U bevindt zich op: Home › News › Press releases and news items

Verhagen: sanctions against Burma following sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi

News item | 13-08-2009

Foreign minister Maxime Verhagen has expressed his shock at the sentence of 18 months’ house arrest handed down to Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He has announced his intention to seek further EU sanctions against the Burmese regime.

'Burma is the only country in the world that punishes a homeowner for having had her own house broken into. Since she was under house arrest at the time and being guarded by government forces, the Burmese authorities should have been the ones on trial, for negligence,' said Mr Verhagen.

The Minister has said that the sentence will have consequences. 'The EU must now impose additional targeted sanctions against Burma that will hurt the regime while sparing the general population as much as possible. We are currently discussing this issue with our EU partners.'

This trial has shown, Mr Verhagen remarked, that the so-called Road Map to Democracy is nothing but a farce. 'Political opponents of the military regime are being sentenced in show trials to long periods of detention,' he said. 'It only confirms the belief that the regime intends to manipulate next year's elections.'

Mr Verhagen hopes that a clear signal from the international community will induce the Burmese authorities to change their ways.