91997E3679

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3679/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Council (19 November 1997)

Subject: State repression in Burma

On 28 October 1997 several arrests were made as members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) tried to hold a meeting in an office in the Mayangone township on the outskirts of the Burmese capital, Rangoon. The activists had planned to hold a meeting with their leader Aung Saan Suu Kyi but the security forces set up barricades to prevent them from gaining access to her.

At the time of writing, eight of those arrested are still in custody. Human rights organizations have expressed fears that they may have been tortured.

Has the Council been made aware of this incident? What action has it taken? Will it raise the ongoing incidents of suppression of peaceful activity in Burma at the next EU/ASEAN meeting? If such incidents continue, will the Council consider fresh economic sanctions against Burma?

Answer (19 March 1998)

On 6 October 1997 the Council of the European Union decided to extend for a new period of six months the Common Position on Burma. This Position was initially adopted on 28 October 1996 ((OJ L 287/96, 8.11.1996. )) and contains administrative sanctions such as restricting movement of all military personnel of Burmese diplomatic missions in the European Union, bans all military equipment sales to Burma, imposes visa restrictions for members of the ruling council and their relatives as well as it suspends all high-level talks between the European Union and officials of the regime. As it is considered unlikely that the recent replacement of some members of the Burmese leadership, the dissolution of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and the establishment of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) will lead to substantial changes, the policy of the Union remains for the time-being unchanged.

This policy is well known. The Union has on many occasions issued strong public statements deploring the human rights situation and the lack of democracy in Burma. Time and again the Union has urged the SLORC to enter into meaningful dialogue with all democratic opposition parties, including the National League for Democracy who had some of its members arrested on 28 October 1997.

The Union monitors closely the developments in Burma and underlines constantly with its international dialogue partners, especially the ASEAN States, the need for reform in Burma and the important role these countries have in pressuring the rulers in Rangoon to adopt change.

The Council bodies are currently reviewing the Common Position on Burma, adopted on 28 October 1996. There is a wide consensus in favour of renewal for a further period of six months from 29 April, on which date this Common Position expires. At present, the Council does not envisage additional measures such as economic sanctions.