Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-04-Speech-4-254"
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"en.20030904.12.4-254"2
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"Mr President, I have had two opportunities to visit Burma since I became a Member of this House. On the first occasion I carried a letter from President Klaus Hänsch informing Aung San Suu Kyi of the award of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to her. Khin Nyunt, the current Prime Minister, played a central role in ensuring I did not have the opportunity to deliver that letter in person.
On the second occasion I was able to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi clandestinely. On that occasion my colleagues and I were able to obtain her clear support for sanctions against the military regime in Burma. I hope the Council and the Commission recognise that is the view of the National League for Democracy.
30 August marked three months of detention at the end of 13 years of open prison for Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the National League for Democracy. The State Peace and Development Council – the former SLORC – has harassed the people of Burma, the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi.
The last time she was visited was in July. On 31 August the United States reported she was on hunger strike. The regime denies that. If that is the case, the absolute minimum the authorities can do is to enable the international community to reassure itself of her wellbeing.
As for free and fair elections, the problem in Burma is not free and fair elections – those took place 13 years ago – but that the military regime is not prepared to accept the will of the Burmese people.
We welcome the fact that ASEAN started to get involved in this process at its ministerial meeting in June. We welcome the pressure they put on Burma and note that the current military regime has refused to allow them to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.
We demand her immediate release and that of all political prisoners, which would be a major step towards the restoration of democracy. We call on the Council and the Commission to show their readiness, in collaboration with the United States, to help facilitate the national reconciliation process in Burma. In the meantime, we ask the Council to introduce tough further measures targeted against the regime, its members and their interests. They should be imposing smart sanctions that hurt those people in power. We call on the Council and Member States to ask the United Nations Security Council to urgently address the situation in Burma."@en1
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