Strasbourg, 23/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a joint resolution brought forward by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens and GUE/NGL Groups, adopted in Strasbourg on 19 June, the European Parliament condemned “the decision to extend the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi”, the leader of Burmese opposition, and urged the ruling junta to release all political prisoners immediately. The EP also called for a judicial investigation, under the auspices of the UN, into reports that the Burmese army murdered political prisoners in the confusion following Cyclone Nargis, and deplored the imprisonment of victims of the cyclone who try to seek aid from international aid organisations in Burma/Myanmar. Parliament, rejecting the result of the referendum held by the junta on the constitution on the days after the cyclone struck, urged the Burmese authorities to “lift all restrictions on peaceful political activities in the country and to move towards an inclusive process of national reconciliation and restoration of democracy, rule of law and full respect for human rights”, and to provide explanations for disappearances since the repression of September 2007. The EP also called on the Burmese government to comply with the agreement reached with the secretary general of the UN to allow humanitarian aid free access to the regions hit by the cyclone, and to cooperate fully with the international community to assess needs. It called on the Burmese authorities to “stop official interference in the delivery of aid and to cooperate fully with humanitarian organisations”. Acknowledging the value of the recent report by the UN special rapporteur, who has been gathering evidence of continuing human rights violations, the EP urges the Burmese authorities to enter into close dialogue with the special rapporteur and to accede to his request to visit Burma/Myanmar. Lastly, the Parliament calls on ASEAN countries to “put serious pressure on the Burmese authorities to bring about democratic change” and calls on the EU to toughen its clearly defined and targeted sanctions against the Burmese junta which are still having limited effect on the regime (EU sanctions were extended in September 2007 by the imposition of an embargo on other sectors of the economy). (E.H./transl.rt)