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EU INTRODUCTION TO UN RESOLUTION



            STATEMENT BY THE NETHERLANDS DELEGATION
               ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
              INTRODUCING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ON 
            THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR
 
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
 
On behalf of the European Union and all other co-sponsors, I
would like to introduce draft resolution L97, on the Situation
of human rights in Myanmar. The human rights situation in
Myanmar, Mr Chairman,  remains of great concern. The
impressive report by the Special Rapporteur and reports by
many others, list a terrifying range of human rights
violations, including violations of the right to life, the
suppression of ethnic groups, and the practice of forced
labour. Added to this is the concern that the Government of
Myanmar is not willing to engage in a dialogue with the
international community to help improve the situation. 
 
Mr Chairman, 
 
The aim of draft resolution L97 is to raise these points and
to call for a dialogue by the Government of Myanmar with the
opposition that won the democratic elections of 1990, headed
by Nobel Prize Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as with
leaders of ethnic groups. We also call for a dialogue with the
international community. We are pleased to note that the draft
resolution reflects the willingness, very recently expressed
by the Government of Myanmar, to invite the Special Envoy of
the Secretary-General, who has not yet been able to visit
Myanmar for the past one and a half years. 
 
We express the hope that the Government of Myanmar will soon
also invite the Special Rapporteur this Commission appointed,
and engage in a dialogue with him. We are convinced his
reports and observations could offer practical guidance on
improving the human rights situation. 
 
 
Mr Chairman, 
 
We have extensively discussed and negotiated this text with,
amongst others, the Representative of Myanmar, and I am happy
to inform you that this text is now ready for adoption without
a vote. 
 
Thank you, Mr Chairman
 
 
Delivered to the Commission on Human Rights, Geneva,  16 April
1997
 
The draft resolution was passed by consensus