CSW Applauds European Parliament Resolution on Burma over Human Rights
CSW expressed support for yesterday’s resolution by the European Parliament and urged the United Nation and the European Union to take measures that would lead to democracy in Burma.
A U.K.-based Christian religious freedom organization supportive of yesterday’s resolution by the European Parliament is urging the United Nation and the European Union to take measures that would lead to democracy in Burma.
"We warmly welcome and strongly support the European Parliament's resolution,” said Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
The European Parliament on Nov. 17 passed a resolution calling on the U.N. Security Council to take action to facilitate democracy in Burma and the European Union to prohibit European companies from making new investments in the country. The resolution condemned Burma’s military regime – the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) – for human rights violations including forced labor, forced enrollment of child soldiers, rape of ethnic minority women and forced relocation.
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“For too long the international community, including the EU, has failed to act to bring an end to the gross violations of human rights in Burma, which amount to crimes against humanity,” said Thomas.
Irish MEP Simon Coveney, a member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, strongly denounced the SPDC for its “total disregard for the welfare of the people of Burma” after his recent visit to the Thai-Burmese border with CSW.
The European Parliament, in particular, called for a high-level EU envoy to work for the release of Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, as well as to “develop a comprehensive EU strategy on Burma to enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to the people of Burma and bring about a transition to democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.”
Furthermore, the resolution urged the EU to strengthen its Common Position on Burma immediately, by “encouraging a blanket prohibition” on any new investments or loans to Burmese state-owned businesses by EU-registered companies.
"I hope that the passing of this resolution by all of the political groups in the European Parliament will make a strong statement that the Burma issue must become a priority for the international community,” said Coveney. “We are close to achieving success in bringing Burma before the United Nations Security Council and if this motion encourages further progress toward that aim it will have been successful."
The resolution also strongly advises the EU to officially announce that it will not accept any outcome of the regime’s National Convention, to be resume early next month, unless minimum conditions, such as the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and communications with pro-democracy and ethnic groups, are met.
CSW’s Chief Executive concluded: “We hope that EU governments will take note of the recommendations in the European Parliament's resolution, and will bring the issue of Burma to the urgent attention of the U.N. Security Council. We urge the United Kingdom to use its final month of Presidency of the EU, and its Presidency of the U.N. Security Council, to take action to bring dialogue and democracy to Burma.”
