Brussels, 13/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is calling for the EU's Common Policy on Burma to be strengthened immediately by 'officially stating hat the EU will not participate in the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) Regional Forum, the ASEAN Post Ministerial Meeting and other ASEAN meetings and events should Burma become the chair of ASEAN in 2006 without meeting any of the minimum conditions/' In April, Burma rejected international appeals for it to decline to assume the rotating Presidency of ASEAN and these appeals were strongly reiterated by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday by 65 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions on a joint resolution on Burma lodged by the main political groups (EPP-ED, PES, ADLE, Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL and UEN).
The EP condemned 'the total disregard of the Burma junta for the welfare of the people of Burma' and called for the stepping up of economic sanctions against the military junta in Rangoon. The EP calls on 'travel agencies and independent tour operators in the EU to stop promoting and selling tourist visas to Burma. The EP condemned the fact the people of Burma are 'subject to human rights abuses including forced labour, persecution of dissidents, conscription of child soldiers, rape of ethnic minority women and children by government troops and forced relocation' The EP deplored 'the Burmese regime's campaign of ethnic clearwing against several major ethnic groups fighting for autonomy' and said it was 'deeply worried by the allegations of use of chemical weapons by the military junta against Karenni rebels'.
Last week, the EU presented Burma with a list of political prisoners who should be released immediately, including Aung San Suu Kyi, failing which sanctions against the junta will continue. The EP calls for 'a high-ranking EU envoy to be appointed to work towards securing the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and developing a comprehensive EU strategy on Burma'.