Resolutions adopted by the General

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Subject: Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of European NGDOs,  11-12 April 1997

Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of European NGDOs, 11-12 April
1997

Resolution 2: Situation in Burma

Source: Liaison News: NGO news on North-South action in the EU no. 27, May
1997



The General Assembly of European development NGOs, meeting in Brussels on
11-12 April 1997:

Recalling the Press Release of the European Commission, of October 11 1996,
which expressed concern at the continuing deterioration of the situation in
Burma and deplored in particular the practise of torture, summary arrests,
forced displacements of the population and restriction of the fundamental
rights of freedom of speech, movement and assembly;

Recalling also the Resolution of the European Parliament of 22 October,
which noted that all foreign direct investment in Burma, and in particular
investment by EU firms, has to be made via joint ventures with companies or
financial institutions which are entirely in the hands of the Burmese
military;

Recalling that the Resolution also noted that Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sakaharov Prize and democratically elected
leader of the Burmese people, has called on the international community to
implement economic sanctions against the SLORC;

Recalling that the Resolution also called on the Council to respond to Aung
San Suu Kyi?s request that the EU implement economic sanctions against the
SLORC by ending all links between the European Union and Burma, in
particular trade, tourism and investment in Burma by European Companies;

Welcoming the recommendations of the European Commission to suspend trade
advantages Burma receives under the European Union?s Generalised System of
Preferences (GSP) for industrial and agricultural products, following its
investigation into the widespread use of forced labour in Burma;

Deeply concerned at the lack of progress at the level of the Council to
implement the recommendations of the European Parliament:

Calls on the Council of Ministers and the Governments of member states:

To promote the immediate initiation of dialogue between the SLORC, the NLD,
and the leaders of the ethnic nationalities in order to end internal
conflicts and lead to a new constitution and democratic government; to call
as part of the above for the immediate release by the SLORC of all
political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and full respect for human
rights;

To act on the European Parliament Resolution calling for the implementation
of economic sanctions against the SLORC by ending all links between the
European Union and Burma, in particular trade, tourism and investment in
Burma by European companies, and to promote this policy within the UN
Security Council.