EU Extends Sanctions against Burma

April 23, 2007 — The European Union extended diplomatic and economic sanctions against Myanmar by another year, saying Monday that the country was making no "tangible progress" in improving its shaky human rights record.

The military in Burma, took power in 1988 after violently suppressing mass pro-democracy protests. It held a general election in 1990, but refused to recognize the result after a landslide victory by the party led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, restated their plea for national reconciliation and extended Europe's sanctions against Burma -- first imposed in 1996 -- for another year as required by EU rules.

The sanctions include a ban on travel to Europe for top government officials, an assets freeze and a ban on arms sales to the Asian country.

The EU ministers said in a statement that the bloc "continues to be concerned by serious violations of human rights" and restrictions on the work of domestic and international human rights organizations in Burma.

Source: The Irrawaddy

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