WRITTEN QUESTION E-2743/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Council (1 September 1997)

Subject: Need for EU sanctions against Burma

In late July 1997 Amnesty International issued a fresh report on human rights violations in Burma. Among other things, the report documented the abuses to which refugees along the Thai-Burma border are being subjected. It included testimonies of the tatmadaw (Burmese army) killing and torturing men it had kidnapped and forced to work as porters, if they did not perform their duties 'satisfactorily'. It also documented how state forces have shot villagers alleged to support armed resistance groups.

The EU has removed the tariffs of the generalized system of preferences (GSP) from Burma because of the persistent reports of abuses of human rights and democracy there. Given the fresh evidence that such abuses appear to be continuing unabated, will the Council consider imposing more comprehensive sanctions on Burma by restricting EU business there?

At the time of writing, Burma is about to be admitted to ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations. ASEAN has claimed that 'constructive engagement' with SLORC will lead to human rights improvements but this has been widely questioned.

To ensure that the human rights situation in Burma is closely monitored, what pressure will the Council put on SLORC to allow entry to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Burma? What steps will it take to ensure that investments from ASEAN, the EU and elsewhere do not exacerbate human rights violations and particularly that there is no investment in projects which use forced labour?

Has the Council investigated whether or not any EU-based companies, such as the French oil company total, have been involved in projects which used forced labour in Burma? If so, what steps has it taken and what steps does it propose to take?

Answer (22 December 1997)

1. The European Union shares the Honourable Member's concern about the human rights situation in Burma/Myanmar, including the problem of forced labour.

The European Union has constantly denounced these deplorable practices, most recently at the Ministerial Meetings of the ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) and ASEAN PMC (Post-Ministerial Conference), which were held on 27 and 28 July 1997 in Kuala Lumpur, where Burma was present as a new member of ASEAN.

2. The European Union is continuing to try and persuade the ASEAN countries to use their power to exert pressure on Burma in order to improve the situation in that country. The General Affairs Council on 26 June 1997 also concluded that the presence of Burma as a new member of ASEAN at the ARF and ASEAN PMC Ministerial Meetings in Kuala Lumpur did not prejudge in any way the possibility of Burma participating in the meetings organized as part of the EU-ASEAN bilateral dialogue.

3. At the same time, the European Union has implented a number of measures aimed at the SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) regime in power in Rangoon/Yangon. The Honourable Member mentioned the Council's decision to suspend the genralized preferences system; the Council also adopted a Common Position in October 1996 imposing administrative and visa restrictions on members of the Burmese military junta. This Common Position, which was originally for a period of six months, was initially extended in April 1997. At its meeting on 20 and 21 October 1997 the Council extended the Common Position for a further six months.