The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s statement calling for stronger EU sanctions, including targeting imports such as timber, gems and metals, and a future ban on new investment in Burma.
“The European Union promised tough sanctions if the regime used violence against peaceful protestors, but some countries have been resisting increasing sanctions,” said Mark Farmaner, Acting Director of the Burma Campign UK. “Until now the EU record on Burma has been pathetic, with little more than a shopping ban against the generals. If Gordon Brown has been able to secure EU sanctions that bite, then he has performed a minor miracle.”
The Burma Campaign UK dismissed suggestion that the santions will have little impact or may hurt ordinary people.
“The EU imports hundreds of millions of dollors worth of goods from Burma, and the regime depends on foreign exchange from this kind of trade to buy military equipement,” said Mark Farmaner. “These are sanctions that would hurt the generals while having little impact on most ordinary people in Burma. If sanctions don’t work, why is the regime calling on Aung San Suu Kyi to stop supporting them?”
EU members are committed to a common foreign policy on Burma. In theory, this could be highly effective, with all 27 EU members working together to help bring democratic reform in Burma. In fact, we are left with the lowest common denominator, and a weak and ineffective response that has had no impact on the regime. As all 27 EU members have to agree on sanctions or any issue, it only takes one country to say no, and then nothing happens.
The EU has been divided on how to deal with Burma. This division has meant that it is left without a strategy. A previous policy of gradually increasing pressure on the regime if there was no change, and relaxing pressure if there was positive change, is no longer being applied. A handful of countries, UK, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark, have favoured increasing pressure to various degrees. A handful of countries have opposed increasing pressure, and some even favour reducing existing measures taken by the EU. These are France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain and Poland. It is not known which policy positions all EU members are taking in the negotiations currently taking place, but France has said that it supports an investment ban.
The Burma Campaign UK also welcomed moves to create an economic incentive package if the regime does begin an irreversable process of democratic reform in the country, and called on the international community to give its full backing to the initiative.
PM statement on Burma
We cannot forget the images on our television screens of monks and ordinary citizens in Burma protesting; nor the death and human rights abuses we know are still taking place. Last week’s UN Security Council statement – the first ever formal statement on Burma – sent a powerful signal of the determination of the international community to support the Burmese people in their transition to democracy. As I have made clear, we will not turn away.
As UN Special Envoy Gambari returns to the region the Burmese regime must now take the opportunity to start a process of reconciliation with the opposition that includes Aung San Suu Kyi. They must end the violence and release political detainees. Burma must take clear steps towards the return of democracy. The Security Council should meet again to review the results. If progress is insufficient, the Council will need to consider further measures.
That is why I welcome the AVAAZ petition, addressed to the UN Security Council and signed by over 750,000 people. It sends a strong message that people all over the world will stand with the people of Burma.
Today the EU Foreign ministers will meet to reinforce international pressure. The UK will press for tough sanctions including on individuals and commodities like timber, gems and metals. We will also press for a ban on future investment linked to progress with the reconciliation talks.
Given the appalling record of the regime in turning guns on its own people, no country should want to supply it with weapons. We already have, with our EU partners, a complete arms embargo on Burma. We will review the implementation of the embargo with our partners to address any risk that arms or their components might be diverted or re-exported to Burma. We will also begin discussion with our partners about an UN arms embargo.
We will continue to work with regional powers such as China and India to support reconciliation and democracy. I am sending Ministers to the region to talk to China, India, Japan and other ASEAN countries.
And I want to be clear if this process of change begins we stand ready – as the international community – to support the recovery of Burma with aid and other support. I am writing today to the G7, Prime Minister Socrates, UN Secretary General Ban , Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Premier Wen Jiabao, the President of the World Bank and the Managing Director of the IMF, proposing an economic initiative that brings the UN, EU, China, India, ASEAN and IFIs together in support of recovery plan for Burma, conditional on progress with reconciliation and democracy.