Democracy groups banned from meeting... MEPs demand enquiry... "The Burma Campaign UK today condemned the European Commission for banning pro-democracy organisations from a European Union conference on democracy in Burma. EU ‘Burma Day?, held in Brussels on Tuesday 5th April, is meant to be discussing prospects for democratic change in military run Burma. Instead the Commission has packed the conference with anti-sanctions lobbyists, and banned Burmese activists and democracy organisations from taking part. Glenys Kinnock MEP called for the meeting to be abandoned. "I am deeply concerned that the Commission has organised a meeting on democracy in Burma in such an anti-democratic and blatantly biased manner. This initiative does, it seems, represent a clear shift in the EC's position on Burma and does not reflect the agreed position of the Council of the EU or of the European Parliament. This meeting should be abandoned and an enquiry held into its organisation. We deserve an explanation of why a small and unrepresentative band of anti-sanctions lobbyists have been given free reign, while at the same time pro-democracy groups and the Burmese community have been excluded. A belated invitation to the Director of the Euro-Burma Office to take part in a panel discussion reflects, in my view, a wish to provide the Commission with a fig leaf to cover what are crass and unacceptable proposals to engage with the military junta in Rangoon."..."