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European Union to increase humanita
- Subject: European Union to increase humanita
- From: darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 08:33:00
European Union to increase humanitarian aid to Myanmar
AP, Bangkok, 21 July 2000 The European Union will give military-ruled
Myanmar more humanitarian
aid sometime down the road, the French ambassador to Thailand said Friday.
French Ambassador Christian Prettre said the EU is considering including
Myanmar, now under
sanctions, in an agreement with Laos and Cambodia that provides assistance,
especially technical and
humanitarian aid.
Such inclusion would provide a framework for increased aid, but Prettre did
not say when it might
come, or if it depended on changes in the repressive state also known as
Burma.
A ''troika'' of EU representatives will make a second visit to Myanmar to
hold talks on issues of
concern, he said. A date is not set.
The EU limits relations with Myanmar's government to protest its poor human
rights record and failure
to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
EU foreign ministers toughened sanctions on Myanmar in April, saying the
government has intensified
repression of civil and political rights.
In 1998, the EU banned visits by Myanmar officials, withdrew trade
privileges and imposed an arms
embargo. To that was added a ban on equipment ''that might be used for
repression'' and a freeze on
funds held abroad by members of the regime.
The United States maintains similar policies.
At ministerial-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
in Bangkok next week, the
EU will sit down with Myanmar representatives, something it has refused to
do at forums it hosts.