EU delegation in Myanmar to meet Aung San Suu Kyi
Burma’s opposition leader will celebrate her birthday on Sunday. For the first time in eight years, she will be together with her son and members of her party. The EU team is ready for small positive steps in favour of Myanmar after it held elections and released Aung San Suu Kyi. However, many want to see the other more than 2,000 political prisoners freed as well.
Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A high-level European Union delegation is set to arrive in Myanmar for talks with the government and opposition leaders. A meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled for Sunday, her birthday.
It is the first high-profile delegation to visit the country since the 1989 coup when the military overturned the elections that saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy win.
The European Commission team is headed by Robert Cooper, Director General for Political Affairs. He will be accompanied by Italian politician Piero Fassino, who has just been elected mayor of Turin. Thus, this might be his last trip as EU’s special envoy for Burma.
In April, the EU lifted its visa ban on some senior Burmese government officials, including the foreign minister.
The slight thaw follows a number of steps taken by the country’s military junta. In November, elections were held and Aung San Suu Kyi was released.
However, many Burmese activists and exiles have dismissed these gestures as irrelevant. For the European Union, they must instead be respected.
Human rights groups have called for the release of the country’s political prisoners, estimated to be around 2,000.
The EU delegation will met Myanmar’s foreign minister, and perhaps the junta’s strongman, as well as discuss economic issues.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday will also see one of her children, Kim Aris, visit her from Great Britain, after he was granted a visa to visit his mother.
This is the first time that Aung San Suu Kyi will be able to celebrate her birthday with a son and members of her party after eight years of house arrest.
It is the first high-profile delegation to visit the country since the 1989 coup when the military overturned the elections that saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy win.
The European Commission team is headed by Robert Cooper, Director General for Political Affairs. He will be accompanied by Italian politician Piero Fassino, who has just been elected mayor of Turin. Thus, this might be his last trip as EU’s special envoy for Burma.
In April, the EU lifted its visa ban on some senior Burmese government officials, including the foreign minister.
The slight thaw follows a number of steps taken by the country’s military junta. In November, elections were held and Aung San Suu Kyi was released.
However, many Burmese activists and exiles have dismissed these gestures as irrelevant. For the European Union, they must instead be respected.
Human rights groups have called for the release of the country’s political prisoners, estimated to be around 2,000.
The EU delegation will met Myanmar’s foreign minister, and perhaps the junta’s strongman, as well as discuss economic issues.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday will also see one of her children, Kim Aris, visit her from Great Britain, after he was granted a visa to visit his mother.
This is the first time that Aung San Suu Kyi will be able to celebrate her birthday with a son and members of her party after eight years of house arrest.
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