Proposition 52K0253

Proposition de résolution relative à la situation en Birmanie.

General information ¶

Authors

MR Daniel Ducarme, François-Xavier de Donnea

Submission date

Oct. 23, 2007

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

Burma/Myanmar resolution of parliament political situation human rights

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB

Abstained from voting

FN

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

May 22, 2008 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

The present draft resolution was examined by your Committee on Foreign Relations at its meeting on 21 May 2008.

At its meeting on 12 December 2007, the committee had decided to send these various proposals back to a working group to propose a common text. This meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mr. of Donna . This group first heard Mr. Christiaan Tanghe, Embassy Advisor at SPF Foreign Affairs, who made a point on the evolution of the Burmese case.

On this basis, a draft text was drafted by Mr. The first amendment became the 1st amendment. From Donnea, Flahaux, Dallemagne, by Ms Vautmans and Muylle.

However, following the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the cyclone, the Working Group still met on the following 19 May to sub-amend this common text in order to take account of this new situation.

With regard to the discussion, the committee decided to make amendment 1 of Mr. from Donnea and CS the basis of discussion. The amendment to this proposal refers to the various requests addressed to the authors of the original proposal and also asks to take into account the evolution of the situation since the submission of the proposals on the basis of information communicated by the SPF Foreign Affairs representative.

Amendments 4 and 5, which were sub-amendments to the main amendment of Mr. Donnea et al, refer to “the unacceptable refusal of the Burmese military regime to accept the international humanitarian aid required to help the hundreds of thousands of victims of the cyclone.”

by Mr. Wouter De Vriendt (Ecolo-Groen!) has submitted amendments. Its 2 amendment aimed to call on the private sector that invests in Burma to take responsibility. Amendment 3 required the government to ensure that public procurement is done in compliance with human and social rights.

by Mr. Van den Eynde, on behalf of Vlaams Belang, estimated that while the Burmese authorities were so little moved by the reactions of the international community, it was precisely because they could do what they wanted under the protection, he said, of the Chinese umbrella. But the Chinese authorities do little about human rights, whether in China itself, in Africa or in Burma.

In the main amendment, we addressed the issue of ⁇ ining the reference to China, in particular to pressure and improve the human rights situation in Myanmar. The Commission considered that this retention was justified. Although the human rights situation in China is not perfect, it is obvious that this country will be able to play the role of partner in discussions with Burma.

Amendments submitted by Mr. De Vriendt were not adopted in the Committee on Foreign Relations, whose chairman also indicated that a broader debate could be organized at the return.

by Mr. Germany, on behalf of the CDH, considered it necessary, in any case, to maintain the pressure on the Burmese regime, considering that this was the only way to make it evolve. He also requested that the reference to ASEAN be added – a suggestion that was followed by the commission.

This amended draft resolution was unanimously adopted by the Committee on Foreign Relations, which requested that this text be considered by your assembly tonight.

I will be very brief, because Mr. Baeselen really said everything in his excellent report. He highlighted the various nuances that could have been expressed during the debate in the committee.

I believe that this proposal has the merit of going to the essence, since it is both short and muscular and it clearly condemns the attitudes of the Burmese regime during the protests last summer, but also after the passage of the cyclone Nargis.

This resolution comes on time as it strongly supports the efforts made by Mr. Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council, of which Belgium is also a member, so that the Burmese authorities finally accept the required international assistance and more generally respect human rights in Burma.

Mr. President, Mr. Baeselen, I thank you for the report.

We welcome the coming of a critical signal regarding the human rights violations in Myanmar. We had already submitted a draft resolution a few months ago.

I will give a brief explanation of my amendments. In our draft resolution, we wanted to go a step further and call on companies and banks on Belgian territory to stop investing in the gas, oil and mining sectors in Burma. After all, we have agreed that all actors should take responsibility. It is precisely with the proceeds from the activities that companies exhibit in Burma that the military junta of Burma finances human rights violations.

The following amendment is of a more general nature and discusses the possibilities of taking into account a number of social clauses, environmental clauses and human rights clauses when awarding public contracts. It is a more general amendment but the adoption of the resolution, which hopefully will follow as soon as possible, offers an opportunity to immediately ask the government to further investigate the possibilities on such clauses.

Our group would welcome it if a unanimous signal could be given here in the plenary session, as well as in the committee, regarding the human rights violations in Burma.

I would like to thank Mr. President. Baeselen for the excellent report he produced as well as Mr. Donnea; he led the working group that resulted in this quasi-consensus text.

A few words to remind that we are dealing with one of the most delusional and paranoid regimes on the planet, a criminal regime. This resolution, although modest, is also a significant contribution to all the pressure of the international community to try to finally open the doors in the hope that democracy will settle in Burma and that political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, can be released.

I find two elements important in this resolution. The first is the fact that we can fully play our role at the level of the Security Council in relation to Burma. Today, there is a debate around the responsibility for protection. The European Parliament itself requested yesterday, with a very large majority, that the International Criminal Court be brought for crimes against humanity in Burma. This is an important, serious option that should be considered with interest.

The second is the opportunity offered by the important summit that opens in Phnom Penh between the European Union and ASEAN. ASEAN being partially listened to by the Rangoon regime has some influence. This is one of the important gifts of our diplomacy on the ground. I simply hope that our work has contributed to the establishment of democracy and that the thousands of victims who call for help today can finally receive the assistance they deserve.