MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

14/11/2005

pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by AGNOLETTO on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on the situation in Burma

B6-0599/2005

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Burma

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma,

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

A.  whereas the people of Burma are subject to human rights abuses including forced labour, persecution of dissidents, conscription of child soldiers, rape of ethnic minority women and children by government troops, and forced relocation,

B.  whereas the Sixth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kildare in April 2004 laid down clear conditions for Burma's entry into ASEM, including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as a minimum condition, allowing the National League for Democracy (NLD) to operate freely, and starting genuine political dialogue with pro-democracy and ethnic groups in Burma; whereas none of these conditions has been fulfilled by the Burmese dictatorship,

C.  whereas, on 2 November 2005, the Burmese military dictatorship sentenced Hkun Htun Oo, Chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, to 90 years in prison, General Hso Hten, President of the Shan State Peace Council, to 106 years in prison and eight other Shan leaders to 70 years in prison each,

D.  whereas, in June 2005, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) decided to 'reactivate' the measures that it had adopted in June 2000 calling for members to review their relations (under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution) with Burma because of its continuing large-scale use of forced labour,

1.  Condemns the total disregard of the Burma dictatorship for Burmese people's human rights;

2.  Demands the immediate release of and full freedom of movement and expression for Aung San Suu Kyi, Hkun Htun Oo, General Hso Hten, other political leaders and all political prisoners held by the SPDC;

3.  Calls on the SPDC to initiate immediately a meaningful dialogue with the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic groups to bring about a return to democracy and respect for human rights, including ethnic minorities' rights;

4.  Insists that the EU Common Policy on Burma be strengthened immediately by

• (a)officially stating that the EU will not accept any outcome of the military's National Convention unless the minimum conditions laid down at the Sixth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kildare in April 2004 are met,
• (b)re-defining the prohibition on EU-registered companies in Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004 from 'investing in or extending loans to named Burmese state-owned enterprises' to 'entering into business contracts with named Burmese state-owned enterprises',
• (c)re-defining the prohibition on EU-registered companies in Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004 from 'named Burmese state-owned enterprises' to 'all Burmese state-owned enterprises',
• (d)alternatively, adding the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) to the list of prohibited companies in Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004,

5.  Deeply regrets the fact that the Government of Burma has not yet undertaken all the relevant measures to allow the Joint Government of the Union of Myanmar - International Labour Organization Plan of Action for the elimination of Forced Labour Practices in Myanmar to come into force;

6.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the ASEAN and ASEM member states, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD, the SPDC, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur for Burma.