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European Parliament resolution on B



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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
200-2001

TEXTS ADOPTED

at the sitting of

Thursday
7 September 2000


TA 31   PROVISIONAL EDITION     PE 293.752Human rights: Burma
B5-0716, 0720, 0728 and 0741/2000


European Parliament resolution on Burma

The European Parliament,
         having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, in particular 
its resolutions of 16 September 1999 and 18 May 2000,

         having regard to the two declarations of the EU Presidency on 
Burma (25 August 2000 and 2 September 2000),

A.      whereas it is 10 years since the National League for Democracy 
(NLD) won 392 of the 485 seats in Parliament in free and fair elections and 
whereas the elected Parliament, which is now represented by the CRPP, has 
still not been permitted to convene,

B.      whereas Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi has been trying for many years to 
restore democracy through peaceful means and has been awarded the Nobel and 
Sakharov prizes for her efforts,

C.      whereas in late August Burma's State Peace and Development Council 
officials barred a NLD delegation including Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi from 
meeting with NLD staff in Kungyangon,

D.      whereas the NLD members first refused to return to the capital and 
have lived on the roadside for several days, followed by their forced 
return to the capital, where according to Amnesty International Mrs Aung 
San Suu Kyi and her colleagues have been held incommunicado since 2 September,

E.      whereas at the end of March the governing body of the International 
Labour Organisation (ILO) documented the SPDC's maintenance of a system of 
forced labour without any sign of improvement, and adopted a resolution 
calling for sanctions against the Burmese Government,

F.      whereas the ILO Conference in Geneva voted on 14 June 2000 by 257 
votes to 41, with 31 abstentions, to approve these measures against Burma 
but gave Burma four months to prove its willingness to abolish forced labour,

G.      whereas the regime agreed to the terms of an ILO mission to the 
country, which delays the implementation of these measures until 30 
November 2000, when they will apply unless the regime demonstrates that it 
intends to fulfil in full the recommendations of the ILO's governing body,

H.      noting that the EU's efforts towards improving the situation 
through a dialogue with the Burmese authorities have remained unsuccessful, 
and regretting the recent readmittance of Burma to ASEAN and EU-ASEAN meetings,

I.      noting that the Council has still not responded to Mrs Aung San Suu 
Kyi's request to implement economic sanctions and has not taken any 
significant economic measures against the SPDC, and that the USA has 
already halted new investment in Burma,

J.      concerned by allegations that several Chinese military bases have 
been built on Burmese territory,

1.      Strongly condemns the violation of the freedom of movement, 
expression and assembly of the Secretary General of the National League for 
Democracy, the intimidation against her, the threats to the NLD's 
activities, her de facto house arrest since her return, and the fact that 
Western diplomats have not yet been allowed access to her;

2.      Requests that the Burmese authorities immediately allow freedom of 
movement for Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi and all citizens of Burma;

3.      Urges the Commission and the CFSP High Representative to make a 
determined effort to visit Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi;

4.      Calls on the SPDC to end its widespread practice of forced labour, 
which has been described by the ILO as a 'crime against humanity', and the 
associated 'human rights violations';

5.      Calls on the ILO to impose sanctions in November unless and until 
forced labour has been abolished in Burma;

6.      Urges the Burmese authorities to restore democracy and engage in 
dialogue with the opposition that could lead to national reconciliation in 
a united and democratic state;

7.      Calls on the governments of the ASEAN countries to persuade the 
SPDC to lift restrictions on the country's most prominent opposition leader 
and on the NLD members;

8.      Reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council, in 
cooperation with the USA, to implement economic sanctions against Burma and 
its exclusion from EU-ASEAN meetings, such as the December EU-ASEAN Foreign 
Ministers' meeting, while making every effort within the UN to isolate 
Burma until democracy has been restored;

9.      Calls on the Commission and Council to offer assistance to Burmese 
refugees in Thailand, Malaysia and India;

10.     Calls on the Commission and Council to investigate the allegations 
with regard to Chinese military bases in Burma;

11.     Considers that the governments of the EU Member states should 
advise their citizens against visiting Burma as tourists, particularly 
because many tourist facilities have also been created using forced labour;

12.     Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the 
Commission, the Council, the governments of the EU and ASEAN Member States 
and the governments of Burma, India, China and Japan.

