European Parliament resolution of 6 September 2007 on Burma
The European Parliament ,
– having regard to the first formal session of the United Nations Security
Council on Burma, held on 29 September 2006,
– having regard to the statement of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of 18
July 2007 and to the letter addressed to him signed by 92 Burmese MPs-Elect,
of 1 August 2007, which included a proposal for national reconciliation and
democratisation in Burma,
– having regard to the unprecedented denunciation by the President of the
International Committee of the Red Cross Jakob Kellenberger, of 28 June
2007, of violations of international humanitarian law committed against
civilians and detainees by the Government of Burma, and his demand that the
Government of Burma take urgent action to end these violations and prevent
them from recurring,
– having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 481/2007 of 27 April
2007(1) , renewing restrictive measures against Burma,
– having regard to the US Government's decision of 1 August 2007 to renew
import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of
2003,
– having regard to the public request of 23 August 2007 by the Head of the
Inter-Parliamentary Caucus of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation
(ASEAN), Zaid Ibrahim, that China use its influence to resolve the crisis in
Burma,
– having regard to the eighth Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign
Ministers" meeting held in Germany on 28 to 29 May 2007,
– having regard to the 88 Generation Students' Announcement of 8 August
2007, to mark the 17th anniversary of the victory of the National League for
Democracy (NLD) in the parliamentary elections of 27 May 1990, condemning
the constitutional proposals being made by the National Convention, which
entered its last phase on 18 July 2007,
– having regard to the earlier report of 18 July 2007 by Human Rights
Watch that the proposed new constitution for Burma would maintain a
repressive system of military rule,
– having regard to its resolutions of 12 May 2005(2) , 17 November 2005(3)
, 14 December 2006(4) and 21 June 2007 on Burma(5) ,
– having regard to the Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the
European Union of 28 August 2007 on the arrests of democracy activists in
Burma,
– having regard to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit of
8 and 9 September 2007,
– having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the NLD leader, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Sakharov Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the last 17 years under house
arrest,
B. whereas on 15 August 2007 the Government of Burma withdrew fuel
subsidies without warning, leading to an increase in fuel prices estimated
at 500 %, doubling transport costs and inflating the cost of essential goods
and services,
C. whereas the Burmese Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
estimates that over 100 human rights activists and peaceful protesters were
arrested in the immediate wake of the protests over the fuel price-increase
of 15 August 2007,
D. whereas the so-called National Convention of Burma has concluded the
drafting of the basic principles for a new constitution, which lacks
credibility due to the absence of democratically elected representatives,
E. whereas the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) continues to
subject the people of Burma to appalling human rights abuses, such as forced
labour, persecution of dissidents, conscription of child soldiers, and
forced relocation,
F. whereas about 90 % of the Burmese population are living below or near
the poverty line of USD 1 a day, more than 30 % of children under five
suffer from malnutrition, mortality rates for malaria and tuberculosis
remain very high, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread across the general
population and nearly half of school-age children never enrol,
G. whereas ASEAN has started to take a more robust stance against the
abuses by the military regime in Burma insisting that Burma improve its
human rights record and embrace democracy,
H. whereas, for the first time since 1988, Buddhist monks have recently
participated in demonstrations against the regime, in spite of the
night-time curfew which has been imposed in Thanlyin since 19 August 2007,
1. Deplores the SPDC's crackdown on peaceful protestors against the fuel
price increase of 15 August 2007, the arrest of over 100 people and the
violent attacks on civilians with particular brutality against women;
2. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all those who have
been arrested since the protests began on 19 August 2007, including the
leaders of the 88 Generation Students, such as Min Ko Naing, who has
already spent 16 years in prison, and Ko Ko Gyi, who has spent 15 years in
prison;
3. Expresses its grave concern about the adverse effect which the
extraordinary price increase for basic commodities is having on the Burmese
population and the fact that the Burmese junta is clearly incapable of
utilising the country's extraordinary natural resources for the benefit of
the people of Burma;
4. Expresses deep concern about the military build-up in Rangoon and the
violent attacks by security forces and proxy civilian organisations;
5. Strongly condemns the SPDC's use of civilian mobs such as the Union
Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the Swan Ahr Shin (SAS) to
arrest, attack, intimidate and threaten protestors and activists, and calls
for the immediate disbanding of these and similar groups;
6. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi;
7. Condemns the SPDC's unremitting oppression of the Burmese people and its
persistent persecution and imprisonment of pro-democracy activists; draws
particular attention to the case of U Win Tin, a 77-year old journalist
detained as a political prisoner for almost two decades now for writing a
letter to the UN on the ill-treatment of political prisoners and the poor
conditions in which they are held;
8. Deplores the fact that, despite the condition of the country, regional
and international criticism and forty-five years of rule, the SPDC has
failed to respect even the most basic human rights or to make any
substantial progress towards democracy;
9. Urges cessation of the current illegitimate constitutional process, and
its replacement by a fully representative National Convention including the
NLD and other political parties and groups, taking account of the
recommendations made by the UN Secretary-General to transform it into an
inclusive and democratic constitution-formulating process;
10. Applauds the unprecedented intervention by the Head of ASEAN's
Inter-Parliamentary Caucus, urging China actively to engage in bringing
about change for the better in Burma;
11. Reiterates its regret that the Burmese Foreign Minister, Nyan Win,
banned from travelling to the EU, was permitted to attend the eighth ASEM
Foreign Ministers" meeting in Germany this year, only days after the
military junta in Burma had extended the illegal house arrest of Aung San
Suu Kyi for another year;
12. Insists that the night-time curfew imposed on the monks of Thanlyin and
other restrictions on the free expression of opposition to the regime and
its methods be removed;
13. Urges China and India, as well as Russia, to use their considerable
economic and political leverage over the Burmese regime in order to bring
about substantial improvements in the country and, in any case, to cease the
supply of weaponry and other strategic resources;
14. Calls again on businesses which invest in Burma to ensure that, in
carrying out their projects, human rights are genuinely respected and, if
human rights abuses do occur, to suspend their activities in Burma;
expresses disappointment that some countries have seen fit substantially to
increase their investments in Burma, regardless of the dire human rights
situation there;
15. Welcomes the renewal of EU targeted sanctions, but recognises that they
have failed to achieve the desired impact on those directly responsible for
the suffering of the Burmese people, and calls therefore on the Council to
analyse the weaknesses in the present sanctions system and to introduce
further measures as may be necessary in order to guarantee a greater degree
of effectiveness;
16. Insists, in this context, that all Member States rigorously apply the
restrictive measures already agreed;
17. Notes that, in accordance with the restrictive measures against Burma,
support is limited to humanitarian aid and assistance for those most in
need;
18. Calls on the Member States' Foreign Ministers to discuss measures for
strengthening the Council Common Position renewing restrictive measures
against Burma/Myanmar at the next General Affairs and External Relations
Council on 7 to 8 September 2007;
19. Urges the governments of the UK, France, Belgium, Italy and Slovakia,
that are all members of the UN Security Council, to make a concerted effort
to introduce, and obtain unanimous backing for, a binding resolution in
regard to Burma, including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi; notes that a
similar resolution was passed in January 2007 but vetoed by China and Russia
and opposed by South Africa; calls for an emergency meeting of the UN
Security Council to address the current situation in Burma;
20. Urges the governments of all the Member States that are members of the
United Nations Human Rights Council to make a concerted effort to introduce
and obtain support for a resolution on Burma at the next session of the
Council in September 2007;
21. Urges leaders at the APEC Summit in Sydney on 8 and 9 September 2007 to
address the recent human rights abuses in Burma and to agree on action to
induce change in that country;
22. Calls on Ibrahim Gambari, appointed as Special Advisor to the UN
Secretary-General on Burma in May, to visit Rangoon and other parts of Burma
as a matter of urgency, ensuring that he has the opportunity to meet Aung
San Suu Kyi and other leading members of the opposition, as well as regime
figures;
23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the
Commission, the governments of the Member States, the governments of the
ASEAN member countries, the National League for Democracy, the State Peace
and Development Council, the Government of the People's Republic of China,
the Government of India, the Government of Russia, the Government of the
United States of America, the Director General of the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
(1) OJ L 111, 28.4.2007, p. 50.
(2) OJ C 92 E, 20.4.2006, p. 410.
(3) OJ C 280 E, 18.11.2006, p. 473.
(4) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2006)0607.
(5) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0290.