EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: RESOLUTION ON

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: RESOLUTION ON BURMA, FEB 95.

/* posted 21 Apr 11:50 1995 by uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on igc:reg.burma */
/* ----------" European Parliament resolution on Burma "-------- */

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Session Documents
10 February 1995.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
With  request  for  inclusion  in  the debate on topical and urgent
subjects of major importances
Pursuant to Rule 47 of the Rules of Procedure
by the following Member :KINNOCK, FORD and MARTIN
on behalf of PSE group
on the Burmese army's offensive against the Karen people

The European Parliament,
------------------------
- having regard to the defeat  of  the  Burmese  democratic  forces
based  in  Manerplaw  on 26 January in the current offensive by the
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) of Burma,

- having regard to the human casualties, and the increasing  influx
of Burmese refugees into Thailan,

A. deploring the fact that this attack represents a reversal of the
general ceasefire announced in 1992,

B.  aware  that  Mannerplaw is the centre of the Burmese democratic
movement, and that the objective of the offensive is  to  eradicate
this last base for democratic forces in Burma,

C.  further  aware  that  this  offensive  also  seeks to crush the
support base for Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, in  the
event of her future release,

1.  Strongly  condemn  the  Burmese  Government's offensive against
Mannerplaw and Dawn Gwin and its intention to continue shelling the
area until all insurgents are eliminated;

2. Calls upon all  EU  Member  States  to  condemn  this  offensive
publicly and unequivocally;

3.  Urges the Thai Government not to support the Burmese Government
with food or other supplies, nor to allow them to use Thai airspace
or territory, and to ensure that there is no forced repatriation of
Burmese refugees on the Thai border;

4. Calls on the internaitonal community to take immediate stops  to
halt  the crisis, and requests that the Secretary-General of the UN
urgently increase efforts to preserve regional peaace and  security
and   secure   a   genuine   political   settlement   and  national
reconciliation in Burma;

5. Instructs its  President  to  forward  this  resolution  to  the
Council,  the  Commission, the Member States, the Secretary-General
of the UN, the Burmese Government and the Thai Government.

*Resolution  on  the  continued  vioaltion  of   human   rights   in
Burma(Myanmar)

The European Parliamant,
------------------------
-   having  regard  to  its  previous  resolutions  on  humanrights
violations in Myanmar,

A.  whereas  the  Burmese  army  recently  captured  the  city   of
Mannerplaw where there had been a concentration of Karen resistance
forces  who  have been waging a long struggle for greater political
and administrative autonomy from Yangon,

B. deploring the fact that this attack represents a reversal of the
general ceasefire announced in 1992,

C. whereas repression of  the  Karens  in  Burma  has  resulted  in
thousands  of  refugees; whereas the capture of Mannerplaw cost the
lives of hundreds of Burmese;

D. recalling the UN Special Rapporteur Yozo Yokota's  report  on  2
February  1995  accusing  the  Burmese regime of continued torture,
slavery, expulsion and political oppression,

E. stressing that  the  Special  Rapporteur  states  that  soldiers
frequently  execute  village  people after s summary trial, or even
without trial, commit rape and  steal  property,  that  torture  is
still  'routinely  employed'  on those suspected of anti-governemnt
activities, that 'forced relocation  and  displacement  of  persons
occurs  on  a  wide scale', that unpaid forced labour is imposed by
the army involving the carrying of heavy loads  of  ammunition  and
other  supplies  through  rough country, that the authorities still
continue to hold the Nobel and Sakharov Laureate Aung San  Suu  Kyi
under house arrest and many other political prisoners in prison,

F. pointing out that in the National Convention of 702 delegates to
prepare  a new constitution, only 89 represent the Natiaonal League
for Democracy (NLD), which polled 60% of  the  votes  cast  in  the
elections  of  1990,  and  only  155 are not chosen directly by the
SLORC,

G. drawing attention  to  the  continued  persecution  of  minority
groups  and  in  particular the reported demolition of at least six
ancient mosques and the forced dismantlement of  Muslim  cemeteries
to make room for buildings for tourists,

H.  recognizing  that  in  this report, some improvements are noted
compared to  the  Special  Rapporteur's  previous  visit  in  1993,
notably  the  re-opening  of  universities,  the  release  of  some
political prisoners and the return to their homes of about half  of
the 250 000 muslim refugees who fled to Bangladesh in 1992,

1.  Strongly  condemns  the  Burmese Governemnt's offensive against
Mannerplaw and Dawn Gwin, and its intention  to  continue  shelling
the area until 'all insurgents are eliminated';

2.  Urges the Thai Government not to support the Burmese Government
with food or other supplies, nor to allow them to use Thai airspace
and territory, and to ensure that there is no  forced  repatriation
of Burmese refugees on the Thai border;

3.  Urges  the  Commission  to  study  in cooperation with the Thai
government possibilities to set up an emergency aid  programme  for
Karen refugees in thailand;

4.  Condemns  outright  the  SLORC's policy of repressing moves for
greater autonomy for the Karens and  its  total  contempt  for  the
legitinate rights of other minorities;

5.  Solemly  repeats  its  call to the SLORC and the military junta
under Khin Nyunt to release at once, and unconditionally,  Sakharov
proze-winner and 1991 nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi;

6.  Calls  for  the  revision  of  the  1982  citizenship law which
oppresses minorities, especially the Muslims of Rakhine State;

7. Calls for an ent to forced labour;

8. Demands that the SLORC impose discipline on the armed forces  to
prevent  murders,  torture and rape of villagers and the looting of
their homes;

9. Calls upon the UN Secretary-General to step up  his  efforts  to
preserve   regional  peace  and  security,  and  secure  a  genuine
political settlement and national reconciliation in Burma;

10. Expresses  its  concern  at  ASEAN's  policy  of  'constructive
engegement' towards Myanmar, given that there is a risk of it being
interpreted as support for the SLORC;

11.  Instructs  its  President  to  forward  this resolution to the
Commission, the Council, the Governemts of Member States of  ASEAN,
the UN Commission of Human Rights and the SLORC.


/* ENDREPORT */