MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
14.11.2005
by Frithjof Schmidt, Raul Romeva, Hélène Flautre
on behalf of the Green/EFA Group◄►
◄on Burma►
B6-0602/2005
European parliament resolution on Burma
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Chairman's Statement of the Sixth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held in Kildare from 17 to 18 April 2004,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, in particular those of 11 April 2002, 13 March 2003, 5 June 2003, 4 September 2003, 11 March 2004, 16 September 2004, and 12 May 2005,
– having regard to the joint statement of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta on 10 March 2005,
– having regard to the resolution on the human rights situation in Burma adopted at the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the United Nations General Assembly,
– having regard to the Chairman's Statement of the Seventh ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Kyoto from 6 to 7 May 2005,
– 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 and pillage by government troops, and forced relocation,
B. whereas under its 'Four Cuts' strategy the Burmese military practices ethnic cleansing and genocidal-type activities against the population in the seven ethnic states of Burma,
C. 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,
D. whereas none of these conditions has been fulfilled by the Burmese dictatorship,
E. whereas the National Convention in Burma will be reconvened in December 2005,
F. 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,
G. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004 does not include the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) in the list of prohibited companies, and whereas, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, gas exports from Burma were worth US$ 987 million in 2003/4,
H. 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,
I. whereas, the report commissioned by former Czech President Vaclav Havel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, "Threat to Peace - A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in Burma", clearly demonstrates the need for UN Security Council action,
1. Condemns the total disregard of the Burma dictatorship for the welfare of the people of Burma;
2. Condemns the Burmese military's campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide against several major ethnic groups fighting for autonomy;
3. Condemns the secret trials and lengthy prison terms for the Shan leaders;
4. 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;
5. 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 and state rights in Burma;
6. Calls on the UN Security Council to address the situation in Burma as a matter of urgency and to empower the UN Secretary-General to mediate in Burma in order to bring about national reconciliation and a transition to democracy;
7. 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;
7. Calls for a high-ranking EU envoy to be appointed to work towards securing the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Hkun Htun Oo and other political leaders, and to develop a comprehensive EU strategy on Burma to enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to the people of Burma and bring about a transition to democracy in Burma;
8. 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;
9. Urges all members of the ILO within the EU to seriously review their relations, under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, with Burma as called for by the ILO;
10. 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.