MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Myanmar

B9‑0125/2021

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Myanmar

(2021/2540(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Myanmar,

– having regard to the declaration by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on behalf of the European Union of 2 February 2021 on Myanmar,

– having regard to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chairman’s statement of 1 February 2021 on the developments in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,

– having regard to the UN Security Council’s press statement of 4 February 2021 on the situation in Myanmar,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 1 February 2021, one day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected in the November 2020 general election, Myanmar’s army (Tatmadaw) staged a coup and declared a year-long state of emergency in Myanmar;

B. whereas hundreds of Members of Parliament were placed under house arrest and at least 147 people have been detained since the coup, including President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, lawmakers, party leaders and officials from the ousted government; whereas Aung San Suu Kyi was charged with possession of illegally imported walkie-talkies, which could result in a two-year prison sentence;

C. whereas the 8 November 2020 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi; whereas the military has justified its takeover by accusing the NLD of fraud in the general election, through its political proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), a claim that has been dismissed by observers;

D. whereas on 2 February 2021, healthcare workers and civil servants across the country launched a national civil disobedience campaign in opposition to the coup; whereas several protesters were arrested; whereas largely peaceful protests have increased in number and scale across Myanmar in recent days;

E. whereas internet and television services were disrupted after the coup and on 4 February 2021 Myanmar’s army ordered internet service providers to block access to several social media platforms in an attempt to stamp out signs of dissent;

F. whereas on 5 February 2021 the Tatmadaw tightened its crackdown on the former civilian government, with the arrest of Win Htein, a senior NLD party leader, on sedition charges;

G. whereas 12 years after the adoption of a new constitution and three regular elections later, the military in Myanmar continues to have a solid grip on the country’s government; whereas the Tatmadaw is an institution in itself that is not even nominally accountable to the country’s civilian leadership;

H. whereas since 2017, more than 700 000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for safety in neighbouring Bangladesh following repression, continued serious human rights violations, including widespread killings, rape and the burning of villages committed by the Myanmar armed groups in Rakhine State, which had been home to over 1 million Rohingya; whereas the Rohingya people have been officially stateless since the enactment of the 1982 Burmese citizenship laws, which deprive the Rohingya of basic civil, political and socio-economic rights such as freedom of movement, political participation, employment and social welfare; whereas Aung San Suu Kyi has faced widespread international criticism that she has turned away from her democratic credentials by pandering to the Tatmadaw on issues ranging from freedom of the press to the military’s policy in dealing with the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities;

I. whereas despite the implementation of the safeguard clause in 2019 and the ongoing violation of fundamental rights, Myanmar has increased its rice exports to the EU, causing serious market disturbances;

1. Strongly condemns the coup d’état by the Tatmadaw in Myanmar; calls on the military to immediately and unconditionally release the President, the State Counsellor and all those who have been arrested and to immediately end the state of emergency;

2. Calls on the military to exercise maximum restraint, including with regard to protesters, restore telecommunications, respect human rights, freedom of expression, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, and restore the civilian government;

3. Stresses that any allegation of voting irregularities should be settled via the proper legal and administrative channels;

4. Calls for the EU to continue its support of Myanmar’s civilian and democratic transition, its peace process and national reconciliation, and its inclusive socio-economic development; believes that the constitutionally guaranteed power of the army stands in the way of Myanmar’s further transition into a fully-fledged democracy;

5. Encourages the pursuance of dialogue and reconciliation in accordance with the will and interests of the people of Myanmar;

6. Reiterates its strong condemnation of all past and present human rights violations and the systematic and widespread attacks, including killings, harassment, rape and the destruction of property, war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the armed forces against the Rohingya population; condemns the ongoing discrimination against the Rohingya and the severe restrictions imposed on their freedom of movement and the deprivation of their basic services in Myanmar; stresses that the government must end the systematic displacement of the Rohingya people from their homes and communities in Rakhine State, as well as that of other ethnic and religious peoples in states such as Kachin and Shan, and that all those responsible must be brought to justice;

7. Recalls that Myanmar must fulfil its obligations and commitments in relation to democratic principles and fundamental human rights, which are an essential component of the Everything But Arms scheme and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences; calls on the Commission, in the light of the recent developments, to take additional protective measures where justified on the basis of the relevant criteria and supported by appropriate evidence, which may include a suspension of trade preferences granted to Myanmar;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the European External Action Service, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Government and Parliament of Myanmar.