Former President Václav Havel and Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg will open a conference on the European policy towards Burma after the elections in 2010
Prague, 15th February 2011: The Czernin Palace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic will host a conference today entitled „Elections in Burma/Myanmar and European Policy“, starting from 9:30 in the morning. The conference will be inaugurated with opening remarks by Karel Schwarzenberg, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and Václav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic, and will be attended by representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs of the European Union countries, representatives of European institutions, members of the European Parliamentary Caucus on Burma (EPCB), as well as by representatives of several European civil society organizations active on Burma who will have gathered in Prague for the Euro Burma Network (EBN) meeting. The event is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic in cooperation with People in Need organization.
In November 2010 Burma held first elections in 20 years. In April 2011 the European Union Member States will review the EU Common Position towards Burma. The discussion in Brussels now evolves around the topic of whether the elections have changed significantly the political space in one of the most repressive countries of the world. The conference is a space for discussion on the post-election situation in Burma and what position the European Union and its Member States should take towards the new government.
European organisations promoting human rights and democracy in Burma united in European Burma Network (EBN) have prepared a statement for the event in which they highlight their recommendations to the European governments. “The most important message we want to send is that Europe should not fall under the impression that elections in Burma are a step towards democracy. Burmese ruling generals have designed the process with the aim to maintain the power in their hands,” stated Eva Homolková, Head of Burma Projects of People in Need organization, one of the EBN members.
In its statement the organizations are asking the EU to demand the release of all political prisoners and the end to human rights abuses in the country; to maintain and truly monitor the imposed sanctions; to increase the aid going to Burmese independent civil society and to cross-border cooperation. In the last point the EBN asks to follow the advice of UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar and pressure for establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry which is the only way to end impunity in Burma and prevent further violence.
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On Monday February 14, 2011 a one-day meeting of the European Parliamentary Caucus for Burma (EPCB) was held. The EPCB was founded in June 2008 to raise European awareness of Burma and promote human rights and democracy and produces a set of recommendations for the conference. Currently it gathers 125 Parliamentarians from 18 European countries. Estonian Member of Parliament Silver Meikar has visited Burma and met with some representatives of the civil society. “I know the situation on the ground and from what we know about the election process and the constitution which came into force with the elections Burma is not taking a step towards democratic development but only changing the façade. In order to start real democratic changes a dialogue with the genuine stakeholders – that is the National League for Democracy and other non-parliamentary parties, civil society and representatives of the ethnic groups – and the ruling junta needs to be started. And international community cannot contribute via “wait and see” policy,” Silver Meikare stated. The statement of the EPCB includes recommendations for establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry as well as the need to keep sanctions in place including the visa ban list.
(Vaata ka: http://www.epcb.eu/)
