The Burma Campaign UK today described Mondays meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers as crucial in deciding whether the EU will ever be able to agree tough action on Burma.
At last month’s meeting Foreign Ministers failed to agree tough action in response to the May 30th arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and crackdown on the democracy movement. Instead ministers brought forward limited sanctions already planned for introduction in October. The toughest of these was a widening of a visa ban. The British government has responded to criticism of the EU’s weak response by stressing they were an ‘initial response’.
“Monday is D-day for EU action on Burma,” says John Jackson, Director of the Burma Campaign UK. “If they can’t agree on sanctions this time, with the regime massacring its own people and Aung San Suu Kyi and the rest of the National League for Democracy under arrest, then they probably never will.”
Germany, France and Italy are believed to be reluctant to take action against Burma’s dictatorship, while the British government has been pushing for a tougher EU line. In effect, Germany is dictating British policy on Burma.
The Burma Campaign UK and other European Burma campaign groups have been lobbying the EU to impose investment sanctions against Burma. The US imposed a ban on new investment in 1997.
If EU Foreign Ministers fail to agree tough action this time the British government will face increasing pressure to take action unilaterally. Already 235 M’s have signed Early Day Motion 1311, which calls on the UK to impose investment sanctions unilaterally if the EU fails to act. The Conservative Party is also backing sanctions.
“To date when the EU acts together on Burma it fails to act sufficiently,” says Jackson. “If they fail again, Britain has two options. It can impose investment sanctions unilaterally, and it can bypass obstructive European neighbours by putting Burma on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.”
Europe’s soft line on Burma contrasts sharply with that of the United States, which already has a ban on new investment and is expected to impose a complete ban on imports from Burma in the next few weeks.
For more information contact John Jackson, Director of Burma Campaign UK,or Mark Farmaner, Media Officer, on 020 7281 7377