Myanmar authorities should show restraint

Myanmar authorities should show restraint - EU spokeswoman

	Published : Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:58 By : Agencies Print this Story

BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - The military junta in Myanmar should show restraint in its treatment of protests and seize the chance to launch a real reform process, the EU foreign policy chief's spokeswoman said today.

'We are following the events in Myanmar very closely,' Christina Gallach, spokeswoman for Javier Solana, told Agence France-Presse.

'It is important that the authorities exercise restraint in the face of the demonstrations,' she added.

More than 100,000 people flooded the streets of Myanmar's biggest city Yangon today, joining Buddhist monks in the strongest show of dissent against the ruling generals in almost two decades.

'We hope that the regime will seize this opportunity to launch a process of real political reforms,' said Gallach, recalling that the EU as ever calls for the release of political prisoners.

'Peace, stability and development can only be gained through political reforms, the respect of freedoms and fundamental rights and the inclusion of everyone,' she added.

The European Union, concerned at the 'grave violations of human rights' in Myanmar in March renewed its sanctions against the regime until April 2008.

The sanctions include an embargo on arms and material which could help repression, travel bans and the freezing of assets of dozens of junta officials as well as limits on diplomatic ties.

The military regime threatened today to 'take action under the existing law' against monks who 'go against the rules and regulations in the authority of the Buddhist teachings'.

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Myanmar authorities should show restraint - EU spokeswoman