Brussels, 17/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - France called, on Monday 17 October, for debate within the European Union on how best to assist recent positive developments in Burma/Myanmar. “France is calling for debate within the international community, and also the European Union, to consider how we might, constructively, respond to developments in Burma”, said spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry Bernard Valero.
Valero gave no indication of what form these responses might take. On Wednesday of last week, the French ministry restricted itself to calling for the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Burma, after the amnesty for 200-250 detainees decreed by President Thein Sein. Since then, in a move welcomed by France on Monday, Burma has passed a law granting the right to strike and join trade unions. “This shows the desire on the part of the authorities to make progress in civil freedom. We will watch closely how it is applied”, said Valero, repeating France's call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience”. France also welcomed the dialogue between President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and also the talks between the government and ethnic groups. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) expressed its frustration after the amnesty last Thursday, regretting that large numbers of political opponents remain in prison. (LC/transl.rt)