European Parliament Members Urge More Pressure on Burma

By WAI MOE
The Irrawaddy News

April 8, 2008 - Members of the European parliament criticized Burma during a joint hearing of the Development Committee and the Human Rights Subcommittee last week ahead of a potential European Union (EU) resolution on Burma in the near future.

During the hearing on April 2, parliament members spoke out on three topics: that more pressure be put on the Burmese military regime through better targeted sanctions; that the EU raise the question of Burma in its trade negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean); and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

A press release by the European parliament said that despite the sanctions imposed on Burma’s generals and some of their cronies through freezing bank assets, the EU envisaged providing 32 million euros between 2007 and 2010 for health and education in the country.

There was also debate on the merit of sanctions on the Burmese military junta. A German politician from the Green Party, Frijthof Schmidt, said, “Sanctions—which anyway have a limited effect—should be extended to the bank sector for Burmese leaders who conduct their financial business in Singapore, a country which does not support sanctions on Burma.”

But Glenys Kinnock, a member of the European parliament from the United Kingdom, argued that there must be “a positive alternative to sanctions” and that we must “stop pouring money into this country without getting something in return.”

This Berman from the Netherlands said, “No one speaks any more about Burma, even though the situation remains dreadful, human rights are still flouted and there are said to be 1,800 political prisoners. How can the international community and the EU exert more influence, and by what means?”

He also suggested an international embargo on arms—which come mainly from China—and a ban on Burma’s exports of precious stones.

Members from the EU also argued the Burma issue should be raised during talks on a free trade agreement and a partnership and cooperation agreement with members of Asean. China and India were also urged to put pressure on the Burmese junta.

On Tuesday, the European parliament is due to adopt a report on trade and economic relations with Asean in favor of signing a free trade agreement. However, the draft report contended that owing to the current situation in Burma, the country should not be included in the agreement.

Commenting on Burma’s forthcoming referendum on a new constitution, Riberiro e Castro of Portugal said, “We must lay down conditions for their referendum, including a call for the release of political prisoners and Aung San Suu Kyi.”

Schmidt also suggested it was risky for the EU to endorse an election that might meet international standards but would in fact prevent the opposition from standing, as had happened in Iran.

Meanwhile, the London-based Burma Campaign UK said in a briefing and recommendation that the EU had repeatedly failed to understand the true nature of the Burmese regime. “Polite political engagement of the kind that UN envoys have engaged in since 1990 have not produced a single democratic political reform,” said its recommendation.

“The regime will have to be forced to the negotiation table through a combination of political and economic pressure,” said the Burma Campaign UK.