Against the backdrop of atrocities orchestrated by the Myanmar military forcing about 5.5 lakh Rohingyas to cross into Bangladesh, the European Union (EU) yesterday said it will review ‘all practical defence cooperation with Myanmar and threatened further measures should the situation does not improve’. At the same time, the powerful bloc of 28 countries also decided that they will not invite Myanmar’s armed forces chief and senior military officials to any visit.

The decisions were taken at a foreign minister-level meeting of the EU Council held in Luxemburg yesterday. “In the light of the disproportionate use of force carried out by the security forces, the EU and its Member States will suspend invitations to the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces and other senior military officers and review all practical defence cooperation,” according to the ‘conclusions’ adopted by the EU Council.    

 “The EU confirms the relevance of the current EU restrictive measures, which consist of an embargo on arms and equipment that can be used for internal repression. The Council may consider additional measures if the situation does not improve, but also stands ready to respond accordingly to positive developments,” said the conclusions.

The humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine State is extremely serious. There are deeply worrying reports of continuing arson and violence against people and serious human rights violations, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the presence of landmines and sexual and gender based violence.  “This is not acceptable and must end immediately. More than 500,000 people, mostly Rohingyas, have fled their homes and sought refuge in Bangladesh, as a result of violence and fear. When so many people are displaced so quickly, this strongly indicates a deliberate action to expel a minority. Therefore it is of utmost importance that refugees can return to safety and in dignity. Access for humanitarian assistance and the media is severely restricted in Rakhine State. Needs can therefore not be fully assessed nor addressed,” the council said.

The EU has called on all sides to bring an immediate end to all violence. It urges the Myanmar military to end its operations and to ensure the protection of all civilians without discrimination and to fully observe international human rights law.

The EU also reiterated its call on the Myanmar government to take all measures to defuse tensions between communities; grant full, safe and unconditional humanitarian access without delay, including for UN, ICRC, and international NGOs; and establish a credible and practical process to enable the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of all those who fled their homes to their places of origin.

The EU has stepped up its humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and stands ready to extend its activities in Rakhine State in favour of all people in need once access is granted.

The EU and its member states reconfirmed their strong engagement underlined in its strategy on Myanmar (June 2016) to support the country’s democratic transition, peace, national reconciliation and socio-economic development. In this context, the EU stands ready to support the government of Myanmar in order to ensure the swift and full implementation of the recommendations of the advisory commission on Rakhine State, including the crucial issue of citizenship for the stateless Rohingya population.

The EU welcomed the Myanmar state counsellor’s commitment to bringing all the perpetrators of human rights violations and other criminal acts to justice, in accordance with the rule of law to avoid all impunity, and her statement on September 19 that Myanmar does not fear international scrutiny.

Credible allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses, including brutal attacks on children, must be thoroughly investigated, it said.

In this context, the EU urged Myanmar to cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council’s independent international Fact-Finding Mission and to allow it full, safe and unhindered access to the country without delay. The EU welcomed that the UN Human Rights Council recently extended the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission.

Furthermore, the EU encouraged Myanmar to enter into a dialogue with its neighbouring countries, in particular Bangladesh, on finding solutions to common concerns, notably the repatriation of refugees to their place of origin, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations.

The EU appreciated the constructive role played by Bangladesh under difficult circumstances.

The EU will continue to address these vital issues and all challenges linked to the process of democratic transition in the framework of its continuing engagement with the government of Myanmar and in all relevant international fora, notably the UN.

The EU also intends to seize the opportunity of the forthcoming ASEM Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Nay Pyi Taw, 20/21 November 2017) to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Myanmar government and will also continue to liaise with all Asian partners in this regard. The EU also encouraged its partners in the ASEAN and the region to engage in this process.