Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has requested people not to come to Burma until there has been some progress towards reconciliation and democratization in Burma.

In order to make an informed decision about whether you should go to Burma or not, look at 'Burma' on the Tourism Concern website:

The European Union maintains a Common Position (EUCP) on Burma. Since first agreed in 1996 it has been reviewed and amended to reflect EU policy on prevailing political conditions in the country. The EUCP is routinely reviewed twice-yearly but can be reviewed earlier if deemed warranted. The current EUCP, agreed in April 2006, together with EU Council Regulation

- arms embargo on Burma,
- ban on financial loans and other investments in listed Burmese state-owned enterprises (not retrospective, does not prejudice existing contracts),
- visa ban on named senior military figures of the rank of Brigadier General and above, together with their families,
- assets freeze on named senior military figures and their families,
- suspension of non-humanitarian aid.

On July 28 2003 George W Bush, with near-unanimous support from both houses of Congress, signed into law the

and an accompanying executive order which imposes
- an arms embargo,
- a ban on the import of all Burmese products,
- a prohibition on the export of financial services,
- a targeted asset freeze,
- visa restrictions against the junta.

The US has recently passed legislation to allow resettlement of some ethnic, Karen refugees in the US.

was established in 1967 by five member countries; Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Membership has since been extended to include Brunei Darussalam (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Burma/Myanmar (both 1997) and Cambodia (1999).

ASEAN was launched with the release of ‘The ASEAN Declaration’, which states the aims and purposes of the Association include (i) to accelerate the econmic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (ii) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of States and Government re-affirmed that “Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN.”

The highest decision-making level in ASEAN is the ASEAN Summit, a meeting of the all member Heads of State and Government. There have been 10 ASEAN summits since the first in Bali 1976. Summits are now convened each year, with the most recent in Vientianne, Laos in November 2004. ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting are also held on an annual basis. Ministerial meetings on several other sectors are also held including agriculture and forestry, economics, energy, environment, finance, investment, labour and law. Supporting these ministerial bodies are 29 committees of senior officials and 122 technical working groups. In 2006, ASEAN members agreed that Burma should not assume the rotating chairmanship, which is presently held by the Philippines.

ASEAN’s position regarding the ongoing political and social turmoil in Burma and the consequent destabilising effect in the region is to use ‘constructive engagement’ with the regime based on a guiding principle of ‘non-interference in the internal affairs of a member state’. This policy stems from The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, signed at the First ASEAN Summit on 24 February 1976. It declared that in their relations with one another, ASEAN member states should be guided by the following fundamental principles:
· Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;
· The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion;
· Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
· Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
· Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and
· Effective cooperation among themselves.

ASEM (the Asia-Europe Meeting) was established in 1996 as an interregional forum between Asia and the European Union (EU) based on an informal process of dialogue and cooperation addressing political, cultural and economic issues. Membership comprised the 15 EU member states (in 1996), the European Commission and 10 Asian countries; Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. At the 5th ASEM summit in October 2004, membership was extended to 13 more countries; Cambodia, Laos and Burma from Asia and Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia from the newly expanded EU.

Under controversial circumstances Burma became a member at the 5th ASEM summit in October 2004, along with Laos and Cambodia, and continues to remain a source of tension within ASEM. Prior to the decision to grant membership, there had been some opposition among EU states to admitting Burma. In the 6th ASEM Foreign Ministers meeting in Kildare, Ireland in April 2004 this opposition had resulted in three minimum requirements being set for Burma’s participation, namely that,
- Aung San Suu Kyi and all detained political leaders be released,
- the National Convention re-convened in May 2004 be modified and a time frame established and
- the National League for Democracy be allowed to participate freely in the National Convention.
By October 2004 however, the EU members chose to waive these requirements when faced with the prospect that some Asian member would retaliate by blocking the proposed membership of the ten new EU members.

Following the Eighth ASEM Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which took place in Hamburg from 28th –29th May,2007, the Conference expressed its ‘deep concern on the lack of tangible progress in the declared transition towards a civilian and democratic government’ in Myanmar (Burma), and also called for ‘the early lifting of restrictions on political parties and the early release of those under detention, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.’

(ASEM enlargement in 2007 brought in India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Romania, Bulgaria and the ASEAN Secretariat, increasing ASEM’s constituency to a total of 45 partners.)

What positions have the European Parliament taken on Burma?

The European Parliament has in recent years consistently called for a strengthening of the EUCP on Burma including an import ban.

On the question of Burma’s admittance to ASEM.

[EP resolution on Burma/ASEM, 2005 ]

The National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory in the 1990 elections, winning 82% of the parliamentary seats. In the wake of the election results, the ruling military junta launched a systematic campaign to prevent the NLD from forming a government; offices were closed down, members harassed, and elected MsPs and senor officials arrested or forced to flee to Thailand. The junta also imprisoned NLD Chairman U Tin Oo and placed General Secretary Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.

was officially formed on December 18 1990. It is constituted by elected NLD and other MPs forced into exile and Dr Sein Win was declared Burma’s Prime Minister in exile. One of the founding principles was that the NCGUB would be dissolved once democracy and human rights are restored in Burma.

The NCGUB has called for,
- the release of all political prisoners,
- an end to human right abuses and
- the start of meaningful tripartite talks between the regime, the ethnic nationalities and duly elected political representatives, aimed at a timetabled transition to democracy and national reconciliation.
- Has supported the USA import ban, the EU Common Position and the formation of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus to try and resolve the political impasse in Burma.
- Has also called on the UN Secretary General to bring the issue of Burma to the UN Security Council under Article 99 of the UN Charter “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”.