Nov 07, 2013

Open Letter To Catherine Ashton On EU-Myanmar Joint Task Force Meeting


In an open letter addressed to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, the General Secretary of UNPO urges EU representatives to devote special attention to the Chin and Rohingya ethnic minorities in Myanmar in light of the upcoming EU-Myanmar Joint Task Force Meeting of next week.

Brussels, 6 November 2013

 

Open letter to:

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton

Copy to:

EU Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rurual Development Dacian Cioloş

European Commissioner for Development and Cooperation Andris Piebalgs

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani

Vice-president of the European Parliament Isabelle Durant

Member of the European Parliament Csaba Sogor

 

Dear Baroness Catherine Ashton,

We, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), are writing to you are regards to the EU-Myanmar/Burma Joint Task Force meeting that is going to take place on 13-15 November in Yangon and Naypyidaw with the Mission for Growth initiative. In light of this inaugural meeting, the UNPO calls upon the consideration of the plight of Chin and Rohingya ethnic minority groups in the Myanmar-Burma.

The UNPO welcomes the efforts of the EU to support democratic reforms initiated by the government of Myanmar in 2011. In particular, our organization supports the adoption of the EU Comprehensive Framework for Myanmar/Burma on 22 July 2012, as well as subsequent opening of the EU delegation office in Yangon in September 2013.

We consider also extremely important substantial support provided by the EU to the Myanmar Peace Centre in November 2012 for the fostering of peace and reconciliation process in the country. In addition, our organization fully encourages the EU for further collaboration with Myanmar/Burma in terms of Development Cooperation, Instrument for Stability, Humanitarian Aid Action Programmes.

However, we are disconcerted and worried by the news that participation in some of the Task Force meetings might be restricted only to the political representatives from both sides. We were surprised to learn that the representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations have not been invited to participate in a political dialogue.

We also encourage you to devote special attention to the persecution of Chin and Rohingya ethnic minority groups and the promotion of overall peace and reconciliation process in Myanmar/Burma. In this regard we would like to emphasize the important role that was assigned by the EU within the European Parliament’s Resolution from 13 June 2013 for the Rohingya minority that should “participate in the EU-Myanmar/Burma Task Force”.

We believe that the EU-Myanmar Joint Task Force presents an important opportunity for the EU to exercise pressure on the government of Myanmar in matters of human and minority rights. Therefore, the UNPO considers it to be extremely important for the Task Force to include full participation of civil society actors during all three days of the meeting, which is the aim established in the framework of 2012 Comprehensive Framework for Myanmar.

Thus, we look forward for the EU to engage stronger civil society participation in democratic transition of the multi-ethnic Myanmar society. 

 

Sincerely,

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)

 

 

Recommendations to the European Union:

- Raise the issues presented in this briefing note with counterparts in Myanmar during the first EU-Myanmar Joint Task Force meeting, considering participation fromin particular when the civil society is absentlacking;

- Include the respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and association as an integral part of EU – Myanmar cooperation agreements, clearly spelling out concrete steps the country needs to take in order to address concerns in these areas;

- Urge the government of Myanmar to push forward ongoing democratic reforms and release all prisoners of conscience by the end of 2013;

- Raise awareness among EU countries of the critical situation of the Rohingya and Chin minority groups in Myanmar by planning visits to their regions, within the framework of meetings in Myanmar, and faithfully publically reporting on the findings made public to all;

- Exercise pressure on the government of Myanmar in matters of human and minority rights, including provisions for their respect in all fields of cooperation – business included;  

- Support the development of local and international civil society organizations committed to monitoring human and minority rights in Myanmar, especially valuing their input before and during subsequent Joint Task Force meetings and the likes;

- Ensure that aid and development support is being provided to minority-inhabited areas (in particular, Rakhin and Chin states), as well as to the refugees stemming from these regions.

 

Download the briefing note here:

 

PDF version of the open letter.

 

Photo @Flickr by European External Action Service - EEAS.

Map @BBC News Asia.