Helsinki, 11/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Following the first day of the two-day ASEM Summit in Helsinki (see above), the Finnish prime minister expressed disappointment with the explanations given by the Burmese delegation on the question of democracy in Burma. Burmese foreign minister U Nyan Win, leader of the Burmese delegation in Helsinki, explained the situation in his country, but at a press conference on Sunday night (10 September), Matti Vanhanen said that this was simply not good enough for the EU, which expected tangible decisions. He explained that Nyan Win had not made any pledges and the EU had been dissatisifed with his response. Vanhanen ruled out, however, taking any more sanctions against Burma for the moment. Despite the EU travel ban on leaders of the military junta, Nyan Win had been able to travel to Helsinki because exceptions can be made if there is the potential to discus s improvements in the human rights situation and democracy in Burma, explained Finnish under-secretary of state Markus Lyra. The EU again urged the military junta to launch a genuine process of national reconciliation involving all political parties, and called for the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD). Ms Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is holder of the Nobel Peace Prize and the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize.
On the first day of the summit, an EU Troika of Markus Lyra, James Moran, Director for Asia at the European Commission, and Peter Christian Hauswedell from the German foreign ministry, briefed the Burmese delegation on the EU's expectations. Matti Vanhanen commented that the situation in Burma remained of great concern.