The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the UN Security Council's decision of 15 September 2006 to place Burma on its formal agenda, the visit to Burma of UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari from 9-12 November 2006 and his subsequent briefing of the Security Council,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, in particular that of 17 November 2005,

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 817/2006 of 29 May 2006 renewing restrictive measures against Burma,

–  having regard to the Chairman's Statement of the Sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) held in Finland on 10-11 September 2006,

-  having regard to the recent update briefing by International Crisis Group

–  having regard to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure,

A.  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,

C.  whereas the National Convention, first convened in 1993 to draft a constitution and which has been suspended many times since then, resumed on 10 October 2006 but stills lacks any credibility due to the absence of many representative groups, most notably the National League for Democracy (NLD),

D.  whereas it is 17 years since NLD leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was first put under house arrest,

E.  whereas Burma's neighbours need to take a more robust stance against the abuses of the military regime in that country, and insist more strongly that Burma improve its human rights record and move toward democracy,

F.  whereas more than thirty per cent of Burmese children under five suffer from malnutrition, mortality rates for malaria and tuberculosis remain very high, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread into the general population, affecting at least 1.3 per cent of the adult population, and nearly half of school-age children never enrol,

G.  Whereas the government of Myanmar recently ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to close its five field offices in the country, effectively making it impossible for the organization to carry out most of its assistance and protection work benefiting civilians who live in difficult conditions in border areas

H..  whereas, according to the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2006, Burma is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium, accounting for more than ninety per cent of south-east Asian heroin,

1.  Condemns the SPDC for its relentless suppression of the Burmese people and its failure to make any significant move towards democracy, despite having ruled for over forty years;

2.  Is seriously concerned about the signs of a growing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar since the government imposed new restrictions on international agencies, including the aid community and recalls that development assistance to Burma/Myanmar is, with slightly over 2 Euros/per capita per year, among the lowest in the world;

3.  Strongly deplores the SPDC's recent closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross field offices (in Mandalay, Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Taunggyi and Kyaing Tong), and calls on the SPDC to allow these offices to re-open without delay;

4.  Deeply regrets that the purge of late 2004 of General Khin Nyunt and other high-ranking officials brought a serious back-lash for important aid programs, notably on forced labour, prison visits and protections of conflict-affected populations;

5.  Calls on the government not to jeopardise the increases in aid of the recent years and to allow UN agencies and INGOs doing relief work in full respect of basic humanitarian principles to operate in the country without interference and restrictions;

6.  Condemns the regime's crackdown against several large ethnic groups, including the Karen of eastern Burma, which has lead to large-scale suffering and internal displacement; reports estimate that in 2006 alone, 82,000 people were forced to leave their homes in eastern Burma, bringing the number of internally displaced people within Burma to at least 500,000;

7.  Welcomes the decision by the EU and other donors to continue support for programs against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Burma after the withdrawal of the Global Aids Fund in 2005

8.  Supports EU Commission plans for funding on bilateral health, education and possibly livelihood programs in the context of the Myanmar Country Strategy Paper;

9.  Welcomes the UN's recent opening of the first of seven legal assistance centres, located at Ban Mae Nai Soi camp in north-western Thailand, for Burmese refugees living in neighbouring Thailand;

10.  Further welcomes the fact-finding mission to Burma by the Malaysian Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, as a result of the position taken the previous year by the eleventh ASEAN summit;

11.  Supports the International Labour Organization's decision to take its concerns about the SPDC's use of forced labour before the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice;

12.  Urges China and other countries that continue to supply weaponry and other support to the military junta to desist from this and to join the international community in its efforts to bring about change for the better in Burma;

13.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the governments of the ASEAN nations, the National League for Democracy, the State Peace and Development Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.