Taoiseach supports fresh approach to Burmese junta

BURMA’S military junta experienced the European Union’s new policy of sanctions and dialogue at the Asian-EU (ASEM) summit in Helsinki yesterday.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern fully supported the move saying it was better to tell the Burmese junta directly that Europe abhorred its regime. He revealed he took the Burmese Foreign Minister to task when he met him during the Irish EU presidency.

The country, re-named Myanmar, has been reduced from Asia’s most wealthy area 40 years ago to one of the poorest by the military junta and its policies of oppression and human rights abuses. They have the highest HIV/AIDS in the region and the World Health Organisation placed their health care second last of 191 countries.

The leader of the opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi remains under arrest while the trafficking of women and drugs, the use of child soldiers and the systematic starvation of ethnic minority and opposition groups continues.