EU rewards Burma reforms by lifting some sanctions

 

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Listen and hear. Or meet us in Tahrir

Today Tahrir Square is not the scene of demonstrations against the military. Instead, it is a centre...

Crimbos? We could be heading for EastEnders gone mad

The whole point of the Asbo was to prevent anti-social characters wreaking havoc in local communitie...

The Debate: Should brothels be legalised?

While some will hold the sex workers should be respected in their resistance to the upheaval, it is ...

Taking away benefits from heroin users won’t solve anything

It was reported today that Ian Duncan Smith is threatening to stop heroin addicts from being able to...

The European Union has rewarded Burma for a "remarkable" flurry of moves towards political reform by easing some sanctions against the regime.

In a move that could lead to more comprehensive sanctions being dropped, the EU's foreign ministers said they were lifting a visa ban on the President, Vice-Presidents, cabinet ministers and parliamentary speakers.

"The council welcomes the remarkable programme of political reform undertaken by the government and parliament in Burma, together with its commitment to economic and social development," the ministers said in a statement. "These changes are opening up important new prospects for developing the relationship between the EU and Burma."

In recent months, the Burmese leadership has implemented changes that surprised even the most sceptical observers. High-profile political prisoners were freed and the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party was registered to take part in by-elections. While a number of prisoners remain behind bars, most campaigners have been encouraged by the developments.

Burmese authorities, led by President Thein Sein, have called on the West to respond to these initiatives and have been rewarded with a series of visits from senior diplomats.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Mr Thein Sein said he hoped for a complete rapprochement, adding: "The US and the EU have had economic sanctions on our country. It has been [for] nearly 20 years now. I would like to see them ease ... and eventually get rid of the sanctions."

The softening towards Burma is a dramatic reversal for the EU, which has put sanctions on 419 officials and more than 900 entities in protest at the regime's record of repression. As well as the visa ban, the EU has imposed an arms embargo, a ban on the sale of goods linked to internal repression, and suspended certain development aid programmes. The sanctions are renewed every April.

This year many nations will be lobbying for the restrictions to be eased to enable European companies to compete with the Chinese, South Korean, Indian and Thai businesses which dominate trade with Burma. By then, Burma will have held a series of by-elections, which Ms Suu Kyi will contest. If the polls are deemed to be fair and Ms Suu Kyi and others candidates from her National League for Democracy (NLD) secure seats, there will be even greater pressure on EU member countries to act.

But some observers believe Burma has not yet done enough to warrant sanctions being dropped. Mark Farmaner, of the Burma Campaign UK, said: "There have been changes but so far no reforms. Political prisoners have been released but the laws are still there for which they were jailed in the first place."

Ms Suu Kyi believes the embargoes should remain for now. In a separate interview with the Washington Post, she said: "The US has laid out very clearly what the conditions are for the removal of sanctions. If [the Burmese] government wants sanctions to be removed, they will have to try and meet those conditions."

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

In pictures: Royal Stamps of approval

Royal Stamps of approval

Royal Mail's Diamond Jubilee tribute
GB’s Beach Volleyball squad ‘stop traffic’

Beach Volleyball team 'stop traffic'

GB squad promotes TfL's Get Ahead of the Games campaign
Andreas Whittam Smith: Authenticity is a great asset in a leader. David Cameron lacks it

Andreas Whittam Smith

Authenticity is a great asset in a leader. David Cameron lacks it
Back in the thick of it... Alastair Campbell returns to work as a spin doctor

Back in the thick of it... Alastair Campbell returns to work as a spin doctor

Labour's master of media manipulation is back in the PR business
Supermarkets accused of ripping off shoppers with 'misleading' offers

Supermarkets accused of ripping off shoppers with 'misleading' offers

Which? survey reveals that buying single items can often be cheaper than attractive-looking multipack promotions
The art of industrial espionage

The art of industrial espionage

Corporate investigation may lack the glamour of Bond and Bourne, but the two worlds aren't so far removed...
From fashion to film: Jean Paul Gaultier on his week as a Cannes juror

Jean Paul Gaultier: From fashion to film

The fashion designer discusses his week as a Cannes juror
Therapist who tried to 'cure' me of being gay thrown out – but the system is still broken

Therapist who tried to 'cure' me of being gay thrown out...

... but the system is still broken, says Patrick Strudwick
In a Sudanese field, cluster bomb evidence proves just how deadly this war has become

In a Sudanese field, cluster bomb evidence proves just how deadly this war has become

Aris Roussinos speaks to the villagers demanding UN help
'I don't want it to be boring': Former circus producer reveals plans for Diamond Jubilee river parade

Diamond Jubilee river parade

Former circus producer Adrian Evans reveals his plans for the Thames Pageant
VIP treatment: Life is golden in the Olympic fast lane

VIP treatment: Life is golden in the Olympic fast lane

As the rest of us get used to being also-rans in the race for tickets, a chosen few are preparing to enjoy nothing but the very best of London 2012
Forest guards told to shoot poachers on sight after rash of tiger killings

Forest guards told to shoot poachers on sight after rash of tiger killings

India hits back against hunters who sell body parts to Asia for use in traditional medicines
Mining tycoon beats Wal-Mart heiress to title of richest woman

Mining tycoon beats Wal-Mart heiress to title of richest woman

Industrialist Gina Rinehart earns £32m a day from her Australian iron-ore concerns
Language: The cussing room floor

Language: The cussing room floor

Ken Loach is the latest director to complain about censorship. The rules on swearing are so arbitrary, it's no wonder he's effing and blinding
The 10 best car gadgets

The 10 best car gadgets

From a wide-angle HD camera to a satnav that shows you real-time images of the road ahead...