Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-11-25-Speech-4-371"
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"en.20101125.30.4-371"2
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"Madam President, like all of us, I would like to pay homage to Aung San Suu Kyi, whose freedom has just been restored. Awarded the Nobel Prize and Parliament’s Sakharov Prize, she remains a symbol of fortitude and hope for the better future which the people of her country deserve.
It is essential that Aung San Suu Kyi has unrestricted freedom of movement and speech. It is equally essential that all remaining political prisoners be set free – more than 2 000 of them, according to Mr Posselt and Mr Preda. This would allow for a credible transition to a more inclusive system of government.
Burma/Myanmar has seen elections which were not up to international standards, notably as far as conditions for competing opposition parties were concerned. However, the fact that civil society could partially organise itself politically is welcome, notwithstanding the difficulties. We acknowledge the decision of certain opposition parties not to participate, but also the fact that some other parties, including from ethnic groups, did participate. Their resolve to seize what they saw as an opportunity was commendable.
Elections in themselves do not make a country democratic. Nevertheless, they can offer the opportunity for a new beginning and they do, at least, introduce a degree of pluralism into the system. In spite of the evident flaws, if the elections mark the beginning of a positive process, this will be a welcome development.
We have repeatedly said that the EU was willing to engage with the government in order to use the opportunity of elections to begin a new and positive phase in the history of the country. From now on, we need to observe closely how accountable the new parliament and government will be to society; whether the new institutions will ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and whether they will deliver better policies to improve the economic and social situation of the citizens.
To improve the human rights situation in the country, a meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders must be established. Such a dialogue should usher in – apart from the long overdue transition to a civilian, legitimate and accountable system of government – a political system based on the rule of law and on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The EU has repeatedly stated that it stands ready to support such a process.
We will continue to use all the means at our disposal – dialogue and engagement, United Nations channels and restrictive measures, but also assistance – to help persuade the new government to improve its record. Human rights aspects are built into our aid programmes. Moreover, we seek links with civil society and parts of the administration and we will try to engage with the government on its responsibilities for attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Promoting our values – namely human rights, development and dialogue – is, and will remain, the cornerstone of our policy."@en1
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