The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its previous resolutions on Burma, in particular its resolutions of 16 September 1999(1) and 18 May 2000(2) ,

-  having regard to the two declarations of the EU Presidency on Burma (25 August 2000 and 2 September 2000),

A.  whereas it is 10 years since the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 392 of the 485 seats in Parliament in free and fair elections and whereas the elected Parliament, which is now represented by the CRPP, has still not been permitted to convene,

B.  whereas Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi has been trying for many years to restore democracy through peaceful means and has been awarded the Nobel and Sakharov prizes for her efforts,

C.  whereas in late August Burma's State Peace and Development Council officials barred a NLD delegation including Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi from meeting with NLD staff in Kungyangon,

D.  whereas the NLD members first refused to return to the capital and have lived on the roadside for several days, followed by their forced return to the capital, where according to Amnesty International Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues have been held incommunicado since 2 September,

E.  whereas at the end of March the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) documented the SPDC's maintenance of a system of forced labour without any sign of improvement, and adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against the Burmese Government,

F.  whereas the ILO Conference in Geneva voted on 14 June 2000 by 257 votes to 41, with 31 abstentions, to approve these measures against Burma but gave Burma four months to prove its willingness to abolish forced labour,

G.  whereas the regime agreed to the terms of an ILO mission to the country, which delays the implementation of these measures until 30 November 2000, when they will apply unless the regime demonstrates that it intends to fulfil in full the recommendations of the ILO's governing body,

H.  noting that the EU's efforts towards improving the situation through a dialogue with the Burmese authorities have remained unsuccessful, and regretting the recent readmittance of Burma to ASEAN and EU-ASEAN meetings,

I.  noting that the Council has still not responded to Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi's request to implement economic sanctions and has not taken any significant economic measures against the SPDC, and that the USA has already halted new investment in Burma,

J.  concerned by allegations that several Chinese military bases have been built on Burmese territory,

1.  Strongly condemns the violation of the freedom of movement, expression and assembly of the Secretary General of the National League for Democracy, the intimidation against her, the threats to the NLD's activities, her de facto house arrest since her return, and the fact that Western diplomats have not yet been allowed access to her;

2.  Requests that the Burmese authorities immediately allow freedom of movement for Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi and all citizens of Burma;

3.  Urges the Commission and the CFSP High Representative to make a determined effort to visit Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi;

4.  Calls on the SPDC to end its widespread practice of forced labour, which has been described by the ILO as a "crime against humanity", and the associated "human rights violations";

5.  Calls on the ILO to impose sanctions in November unless and until forced labour has been abolished in Burma;

6.  Urges the Burmese authorities to restore democracy and engage in dialogue with the opposition that could lead to national reconciliation in a united and democratic state;

7.  Calls on the governments of the ASEAN countries to persuade the SPDC to lift restrictions on the country's most prominent opposition leader and on the NLD members;

8.  Reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council, in cooperation with the USA, to implement economic sanctions against Burma and its exclusion from EU-ASEAN meetings, such as the December EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers" meeting, while making every effort within the UN to isolate Burma until democracy has been restored;

9.  Calls on the Commission and Council to offer assistance to Burmese refugees in Thailand, Malaysia and India;

10.  Calls on the Commission and Council to investigate the allegations with regard to Chinese military bases in Burma;

11.  Considers that the governments of the EU Member states should advise their citizens against visiting Burma as tourists, particularly because many tourist facilities have also been created using forced labour;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the EU and ASEAN Member States and the governments of Burma, India, China and Japan.

(1) OJ C 54, 25.2.2000, p. 111. (2) Texts Adopted, Item 21.