The European Parliament adopted by 646 votes to 1, with 20 abstentions, a resolution on Myanmar, one year after the coup.
As a reminder, on 1 February 2021, the military of Myanmar, known as the Tatmadaw, in a clear violation of the constitution of Myanmar and of the electoral results of November 2020, arrested President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and leading members of the government, seized power over the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the government by means of a coup d’état, and declared a one-year state of emergency.
Since 1 February 2021, politicians, government officials, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, religious actors, peaceful protestors and writers have been unlawfully arrested or put under house arrest. Moreover, violations of the freedom of religion or belief and other human rights are being perpetrated against religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar.
Parliament strongly condemned the coup d’état of 1 February 2021, executed by the Tatmadaw under the leadership of commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, and the ensuing heinous atrocities, mass killings and widespread human rights violations against the population of Myanmar.
It called on the Tatmadaw to fully respect the outcome of the democratic elections of November 2020, reinstate the civilian government and end the state of emergency.
Myanmar’s military is urged to:
- cease immediately all violence and attacks against Myanmar’s people in all parts of the country, to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, including religious leaders, immediately and unconditionally;
- take steps to establish a path to dialogue and reconciliation with all parties concerned, while ensuring that the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as well as of religion or belief, are fully upheld;
Parliament condemned the persecution of Christians in the country and underlined that the EU will continue to closely monitor the actions of the military leadership against minorities in the country, including the Rohingya.
External relations
Parliament strongly condemned the supply of arms and military equipment to the Tatmadaw by China, Russia and Serbia as well as the Myanmar junta’s support for the illegal war Russia is waging in Ukraine.
It urged all parties to the crisis in Myanmar to facilitate safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance and to grant access to humanitarian workers.
Parliament welcomed the four rounds of EU sanctions over the military coup and subsequent repression. It called on the Council to:
- target the central bank reserves in a further round of sanctions;
- reverse the derogation explicitly allowing EU oil and gas operators remaining in Myanmar to pursue financial transactions with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise and urged Member States to refrain from implementing the derogation.
The Commission and EU Member States should ensure that the withdrawal of EU companies complying with sanctions does not benefit the junta.
Lastly, Parliament called on the Commission to monitor closely whether an investigation should be launched into the withdrawal of the Everything But Arms scheme, with a view to suspending the trade preferences that benefit Myanmar in specific sectors, particularly companies belonging to members of Myanmar’s military, and to keep Parliament duly informed of the steps to take.