Reuters-EU tightens sanctions on My

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Subject: Reuters-EU tightens sanctions on Myanmar

EU tightens sanctions on Myanmar
05:58 p.m Oct 26, 1998 Eastern

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The European Union tightened sanctions on
Myanmar on Monday, voicing concern at its failure to promote democracy and
human rights.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, extended existing sanctions
against the Southeast Asian country, adopted in October 1996 and due for
renewal this week.

They include the expulsion of military personnel attached to Myanmar
diplomatic missions in the EU, an arms embargo, a ban on entry visas to the
country's leaders and the suspension of non-humanitarian aid and of
high-level government visits.

The ministers also widened the visa ban by including transit visas under the
ban and extending it to cover Myanmar tourism officials, an EU statement
said.

It said the 15-nation EU would rigorously apply the visa ban to members of
the ruling State Peace and Development Council and members of the military,
as well as their families.

The ministers supported the view of Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel
Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi that ``in the present situation, it is
inappropriate for tourists to visit Burma (Myanmar),'' the statement said.

The ministers did not however adopt a ban on new investment or bar EU
companies from providing services to Myanmar's ruling council -- measures
that had been discussed.

After considering the ``deteriorating internal situation'' in Myanmar,
ministers remained ``deeply concerned at the lack of a positive response
from the Burmese authorities to the repeated calls for them to take steps
towards the promotion of democracy and human rights, and of national
reconciliation,'' the statement said.

The ministers decided that, although Myanmar has become a member of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the EU would not allow
Myanmar to join a cooperation agreement between the EU and ASEAN.

Due to the importance they placed on the EU's relationship with ASEAN,
however, the ministers said they would accept the presence of Myanmar
representatives at the next meeting of a joint committee held under the
cooperation agreement.

But the ministers said Myanmar's participation in future such meetings would
depend on an improvement in the human rights situation.

Myanmar's ruling generals refused to recognise the results of the country's
last general election in May 1990, which was won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy.