Suu Kyi. Finally, the House insists that the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur's report of January 2004 be implemented.
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