EUROPEAN BURMA NETWORK:Meeting in Amsterdam Boxun News

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EUROPEAN BURMA NETWORK:Meeting in Amsterdam

(Sept. 22, 2004)EUROPEAN BURMA NETWORK:Meeting in Amsterdam, 11-12 September 2004

Burma and the European Union (boxun.com)

(published by Burma's Chinese)

The European Burma Network (EBN) is disappointed that the European Union agreed to the participation of Burma's dictators at the ASEM in Hanoi in October. None of the minimum requirements set by the EU in Dublin for Burma's participation have been met. Namely:

1. The release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of all political parties;

2. The National Convention procedures are modified and a time frame isestablished;

3. The National League for Democracy and other elected representatives areallowed to participate freely in the National Convention.

These are minimum standards required for the National Convention to be considered democratic. The EBN recommends the following additional measures to the European Union:

1. The position of individual EU countries attending ASEM must reflect the EU Common Position on Burma;

2. The EU suggest that an ASEM taskforce be formed to help the people of Burma resolve the political crisis through a 'Tripartite Dialogue' as proposed by the United Nations;

3. The EU must explicitly state that it will not accept any outcome of the SPDC sponsored National Convention unless these minimum democratic standards are met;

4. The EU must also explicitly state that it will not accept Burma's chairman ship of ASEAN in 2006 unless an accountable government is in place;

5. The EU's Common Position on Burma be strengthened as follows:

a) A ban on the import into the EU of goods and services provided by entities owned and/or operated by the Burmese military, military personnel and/or their relatives;

b) A ban on the import into the EU of strategically important goods that are a monopoly of the Burmese state, such as timber and gems;

c) Prohibit EU companies from entering into joint-ventures or contracts or doing business with the military and state-owned entities;

d) A ban on international financial transfers and transactions to or from Burma by citizens, official entities or EU registered companies;

e) A comprehensive ban on investing in Burma by all European companies and citizens;

f) Ensure that EU originated arms are not sold to Burma via third countries - i.e. Bulgaria, China, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan,Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Ukraine;

g) Formally put Burma on the agenda for the next EU-China, and EU-India meetings,

h) Adopt the same approach in all international bodies where EU member states act in a coordinated fashion, including the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the General Assembly, and any other relevant bodies;

i) Work with the UN Secretary-General to put Burma on the agenda of the UN Security Council - This especially applies to member states that have seats on the UN Security Council.

The EBN meeting took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 11-12 September 2004. Participants included 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, Karen Women's Organization, New Economy Communications, and the Euro-Burma Office also took part in the EBN meeting and associate themselves with the present Statement.

- Society for Endangered Peoples - Austria,

- Action Birmanie, Belgium,

- Burmese Association Bama Thahaya, Belgium,

- Danish Burma Committee,

- Campaign for Democracy in Burma, Finland,

- Finnish Burma Committee,

- Fin-Mon Association, Finland,

- Info-Birmanie, France,

- Burma Bureau, Germany,

- Burma Initiatives Asienhaus, Germany,

- Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma, Germany,

- Afrika-Azsia Forum Egyesulet, Hungary,