The European Union and Burma as the Chair of the ASEAN

EUROPEAN BURMA NETWORK
Statement from the European Burma Network meeting at the offices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, 19-20 March 2005

Recalling that the European Union meeting in Ireland in April 2004 had set minimum standards in order for the EU to consider that the current National Convention convened by the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Burma, is democratic:

1. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of all political parties are released;
2. The National Convention procedures are modified and a time frame is established;
3. The National League for Democracy and other elected representatives are allowed to participate freely in the National Convention.

None of the minimum requirements set by the EU have been met.

Recalling that on 18 February 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that
- the National Convention in Burma in its present format does not adhere to the recommendations made by successive UN General Assembly resolutions; and
- for a genuine process of national reconciliation to take root, the views of the National League for Democracy and other political parties as well as representatives of all ethnic nationality ceasefire groups, must be sought and considered;

Recalling that the United States of America has stated that it will not participate in any ASEAN meeting that takes place in Rangoon;

The European Burma Network calls on the European Union to officially state that:

1. It will not accept any outcome of the SPDC sponsored National Convention unless the minimum democratic standards above are met;
2. It will not attend the Asia Regional Forum and ASEAN Post Ministerial Meetings if Burma chairs ASEAN in 2006, unless an accountable government is in place;

The European Burma Network is made up of Burma support groups from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The National Coalition Government of Burma (NCGUB), Karen National Union, Karen Service Team, New Economy Communications, and the Euro-Burma Office also took part in the EBN meeting and associate themselves with this statement.

Related news

• British MPs call for Aid to Victims of Conflict in Burma
• Campaign 
to 
Stop
 Rape 
& 
Gender 
Violence
• Democracy Activists remain in jail – Free Aye Aung!
• Investment and Trade in Burma
• Burma Sanctions Suspension – Timelines and Benchmarks Needed
• David Cameron Must Highlight On-going Human Rights Abuses In Burma
• UN Security Council Must Address War Crimes in Burma
• UK Must Not Abandon Burma’s Political Prisoners
• Make Burma end forced labour before dropping sanctions
• Karen People Worldwide Call for Genuine Peace and a Federal Union of Burma