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<div align="center">
<br>
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT<br>
200-2001<br>
<br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica">TEXTS ADOPTED<br>
<br>
<b>at the sitting of<br>
<br>
Thursday<br>
</b>7 September 2000<br>
<br>
<br>
</div>
TA 31<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>PROVISIONAL
EDITION<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>PE
293.752</font><b>Human rights: Burma <br>
B5-0716, 0720, 0728 and 0741/2000 <br>
<br>
<br>
European Parliament resolution on Burma&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>
<br>
</b><i>The European Parliament,<br>
</i>
<dl>
<dd><x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>having
regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, in particular its
resolutions of 16 September 1999 and 18 May 2000, <br>
<br>

<dd>&nbsp;<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>having
regard to the two declarations of the EU Presidency on Burma (25 August
2000 and 2 September 2000),<br>
<br>

<dd>A.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas it is 10
years since the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 392 of the 485
seats in Parliament in free and fair elections and whereas the elected
Parliament, which is now represented by the CRPP, has still not been
permitted to convene, <br>
<br>

<dd>B.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas Mrs Aung
San Suu Kyi has been trying for many years to restore democracy through
peaceful means and has been awarded the Nobel and Sakharov prizes for her
efforts, <br>
<br>

<dd>C.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas in late
August Burma's State Peace and Development Council officials barred a NLD
delegation including Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi from meeting with NLD staff in
Kungyangon, <br>
<br>

<dd>D.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas the NLD
members first refused to return to the capital and have lived on the
roadside for several days, followed by their forced return to the
capital, where according to Amnesty International Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi
and her colleagues have been held incommunicado since 2 September, <br>
<br>

<dd>E.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas at the
end of March the governing body of the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) documented the SPDC's maintenance of a system of forced labour
without any sign of improvement, and adopted a resolution calling for
sanctions against the Burmese Government,<br>
<br>

<dd>F.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas the ILO
Conference in Geneva voted on 14 June 2000 by 257 votes to 41, with 31
abstentions, to approve these measures against Burma but gave Burma four
months to prove its willingness to abolish forced labour, <br>
<br>

<dd>G.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>whereas the
regime agreed to the terms of an ILO mission to the country, which delays
the implementation of these measures until 30 November 2000, when they
will apply unless the regime demonstrates that it intends to fulfil in
full the recommendations of the ILO's governing body, <br>
<br>

<dd>H.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>noting that the
EU's efforts towards improving the situation through a dialogue with the
Burmese authorities have remained unsuccessful, and regretting the recent
readmittance of Burma to ASEAN and EU-ASEAN meetings,<br>
<br>

<dd>I.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>noting that the
Council has still not responded to Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi's request to
implement economic sanctions and has not taken any significant economic
measures against the SPDC, and that the USA has already halted new
investment in Burma, <br>
<br>

<dd>J.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>concerned by
allegations that several Chinese military bases have been built on
Burmese territory, <br>
<br>

<dd>1.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Strongly
condemns the violation of the freedom of movement, expression and
assembly of the Secretary General of the National League for Democracy,
the intimidation against her, the threats to the NLD's activities, her de
facto house arrest since her return, and the fact that Western diplomats
have not yet been allowed access to her;<br>
<br>

<dd>2.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Requests that
the Burmese authorities immediately allow freedom of movement for Mrs
Aung San Suu Kyi and all citizens of Burma; <br>
<br>

<dd>3.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Urges the
Commission and the CFSP High Representative to make a determined effort
to visit Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi; <br>
<br>

<dd>4.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Calls on the
SPDC to end its widespread practice of forced labour, which has been
described by the ILO as a ?crime against humanity?, and the associated
?human rights violations?; <br>
<br>

<dd>5.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Calls on the ILO
to impose sanctions in November unless and until forced labour has been
abolished in Burma; <br>
<br>

<dd>6.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Urges the
Burmese authorities to restore democracy and engage in dialogue with the
opposition that could lead to national reconciliation in a united and
democratic state; <br>
<br>

<dd>7.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Calls on the
governments of the ASEAN countries to persuade the SPDC to lift
restrictions on the country's most prominent opposition leader and on the
NLD members; <br>
<br>

<dd>8.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Reiterates its
call on the Commission and the Council, in cooperation with the USA, to
implement economic sanctions against Burma and its exclusion from
EU-ASEAN meetings, such as the December EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers?
meeting, while making every effort within the UN to isolate Burma until
democracy has been restored;<br>
<br>

<dd>9.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Calls on the
Commission and Council to offer assistance to Burmese refugees in
Thailand, Malaysia and India; <br>
<br>

<dd>10.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Calls on the
Commission and Council to investigate the allegations with regard to
Chinese military bases in Burma; <br>
<br>

<dd>11.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Considers that the
governments of the EU Member states should advise their citizens against
visiting Burma as tourists, particularly because many tourist facilities
have also been created using forced labour; <br>
<br>

<dd>12.<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Instructs its
President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the
governments of the EU and ASEAN Member States and the governments of
Burma, India, China and Japan.
</dl></html>

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