B4-0820, 0825, 0832 and 0849/98

Resolution on Burma

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma,

A. deeply concerned at the continuing and extremely serious human rights abuses committed by the military authorities in Burma, especially the violation of humanitarian law by the Burmese army in ethnic minority areas,

B. deploring the restrictions by the SPDC on the freedom of movement of Aung San Suu Kyi and the repeated locking in her car for six days in July and thirteen days in August 1998 to prevent her visiting NLD members, the ban by the SPDC restricting her to Rangoon and all other restrictions placed on her movement, effectively putting her under house arrest,

C. whereas tension has been increasing in Burma since thousands of students staged anti-government protests on a university campus in the biggest demonstration since 1996,

D. gravely concerned about the arrests in September 1998 of many NLD members, including 50 members who were elected to Parliament in the 1990 elections,

E. greatly concerned at the ongoing use of riot police against university students in Rangoon peacefully demonstrating for the release of arrested students and improvements in the education system in September 1998 and the confinement of these students to their campuses,

F. whereas on 19 August the International Labour Organisation released its report on forced labour, based upon a year-long inquiry, in which it stated that the practice is "widespread and systematic" with "total disregard for the human dignity, safety and health and basic needs of the people",

G. noting that European multinational oil companies nowprovide almost a third of the total legal foreign investment committed in Burma and an even higher proportion of funds disbursed,

H. noting with great concern that, according to its own figures, the military authorities in Burma spent half the budget in 1996 on defence and only 14% on education,

I. welcoming the recent decision by some European companies to halt all further activities in Burma, and hoping that their example will be followed by other companies,

J. concerned at 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,

K. noting the refusal by the SPDC in July 1998 to grant entry to the special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on a mission to seek political dialogue between the regime and the opposition,

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

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

2. Calls again on the Burmese Government to guarantee the fundamental rights of the Burmese people, to release all political prisoners and to allow freedom of movement for Aung San Suu Kyi;

3 Believes that, in the interest of a foreign policy founded upon the principles of human rights and democracy, the scope of the WTO to take these principles into account should be enlarged rather than restricted and calls upon the European Union to use its weight as the biggest trading power of the world to this end;

4. Criticises in this context the Commission decision to insist on a conflict resolution panel within WTO over the law of the US State of Massachusetts, which set a pricing penalty on purchases of goods by state authorities from companies that do business with Burma,

5 Calls on the Burmese Government to put an immediate end to all forced labour practices in Burma and the human rights violations connected to it;

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. 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 Burmesepeople;

8. Calls on the EU not to contribute to the controversial UNDCP project in Burma;

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 and further strongly calls on the EU Member States to refrain from giving transit visas to SPDC and military personnel;

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 Council to use its discussions with the ASEAN and Japan and China to pressure the SPDC to enter into dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic minorities;

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