European Parliament threatens Myanmar with sanctions over Rohingya crisis

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution threatening Myanmar with taking “punitive sanctions” following the Rakhine State crisis that is forcing hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.

It has called on the vice-president of the European Commission or High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and the EU Member States to “significantly” increase their pressure on the Myanmar government and security forces.

This is to push the Myanmar rulers to stop violence, fully cooperate with UN investigators and international humanitarian agencies and ensure accountability for grave violations of international law.

The parliament also called on the European Commission, in this regard for the VP/HR and the EU member states, “to take an active role in supporting immediate action at UN level and making clear that the EU stands ready to consider targeted punitive sanctions against individuals and entities”.

The members of the European Parliament also called on the commission to consider consequences in the context of the trade preferences Myanmar enjoys, “should grave violations in international law continue with impunity”.

Nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims entered Bangladesh in the last two and a half weeks.

The resolution acknowledged the efforts by Bangladesh in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe.

It warned Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi that the 1990 Sakharov Prize conferred on her for defending human rights could be revoked.

The resolution called on the EC and the member states to increase financial and material support for these refugees.

It urged China and other international and regional actors to use all channels to demand an end to the atrocities and bring about a peaceful resolution.

The European Parliament strongly condemned all the attacks in Rakhine State and is gravely concerned about the increasing gravity and scale of human rights violations, including killings, violent clashes, destruction of civilian property and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

It urged the military and security forces to “immediately cease” the killings, harassment and rape of the Rohingya people, and the burning of their homes.

The MEPs recalled that the Myanmar authorities have a duty to protect, without discrimination, all civilians from abuse, and to investigate grievous human rights violations and prosecute those responsible, in accordance with human rights standards and obligations.

They called on the Myanmar authorities to grant immediate and unhindered access to independent monitors, international human rights organisations, journalists and other international observers, and the United Nations, particularly the UN Fact-Finding Mission established by the UN Human Rights Council in March.

The resolution called on the Burmese government to immediately remove all landmines on the border with Bangladesh.

It urged the Myanmar government, and State Counsellor Suu Kyi in particular, to unequivocally condemn all incitement to racial or religious hatred and to combat social discrimination and hostilities against the Rohingya minority.

It said she should push for the implementation of the recommendations given in the final report of the Kofi Annan Commission that includes “restoring citizenship” of the Rohingya minority.

The parliament also called on ASEAN and regional governments to take immediate action to increase pressure on the Myanmar government to halt rights abuses, protect all civilians in Rakhine State and lend support to refugees fleeing.

The UN Security Council and General Assembly have been urged to adopt effective diplomatic and political measures to ensure compliance by the government of Myanmar with its obligations in respect of the Rohingya minority in terms of ensuring protection and access to aid.

It also called for a resolution of the General Assembly and Security Council condemning the rights abuses, insisting on access to Rakhine State and demanding accountability for the serious violations of international law by all parties.

The MEPs instructed the president of the European Parliament to forward this resolution to the government and parliament of Myanmar, among others.