B4-0146, 0150, 0154, 0157, 0162 and 0168/98

Resolution on Burma

19-02-1998

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, particularly that of 12 June 1997 on the continuing human rights abuses in Burma(19),

- having regard to Council Regulation (EC) 552/97 temporarily withdrawing access to tariff preferences from the Union of Myanmar(20),

- having regard to Council Decision 97/688/EC concerning the extension of common position 96/635/CFSP on Burma/Myanmar(21),

A. deeply concerned at the continuing and extremely serious human rights abuses committed by the military authorities in Burma,

B. noting that on 15 November 1997 the State Law and Order Restoration Council abolished itself and created the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) instead,

C. whereas, in its resolution of 24 November 1997, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly expressed its grave concern over the continuing violations of human rights in Burma, as reported by the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma,

D. deploring the continued detention under house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and the continued arbitrary detention of numerous political prisoners, particularly the members of the National League for Democracy (NLD),

E. noting that the SLORC permitted the NLD to hold a party congress on 27 September 1997, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the party"s founding, but prevented several hundred people from attending,

F. condemning the blocking by the military authorities of attempts by the NLD to conduct party meetings at various NLD offices by barricading the locations and detaining its supporters,

G. whereas Aung San Suu Kyi, a winner of Parliament"s Sakharov Prize, has on several occasions called on the international community to impose political and economic sanctions on Burma,

H. noting that on 20 May 1997 President Clinton imposed economic sanctions on Burma by prohibiting United States citizens from making new investments there,

I. noting the continuation of business activities by certain European companies in Burma; noting that multinational oil company investment provides the largest legal source of foreign currency to the regime,

J. noting the continuing violation of humanitarian law during the offensives of the Burmese army into ethnic minority areas, such as the killing of 400 villagers from Shan State during May and June 1997,

K. concerned about the arrests and summary deportations of Burmese refugees in Thailand and reports that some of the deported are being forced into labour camps on their return to Burmese territory,

L. noting that the ILO has decided to establish a formal Commission of Enquiry into the non-observance by the government of Burma of the ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930, (No 29),

M. noting the visit on 22-24 January 1998 by the special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on a mission to seek political dialogue between the military and the opposition,

N. noting that most of the world"s heroin comes from Burma and deploring the strong ties between the military regime and the drug producers,

1. Reiterates its condemnation of the military dictatorship in Burma and all human rights violations by the SLORC/SPDC;

2. Calls again on the Burmese Government to guarantee the fundamental rights of the Burmese people, to release all political prisoners and to release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest;

3. Expresses its support for all the forces of democracy in Burma, particularly the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi, who are campaigning for the establishment of constitutional government and respect for human rights;

4. Calls on the Burmese Government to fulfil its obligation as a State Party to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, (No 29), and to the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948 (No 87), of the ILO;

5. Calls on the SPDC to cooperate with the ILO Commission of Enquiry into forced labour in Burma;

6. Urges the SPDC to allow the visit, without preconditions or restrictions, of the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma in order to enable him to discharge his mandate fully;

7. Urges Thailand to refrain from deporting Burmese refugees back to Burma;

8. Reaffirms its opinion that foreign direct investment in Burma makes an important financial contribution to the SPDC, while failing to provide even indirect benefits to the Burmese people; welcomes the decision by several European and American companies to suspend their business activities in Burma and hopes that their example will be followed by other companies;

9. Calls on the Council to ensure that the current CFSP common position on Burma is strictly enforced, in particular with regard to the ban on entry visas, the embargo on sales of arms, munitions and military equipment, and the suspension of non-humanitarian aid or development programmes;

10. Calls on the Council to respond to Aung San Suu Kyi"s request for EU economic sanctions against the SPDC by ending all links between the European Union and Burma based on trade, tourism and investment in Burma by European companies; as a first step, calls on the Council to expand the measures taken in the common position by ending trade promotion and expanding the ban on entry visas;

11. Supports the Council"s decision not to accept the participation of Burma in EU-ASEAN meetings and ASEM until there are significant improvements in human rights and democracy in Burma;

12. Calls on the Commission to come to an agreement with the US Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other local governments on a common effort to sanction Burma economically outside of the dispute settlement panel laid down by WTO rules;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the NLD, the SPDC, ASEAN and the WTO.