THE European Union's decision to relax certain restrictions on non-military members of Burma's new government has prompted a flurry of rebuttals. An EU Council meeting on Tuesday suspended travel and financial restrictions on four ministers for one year.
Those affected included Wunna Maung Lwin, the Foreign Minister, and 18 vice-ministers in Burma's new government. The EU Council also decided to lift a ban on high-level official visits to Burma.
The decisions have been interpreted as significant and are seen as the first easing of EU measures against Burma since sanctions were introduced in 1996. Yet groups such as Burma Campaign UK, which has a sister organisation in Australia, have denied the decisions can be seen as an easing of restrictions, noting that the council renewed its main tranche of restrictive economic sanctions for 12 months.
Australia has not imposed trade sanctions on Burma, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website notes that Australia maintains an arms embargo, along with targeted financial and visa sanctions, against "members of the regime" and its supporters and associates.
Non-humanitarian development assistance and government-to-government links have also been suspended.
"We are watching closely Burma's political process and will calibrate our sanctions accordingly," a DFAT spokesperson said last night.
"We will take into account the views of all relevant stakeholders, including (Nobel laureate and democracy advocate) Aung San Suu Kyi, to ensure the continued effectiveness of our approach."
Last year's elections in Burma have been roundly condemned as a sham and the new civilian government as a front for military interests, but business interest has been sharpened by the changed nature of the new government.
Sworn in on March 30, the putatively civilian administration ended almost five decades of military rule, but many of the government's ministers are serving or recently retired military officers.
In renewing restrictive measures for 12 months, the EU Council nevertheless repeated its "willingness to encourage and respond to improvements in governance and progress in the hope that the greater civilian nature of the government will help in developing much-needed new policies".
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/eu-lifts-some-travel-sanctions-on-burma/story-e6frg6so-1226038718021?from=public_rss
Those affected included Wunna Maung Lwin, the Foreign Minister, and 18 vice-ministers in Burma's new government. The EU Council also decided to lift a ban on high-level official visits to Burma.
The decisions have been interpreted as significant and are seen as the first easing of EU measures against Burma since sanctions were introduced in 1996. Yet groups such as Burma Campaign UK, which has a sister organisation in Australia, have denied the decisions can be seen as an easing of restrictions, noting that the council renewed its main tranche of restrictive economic sanctions for 12 months.
Australia has not imposed trade sanctions on Burma, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website notes that Australia maintains an arms embargo, along with targeted financial and visa sanctions, against "members of the regime" and its supporters and associates.
Non-humanitarian development assistance and government-to-government links have also been suspended.
"We are watching closely Burma's political process and will calibrate our sanctions accordingly," a DFAT spokesperson said last night.
"We will take into account the views of all relevant stakeholders, including (Nobel laureate and democracy advocate) Aung San Suu Kyi, to ensure the continued effectiveness of our approach."
Last year's elections in Burma have been roundly condemned as a sham and the new civilian government as a front for military interests, but business interest has been sharpened by the changed nature of the new government.
Sworn in on March 30, the putatively civilian administration ended almost five decades of military rule, but many of the government's ministers are serving or recently retired military officers.
In renewing restrictive measures for 12 months, the EU Council nevertheless repeated its "willingness to encourage and respond to improvements in governance and progress in the hope that the greater civilian nature of the government will help in developing much-needed new policies".
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/eu-lifts-some-travel-sanctions-on-burma/story-e6frg6so-1226038718021?from=public_rss
