Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-04-Speech-3-297"
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"en.20001004.11.3-297"2
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". – I am delighted to say that I agree with you Mr President, and agree with the honourable Member.
The record of the Burmese regime remains appalling. Like Members of this House and decent civilised people the world over, the Commission deplores the continued violation of human rights by the military regime in Burma, in particular the extra-judicial killings, the widespread imposition of forced labour and forced displacement of local populations, as well as the repression of political opponents and the prevention of the free functioning of legitimate political parties.
The regime's treatment of the Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, is all of a piece with their treatment of the Burmese people. The dignity and courage with which she responds is an inspiration to all of us and a symbol of hope to the people of Burma of a brighter future.
I join with the honourable Member in expressing my admiration of Aung San Suu Kyi and her fellow members of the NLD. Today Aung San Suu Kyi is now under de facto house arrest. Even when this is relaxed, as we hope it soon will be, she will be far from free as we are now wearily familiar with the array of wholly unjustified restrictions that the regime maintains on her freedom of movement. These restrictions apply sometimes in an even more draconian way to the National League for Democracy. The NLD is a legal political party but it is subject to continual harassment and its members are routinely subject to arbitrary arrests.
I am particularly concerned by reports that party members, waiting with Aung San Suu Kyi at Rangoon station two weeks ago, were attacked and even chloroformed before being evicted from the station premises.
The Commission remains convinced that a lasting solution to the current situation must be based on agreement between the regime, the democratically elected opposition and the representatives of the ethnic minorities.
Aung San Suu Kyi has long pressed for such a dialogue. We continue to support fully the desire of the General Affairs Council to establish a meaningful political dialogue with Burma in order to express forthrightly the European Union's concerns and to press for change.
The agenda for the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting in Vientiane in December is due to include an open discussion on the situation in Burma with our ASEAN partners. It offers an opportunity to express our concerns firmly, directly and in detail to the representative of the SPDC. The EU's attitude towards that ministerial meeting in Vientiane and indeed, whether it should take place at all, or at what level the EU should be represented at it, will depend on developments in Burma between now and December. We will be watching developments closely but we should also be clear that the December meeting is about the EU's political relations with ASEAN as a whole. We do not want to permit the generals in Rangoon to be allowed to hold that relationship hostage. We are determined not to let the behaviour of the regime in Rangoon prevent us from developing our relations with the other nine members of ASEAN."@en1
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