MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Burma - conduct of elections and the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
23.11.2010
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Sonia Alfano, Leonidas Donskis, Niccolò Rinaldi, Edward McMillan-Scott, Sarah Ludford, Frédérique Ries, Renate Weber, Marietje Schaake, Antonyia Parvanova, Adina-Ioana Vălean, Marielle De Sarnez, Kristiina Ojuland, Anneli Jäätteenmäki on behalf of the ALDE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0635/2010
B7‑0639/2010
European Parliament resolution on Burma - conduct of elections and the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma/ Myanmar,
- having regard to the Chair's statement of the eight Asia-Europe Meeting in October 2010,
- having regard to the statement made by High representative Catherine Ashton on behalf of the European Union on the elections in Burma/ Myanmar on 7 November 2010,
- having regards to the statement made by Ban Ki-moon in Bangkok on 26 October 2010,
- having regard to the report of UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar on 15 September 2010,
- having regard to the statement made by Aung San Suu Kyi on 13 November 2010,
- having regards to the statements made by H. Van Rompuy and C. Ashton on the release of Aung San Suu Kyi,
- having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the liberation of Aung San Suu Kyi, approximately 2200 political prisoners and more than 230 Buddhist monks remain in prison,
B. whereas the conclusions of the eighth Asia-Europe meeting reiterated the call for free, fair and inclusive elections,
C. whereas 10 000 Burmese refugees entered in Thailand the day after the elections due to a clash between Burmese army and ethnic rebel groups,
D. whereas the election has been conducted in a climate of fear, intimidation and resignation,
E. whereas the election laws of March 2010 have placed unfair restrictions on opposition parties and reserved a significant number of seats for the military,
1. urges the international community to continue its efforts to promote real change in Burma after the elections, to respect human rights and to commit to an inclusive political process,
2. strongly condemns the ongoing systematic violations of the human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic democratic rights of the people of Burma/Myanmar;
3. Condemns the ongoing censorship and limits to internet freedom,
4. strongly condemns the non-inclusive, participatory and transparent elections, based on rules that exclude all opposition parties but also ethnic and religious representation; condemns the voting irregularities, intimidation and repression, that have deprived thousands of Burmese citizens of their right to vote and stand for election,
5. strongly condemns the violence which erupted after widespread complaints of intimidation in the West, in the town of Myawaddy; and the violent fire exchange between Burmese military and ethnic rebels which forced around 15000 residents to cross the border with Thailand;
6. regrets the omission of a human rights reference in the closing remarks made by the President of European Council at the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting which concerned preferential economic relationships,
7. deeply regrets the rejection by Burmese authorities of all offers of technical assistance and monitoring services by UN; and condemns the hampering of efforts by foreign media to report from inside Burma;
8. despite the creation of the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) one year ago, regrets the lack of pressure made by the ASEAN and neighbouring countries on human rights issues and regrets its welcoming of the election as new development in realizing the seven-point roadmap for democracy which is itself a way of continuing political repression;
9. calls for coordinated sanctions over Burma/Myanmar;
10. welcomes the liberation of Aung San Suu Kyi following her imprisonment for over a decade and a half, and recalls that thousands of political prisoners remained detained in prison for exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression;
11. supports the will of Aung San Suu Kyi to cooperate with the Government in order to make the process of dialogue a success, and her fight for democratic solidarity and national unity by giving serious considerations to the interests and opinions of as broad range of political organizations and forces, in particular the ethnic minorities;
12. urges the newly elected Government to release all prisoners of conscience without delay, unconditionally and with full restoration of their political rights, and strongly urges the Government of Burma/Myanmar to lift restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, movement and expression, including for free and independent media;
13. condemns the fact that at least 9 newspapers and magazines have seen their publications postponed by the Press supervisory Council who claims the rules were not followed when the publications published a photo of the released of Aung San Suu Kyi;
14. supports the invitation addressed to Aung San Suu Kyi by President Buzek to attend the Sakharov Prize Ceremony in December in order to receive the Sakharov Prize that she obtained in 1990;
15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the EU Special Envoy for Burma/Myanmar, the Burmese State Peace and Development Council, the governments of the ASEAN and ASEM member states, the governments of Bangladesh and Russia, the ASEM Secretariat, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar.