NEWS - EU Tightens Sanctions on My

[TheTruth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS -  EU Tightens Sanctions on Myanmar

EU Tightens Sanctions on Myanmar

            Reuters
            26-OCT-98

            LUXEMBOURG, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The European Union tightened
            sanctions on Myanmar on Monday, voicing concern at its
failure to
            promote democracy and human rights. 

            EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, extended
existing
            sanctions against the Southeast Asian country, adopted in
October
            1996 and due for renewal this week. 

            They include the expulsion of military personnel attached to
Myanmar
            diplomatic missions in the EU, an arms embargo, a ban on
entry visas
            to the country's leaders and the suspension of
non-humanitarian aid
            and of high-level government visits. 

            The ministers also widened the visa ban by including transit
visas
            under the ban and extending it to cover Myanmar tourism
officials, an
            EU statement said. 

            It said the 15-nation EU would rigorously apply the visa ban
to
            members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council
and
            members of the military, as well as their families. 

            The ministers supported the view of Myanmar opposition
leader and
            Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that "in the present
situation,
            it is inappropriate for tourists to visit Burma (Myanmar),"
the statement
            said. 

            The ministers did not however adopt a ban on new investment
or bar
            EU companies from providing services to Myanmar's ruling
council--
            measures that had been discussed. 

            After considering the "deteriorating internal situation" in
Myanmar,
            ministers remained "deeply concerned at the lack of a
positive
            response from the Burmese authorities to the repeated calls
for them
            to take steps towards the promotion of democracy and human
rights,
            and of national reconciliation," the statement said. 

            The ministers decided that, although Myanmar has become a
member
            of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the
EU would
            not allow Myanmar to join a cooperation agreement between
the EU
            and ASEAN. 

            Due to the importance they placed on the EU's relationship
with
            ASEAN, however, the ministers said they would accept the
presence
            of Myanmar representatives at the next meeting of a joint
committee
            held under the cooperation agreement. 

            But the ministers said Myanmar's participation in future
such meetings
            would depend on an improvement in the human rights
situation. 

            Myanmar's ruling generals refused to recognise the results
of the
            country's last general election in May 1990, which was won
            overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.