Strasbourg, 26/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution common to the EPP, S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA, ECR, GUE/NGL and EFD Groups and adopted in plenary on Thursday 25 November, the European Parliament welcomes the release on 13 November of Burma's key opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been under house arrest since 2003. However, it states its concern regarding Aung San Suu Kyi's safety and insists that her freshly gained freedom must be unconditional and unrestricted. The Burmese junta is also invited to begin discussions with the opposition leader and with representatives of minority populations.
Denouncing the climate of fear and intimidation surrounding the elections in early November, from which hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens, monks and political prisoners were excluded, the Parliament states up to 2,200 political prisoners should be immediately released without any pre-condition. Member states of the EU are invited to use their full economic and political influence to promote freedom and democracy in Burma, while the Parliament urges the main trading partners of Burma (China, the ASEAN countries, India and Russia) to stop supporting the regime and to put increased pressure on the country to bring about positive change there. (E.H./transl.jl)