WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3679/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Council. State repression in Burma
Date: 1997-11-19
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: EU policy, Myanmar/Burma, arrest, common position, democracy, human rights, international sanctions, military regime, repression, the EU's international role

C 187/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

(98/C 187/64)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3659/97

by Mar(cid:14)·a Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(19 November 1997)

Subject: Car-free cities

Does the Commission believe that there are good grounds for the claim that (cid:145)the Club of car-free cities(cid:146) and its
schemes (cid:145)are only a pretext for some of its leading figures to go on one trip after another(cid:146); (cid:145)the project represents
a  waste  of  local  authority  money  which  merely  provides  several  local  authority  leaders  with  a  splendid
opportunity to go on their travels, and has nothing new to teach us(cid:146)?

Given  that  such  claims  are  damaging  the  good  name  which  the  car-free  initiative  enjoyed  in  Granada,  what
arguments would the Commission bring forward in this connection?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(23 January 1998)

The car free cities network numbers some 60 local authorities from throughout Europe which are committed to
reducing the volume of traffic and promoting environmentally friendly modes of transport in urban areas. This
network, partly financed by the Commission, enables cities to pursue these aims notably through facilitating,
both  at  technical  and  political  levels,  the  exchange  of  experience  and  transfer  of  know-how,  identifying  and
highlighting possible solutions for sustainable mobility and disseminating good practice. This sort of activity
requires some degree of travel for cities(cid:146) representatives. From information available to the Commission, less
than  12%  of  the  total  budget  of  car  free  cities  has  been  allocated  in  1997  to  travel  and  accommodation
expenditures.

Car  free  cities  seeks  to  bring  those  responsible  for  urban  mobility  into  contact  with  each  other.  This  is  the
principal aim of six working groups, which deal with key urban transport themes. The working group activities
are backed up by the organisation of larger events, such as seminars and conferences involving local authorities
both at the political and technical level.

The success of the network is demonstrated by the number of projects developed in cities. These are either the
direct result of a transfer of experience and know-how or are the fruits of collaboration of a number of car free
cities  members.  The  network,  which  now  collaborates  on  a  regular  basis  with  the  Commission,  has  enabled
achievements in terms of a reduction in the use of the private car, improvements in air quality, a more rational use
of energy and improvements in quality of life in a number of cities.

(98/C 187/65)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3679/97

by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Council

(19 November 1997)

Subject: State repression in Burma

On 28 October 1997 several arrests were made as members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) tried to
hold a meeting in an office in the Mayangone township on the outskirts of the Burmese capital, Rangoon. The
activists  had  planned  to  hold  a  meeting  with  their  leader  Aung  Saan  Suu  Kyi  but  the  security  forces  set  up
barricades to prevent them from gaining access to her.

At the time of writing, eight of those arrested are still in custody. Human rights organizations have expressed
fears that they may have been tortured.

Has the Council been made aware of this incident? What action has it taken? Will it raise the ongoing incidents of
suppression of peaceful activity in Burma at the next EU/ASEAN meeting? If such incidents continue, will the
Council consider fresh economic sanctions against Burma?