MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

14/11/2005

tabled for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Konrad Szymanski
on behalf of the UEN group
on Burma/Myanmar

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B6-0606/2005

European parliament resolution on Burma/Myanmar

The European parliament,

• -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 18 may 2005,
• -having regard to Council Common Position 96/635/CFSP of 28 October 1996 defined by the Council on the basis of Article J.2 of the Treaty on European Union, on Burma/Myanmar, renewed and extended by Council Common Position 2005/340/CSFP of 25 April 2005,
• -having regard to the report Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar published by the Secretary General of UN on 10 October 2005,
• -having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
• A.whereas Burma remains on one of the most repressive countries in Asia, despite promises for political reform and national reconciliation by its authoritarian military government, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC),
• B.whereas the Burmese government denies the basic rights and freedoms of all Burmese and continues to attack and harass the winner of the 1990 elections, the National League of Democracy, and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest,
• C.whereas according to Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, widespread and systematic violations of human rights embrace keeping in jail for political reasons more than 1 100 people, including poets, journalists, monks, students and teachers,
• D.whereas no progress has been noted since 2003 when Myanmar government proposed the seven -point plan of democratisation,
• E.whereas the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy, Rizali Ismail has not been allowed back into Burma since march 2004 and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro since November 2003,
• F.whereas a number of human relief organizations has left the country because of problems with bureaucratic obstacles, fees, restrictions on travels and import of supplies and equipment,

1.  Condemns the total disregard of the Burma dictatorship for the welfare of the people of Burma;

2.  Condemns the Burmese military's brutal campaign against ethnic groups involving forcible relocations;

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.  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)encouraging a blanket prohibition on EU-registered companies in Regulation (EC) No 1853/2004 from making new investments or extending loans to named Burmese state-owned enterprises;

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, respect for human rights and the rule of law;

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.  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, respect for human rights and the rule of law;

11.  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.