The European Union suspended for a year most sanctions against Burma on Monday, while also adopting new ones against the Syrian government.Â
The European Union's move to suspend sanctions against Burma follows a chain of political reforms by the ruling party -- and a declaration by Washington that it'll also ease sanctions. Suspending sanctions for a year, in preference to dropping them altogether, gives the european leverage to pressure the Burmese government to adopt more reforms.
That message was sounded by British Foreign Secretary William Hague in remarks to reporters before meeting along with his European counterparts in Luxembourg.
"i believe that it is the right thing to do," Hague said. "Great progress is being made in Burma, but we remain very occupied with conflict and human right abuses in some ethnic areas in Burma, particularly in Kachin state. There are still political prisoners and there's a dispute about swearing in of opposition members to the parliament. So, i believe all this illustrates why it'd be right to suspend and never lift entirely the sanctions," he said.Â
The EU's decision was expected, particularly following a joint appeal from British Prime Minister David Cameron and Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The prevailing EU sanctions target hundreds of companies and individuals in Burma and affect some international development aid.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told journalists she is going to travel to Burma later this week.
"i will be there next weekend that will deliver the messages from this [European] Council and likewise to open the eu Union office that we've got there," she said.
The EU ministers also agreed to tighten sanctions against the govt in Syria, where bloodshed continues despite this month's cease-fire agreement.
The new measures target Syrian imports of luxury goods and so-called dual-use products like fertilizers that the federal government could use to continue its repression. The turmoil in Syria, now entering its second year, is estimated to have greater than 9,000 people.
From WhatNewsToday.net
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