32000E0346

Council Common Position

of 26 April 2000

extending and amending Common Position 96/635/CFSP on Burma/Myanmar

(2000/346/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Common Position 96/635/CFSP of 28 October 1996 on Burma/Myanmar(1) expires on 29 April 2000.

(2) There are severe and systematic violations of human rights in Burma, with continuing and intensified repression of civil and political rights, and the Burmese authorities have taken no steps towards democracy and national reconciliation.

(3) In this connection, the restrictive measures taken under Common Position 96/635/CFSP should be extended and strengthened.

(4) Action by the Community is needed in order to implement some of the measures cited below,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

Point 5(b) of Common Position 96/635/CFSP shall be replaced by the following:

"(b) introduces the following additional measures:

(i) in order to prevent the entry into, and transit through, the territory of the Member States by senior members of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Burmese authorities in the tourism sector, senior members of the military, the Government or the security forces who formulate, implement or benefit from policies that impede Burma/Myanmar's transition to democracy, no visas for entry or transit shall be issued to any persons, whose names are listed in the Annex and their families.

By agreement of all Member States, the ban on the issue of an entry visa for the Foreign Minister may be waived where it is in the interests of the European Union;

(ii) high-level bilateral government (Ministers and officials of political director level and above) visits to Burma/Myanmar will be suspended;

(iii) funds held abroad by persons referred to in (i) will be frozen;

(iv) no equipment which might be used for internal repression or terrorism will be supplied to Burma/Myanmar."

Article 2

Common Position 96/635/CFSP is hereby extended until 29 October 2000.

Article 3

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

Article 4

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 26 April 2000.

For the Council

The President

J. Gama

(1) OJ L 287, 8.11.1996, p. 1. Common Position as last extended by Common Position 1999/670/CFSP (OJ L 267, 15.10.1999, p. 1).

ANNEX

Persons to whom points 5(b)(i) and (iii) apply

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