European Parliament resolution on the situation in Burma
Date: 2000-11-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: ASEAN, EU relations, Myanmar/Burma, foreign policy, human rights, international sanctions, military regime

8.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 223/335

Thursday 16 November 2000

12. Welcomes the fact that the EU has granted Côte d’Ivoire aid amounting to CFAF 200 million to
help it meet the medical needs of people wounded after the last presidential elections;

13.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Secretary-General of the UN, the Secretary-
General of the OAU, Ecowas, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly, the Council, the Commis-
sion and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

9. Human rights: Burma/Myanmar

B5-0850, 0853, 0857, 0861 and 0864/2000

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Burma

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma,

in particular its resolutions of 16 September

1999 (1), 18 May 2000 (2) and 7 September 2000 (3),

- having regard to the recent declarations of the EU Presidency on Burma (25 August 2000, 2 September

2000 and 6 October 2000),

- having regard to the decision by the EU Foreign Ministers during their meeting on 9 and 10 October
2000 in Luxembourg to extend the common position on Burma for a further six months because the
political situation there has not improved, and welcoming the decision by Switzerland and Liechten-
stein to conform to the EU common position by freezing the assets of senior leaders of the ruling
SPDC junta,

- having regard to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Mr Rajsoomer
Lallah, which was released on 16 October and noted that the human rights situation in Burma is
rapidly deteriorating, and dismayed that he felt compelled to resign,

- having regard to the opinion issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 10 October
on the case of James Mawdsley, which declared his imprisonment to be arbitrary under international
law,

A. welcoming the news of James Mawdsley’s release from Burma on 20 October, but dismayed at reports

that he was subjected to beating in Keng Tung prison during the last month of his detention,

B. welcoming the news that six elderly political prisoners have now been released following a request
made by UN Special Envoy Razali Ismail during his visit to Burma in October, but dismayed that their
release was made conditional upon their signing a statement accepting that they would be taken back
into prison if they continued their pro-democracy activities, and further dismayed at reports that Soe
Thein, a journalist and NLD member who has been detained without trial since May 1996, is critically
ill following a second heart attack,

C. whereas the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior
party members remain under de facto house arrest imposed after they were prevented from travelling
to Mandalay on 21 September, while deputy chairman Tin Oo remains in detention at a military base
north of Rangoon,

D. whereas the elected parliament of Burma, which is now represented by the Committee Representing

the People’s Parliament (CRPP), has still not been permitted to convene,

E. whereas reliable sources estimate that there are currently up to 3 000 political prisoners in Burma and
that many of these prisoners are subjected to hard labour and torture and are being denied medical
attention,

(1) OJ C 54, 25.2.2000, p. 111.
(2)
‘Texts Adopted’, Item 21.
(3)
‘Texts Adopted’, Item 15.

C 223/336

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2001

Thursday 16 November 2000

F. whereas the policy of forced relocation in Shan State continues, as well as the forced labour practices

in the junta’s current offensive against the Karen people,

G. noting that the Burmese junta has expressed its intention to annihilate the NLD by the end of the year
2000, and discerning a pattern that the recent actions taken against the NLD - including an attempt
to evict the NLD headquarters from its current location - may be a systematic campaign to accom-
plish such a goal,

H. noting that 1 892 elected representatives around the world (including 70 MEPs) have now signed the
Declaration of Solidarity drafted by the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma,
thereby expressing their solidarity with the democratically elected members of the parliament in
Burma,

I. whereas Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly stated that ‘constructive engagement’ by ASEAN Members in
relation to Rangoon has not worked, the Council has still not responded to her request to implement
economic sanctions and has not taken any significant economic measures against the SPDC, and two
committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives have introduced import sanctions bills
against Burma,

J.

noting that the EU Foreign Ministers have agreed to meet with their ASEAN counterparts (including
Burma) in Laos in December 2000,

Reiterates its call of September 2000 to the Council and Commission to implement sanctions against

1.
Burma and to make the December EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting strictly conditional upon:

- the Burmese junta releasing all political prisoners without conditions and allowing freedom of move-

ment for Aung San Suu Kyi and her party members, and

- the Burmese junta entering into a meaningful dialogue with the election-winning NLD and the ethnic

nationalities;

calls for the European Union, the United States, Japan and other governments of the region to draw up a
clear international plan, which could be based upon the consensus agreed at the meeting about Burma in
Seoul in March 2000, to persuade the Burmese military junta to begin such a dialogue;

2.
Strongly condemns the junta’s forcible relocation of over 300 000 villagers in the Central Shan State
and its continuing policy to force villagers to carry weapons and supplies for the military, and to act as
human mine-sweepers in its offensive against the Karen people;

3.
Is deeply concerned about the spread of HIV/AIDS, the rising production of amphetamines, and the
fact that Burma is now the world’s second largest producer of opium and its derivative, heroin, after
Afghanistan, which is having a destabilising impact on society both in Burma and the surrounding coun-
tries;

4.
Notes with concern that ASEAN rejected the call by the UN Secretary General for ASEAN - Troika
mediation to defuse the rising political tension in Burma and create an atmosphere conducive to construc-
tive political dialogue, and asks the Council to voice its support for the Secretary General’s proposal;

5.
Strongly urges the SPDC to implement fully concrete legislative, executive and administrative mea-
sures to end the practice of forced labour in Burma, in conformity with the relevant recommendations of
the ILO Committee of Enquiry;

6.
Regrets the SPDC decision to postpone a visit by the EU Troika mission, which was intended to
encourage dialogue between the leaders of the SPDC, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders, and calls
on the Council to renew its efforts towards implementing this visit;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, ASEAN, the NLD

7.
and Aung San Suu Kyi and the Government of Burma.