EU refuses to lift Myanmar sanctions until human rights issues addressed

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN : The European Union will not lift its sanctions against Myanmar nor discuss a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations until the Myanmar government solves human rights violations and substantially promotes democracy.

The EU made its stance clear during the 19th Asean-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brunei yesterday. Asean repeated its call for the EU to lift its sanctions against Myanmar permanently instead of suspending them for a year.

"The EU stated that it still wants to see such changes in Myanmar as solutions to ethnic problems and human rights violations and the release of political prisoners. However, it is happy that Asean and the EU have their constructive talks and create chances of their partnership," a source said. In the meeting, the EU is interested in its trade and investments with Asean. It mentioned the value of its trade with Asean that reached US$221 billion last year and was higher than the value of its trade with China.

However, the EU still disagrees with Asean's repeated request for it to seal a free trade agreement with Asean. The EU wants to monitor the political progress of Myanmar and at this moment, the EU prefers to discuss free trade with individual countries in Southeast Asia, the source said.

During the meeting in Brunei, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul held talks with his British counterpart William Hague. Britain is offering assistance to Myanmar and in the talks Mr Surapong expressed Thailand's intention to take part in the assistance in the fields of agriculture, health and education.

On the same occasion, the EU granted 20 million euros or about 820 million baht to Asean to fund a project to integrate Southeast Asian markets as well as disaster relief, energy, science, innovation, technology and information projects of Asean. The meeting also endorsed an action plan for Asean-EU cooperation from 2013 to 2018.


(2012-04-28/bangkokpost)