Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-23-Speech-4-223"
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"en.20081023.27.4-223"2
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"Mr President, tomorrow’s Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Beijing affords an excellent opportunity for the attending Heads of State or Government of the European Union to once again raise the worrying situation of human rights in Burma.
Many lives are depending on these actions.
As already requested in a letter from Amnesty International, it would be absolutely appropriate for the President-in-Office of the Council, Nicolas Sarkozy, as joint chair of the ASEM, to express Europe’s very great concern about the more than 2 100 political prisoners and also to demand their immediate release.
Another source of concern is the current military offensive against the Karen populations in the east of the country, where the biggest military operation in a decade has taken place. The operation’s direct target is the civilian population and has led to the internal displacement of 150 000 people. In June 2006, Amnesty International proved that this type of practice did in fact constitute a crime against humanity.
Furthermore, as requested by Burma Campaign Spain and Burma Campaign International among others, the fundamental political problems will be discussed for the first time during the planned visit in December of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General has already recently visited the country on two occasions, following cyclone ‘Nargis’ earlier this year.
We have certainly never before had such a seemingly broad consensus among Europeans and Asians on combining forces and putting pressure on the regime to release all political prisoners. That is why the meeting which will begin tomorrow is so vitally important.
It is regrettable that the United Nations has for so long ignored, and sometimes even believed, the lies of the regime, as proven by the fact that, following 37 visits made by the UN Envoy, no significant progress has been observed.
That is why I must add my voice to those calling on both the European Heads of State or Government – obviously including the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – and the United Nations to show that they truly support a change in Burma. It is therefore vital that they call for the immediate release of those detained.
The opportunity available as from tomorrow must not therefore be lost and the Heads of State or Government must respond in line with expectations.
I trust that these Heads of State or Government, in particular President Sarkozy, will be able to rise to the occasion, that they will be particularly aware of the gravity of the situation and that they will act accordingly. If the European Union truly wants to be a credible political player, with a foreign policy based on the defence and promotion of human rights, and if it does not want to appear, as so often happens, to simply be serving the economic interests of major companies such as Total and Chevron, then this is the moment to prove it. It is in situations such as these that we can gain this credibility."@en1
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