Brussels - European Union leaders are ready to 'review,
amend or further reinforce' the bloc's sanctions against the
government of Myanmar, according to draft conclusions of an EU summit
underway in Brussels on Friday.
The reference to Myanmar was a last-minute addition to the draft,
which also states that the EU is 'determined to assist the people of
Burma/Myanmar further on their path to democracy, security and
prosperity.'
In November, EU ministers agreed to impose new restrictions on the
ruling junta, extending their list of Myanmar officials who
are subject to a travel ban and an assets freeze.
Investment bans on Burmese state-owned enterprises were also
extended to include businesses owned or controlled by the regime or
by people associated with it.
And ministers also confirmed additional restrictive measures on
Myanmar's logging, timber and mining sectors.
The EU recently appointed Piero Fassino, a former Italian justice
minister, as its special envoy to Myanmar.
Fassino planned to visit China next week and would head to India
and other Asian countries after the Christmas break.
'China is a great political power and is playing an increasingly
essential role on the international scene. It can certainly have a
positive influence in the Myanmar issue,' Fassino said during a visit
to Brussels on Thursday.
International pressure to force political change in Myanmar, under
military rule since 1962, gained momentum in the aftermath of a
brutal crackdown on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks on
September 26-27.
At least 15 people died in the melee, according to official
figures. The UN's special rapporteur on human rights recently claimed
the death toll was at least double that.
EU officials failed to persuade Myanmar's neighbours to enforce
tougher sanctions on the regime during a November summit in
Singapore.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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