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EU foreign ministers "deeply concer



EU foreign ministers "deeply concerned" about situation in Myanmar

Mon 05 Oct 98 - 19:07 GMT 

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 5 (AFP) - European foreign ministers expressed "deep concern"
Monday about the "deteriorating political and human rights  situation" in
Myanmar, and urged authorities in Yangon to "take steps towards democracy and
national reconciliation."

"There have been hundreds of political prisoners taken there," said Austrian
Foreign Minister Wolfgang Scheussel, whose country chairs the EU.

A statement issued after the ministerial meeting said the EU "is actively
considering further political steps to  underline its concern."

"The EU recalls its condemnation of the detention of opposition activists,
including elected representatives to the parliament," said the statement.

"It reiterates its call for the lifting of all restrictions on the freedom of
movement of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the immediate release of all political
detainees in Burma."

Britain has proposed that the EU formally adopt London's policy of
discouraging tour operators from offering holidays in Myanmar, while calling
for an extension of a visa-ban on junta members to cover lower-ranking
officials.

But no decision on that was to have been taken at Monday's meeting here, and
Britain is hoping it can influence the debate when the ministers meet on
October 26 to review the EU's two-year-old sanctions against the junta in 
Yangon.

©AFP 1998

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