European Parliament resolution of 11 May 2023 on Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties (2023/2694(RSP))
Date: 2023-05-11
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Myanmar/Burma, communications profession, democracy, formation of a party, fundamental rights, human rights, political parties, political prisoner, political situation








C_202301070EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1070


15.12.2023






P9_TA(2023)0200
Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties
European Parliament resolution of 11 May 2023 on Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties (2023/2694(RSP))
(C/2023/1070)



The European Parliament,






—


having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Myanmar,










—


having regard to the statements by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 29 March 2023 on Myanmar,










—


having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,










A.


whereas on 28 March 2023, forty political parties in Myanmar were dissolved, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), as they did not register in accordance with the regime’s Political Parties Registration Law;










B.


whereas since January 2022, the junta had imprisoned hundreds of members of the NLD, some of whom have died in detention;










C.


whereas on 21 December 2022 the UN Security Council adopted a resolution demanding an end to violence and the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained persons;










D.


whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Myanmar has risen to the position of third-worst nation for imprisoning journalists, after Iran and China; whereas according to the International Press Institute’s Database of Killed Journalists, four journalists have been killed in Myanmar since February 2021, and all were likely killed by the junta; whereas there are still dozens of journalists locked up in prisons across Myanmar, even after the recent mass pardon of prisoners by the military junta;













1.


Strongly condemns the junta’s violent and illegitimate rule, which has plunged Myanmar into a human rights and humanitarian crisis; rejects any attempt by the military leaders to legitimise their undemocratic power through sham elections;












2.


Strongly condemns the decision of the military-appointed Union Election Commission of Myanmar to dissolve forty political parties and the ensuing arrests of politicians; calls for the immediate reinstatement of these parties;












3.


Urges the junta to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners; calls for an immediate end to the unlawful state of emergency and the indiscriminate use of force, the restoration of the civilian government, the re-establishment of a path towards democracy and the swift opening of parliament with the participation of all elected representatives;












4.


Calls on the EU and its Member States to substantially increase humanitarian aid to the people and refugees of Myanmar, including Rohingya;












5.


Strongly condemns the use of rape as a weapon and the military’s regular airstrikes on civilian targets;












6.


Urges the international community to coordinate and use all available political avenues to work with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)and other regional actors to overcome the crisis, including significantly increasing support for the National Unity Government (NUG) and democratic opposition groups, working towards instituting a global arms embargo on Myanmar and referring the country to the International Criminal Court;












7.


Calls on the EU to introduce additional targeted sanctions against the military and its business interests, including sanctions on aviation fuel, the No.2 Mining Enterprise and the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, and to rapidly enforce their implementation;












8.


Calls on the Commission to demonstrate that the Everything But Arms scheme does not benefit the junta or otherwise to temporarily withdraw the mechanism;












9.


Calls on the EU to demonstrate that any engagement with Myanmar, including by private companies and EU-based undertakings such as MADE, is subject to strengthened human rights due diligence processes to protect and guarantee workers’ rights;












10.


Condemns Russia and China for their political, economic and military backing of Myanmar’s junta;












11.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the NUG, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the Tatmadaw, ASEAN, the United Nations, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.






ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1070/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)