Burma ruffles feathers in run up to EU-Asia summit

By Sarah Jenkins

Date: 30/09/04

BURMA'S human rights record is casting a shadow over the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) planned between the EU and its Asian partners next weekend (8-9 October).

The EU has warned Burma's military leaders that unless opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is freed by 8 October, the present sanctions against the regime in Rangoon will be intensified when EU foreign ministers meet on 11 October.

An EU diplomat said member states' officials were unable to agree on the extent of the sanctions at a meeting on 28 September but will strive to reach a deal today (30 September).

Proposals would see the visa ban list expanded to include serving members of the military at and above the rank of brigadier-general and their families and would prohibit EU-registered companies and organizations from making financing available to Burmese state-owned enterprises.

The EU has insisted that Burma should only be represented by a low-level ministerial presence at the ASEM summit in Hanoi.

But, according to a Council spokesman, "no one has any guarantees that a head of state will not show up". The summit is not in jeopardy but "a strong reaction by the EU" would be likely.

The Burmese Embassy in Paris says that as yet "the government has not issued anything" on who will lead the Burmese delegation to the summit.

The Netherlands Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was supposed to lead the EU delegation, in his capacity as head of the Dutch presidency, but because of his foot injury he is unable to attend. He will be replaced by Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, which takes over the presidency in January.

The Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot will also attend. Most EU states are expected to send a head of state or government.

The main issues on the agenda are economic cooperation between the EU and Asia and enlarging ASEM. Since the EU has enlarged by ten new states, the Asian side wants three new states admitted - Burma, Cambodia and Laos. But, according to a Council official, the issue of "ASEM enlargement has already been settled by decoupling it from EU policy on Burma in order not to put the summit in jeopardy".

Uncertainty over the summit and over Burma's inclusion in ASEM led to the cancellation of two previous EU-Asia meetings.

Preview of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on 8-9 October 2004. Due to its human rights record, the participation of Burma is regarded as problematic by the EU which plans to impose further sanctions on country officials.

European External Action Service: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) http://eeas.europa.eu/asem/index_en.htm

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