RADIO FREE ASIA Breaking News: EU Delegation to Visit Burma

EU Delegation to Visit Burma <http://www.rfa.org/english/news/burma/eu-06162011154933.html> June 16, 2011 - The European Union is sending a senior delegation for talks with Burmese leaders and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi this weekend, the highest ranking team to visit the Southeast Asian state since Burma's generals seized power 22 years ago, officials said. the visit marks a shift in EU policy, a change that was initiated in response to last year's Burmese elections and the introduction of a quasi-civilian government. The team from the European Commission in Brussels is headed by the Director General for Political Affairs, Robert Cooper. He will be accompanied by the EU's special envoy for Burma, the Italian politician Piero Fassino. They are due to arrive in Burma's former capital Rangoon on June 19, when Aung San Suu Kyi will celebrate her birthday, the first time she has been able to mark the event with supporters in eight years following her release from house arrest in November. In April, the EU lifted its visa ban on certain Burmese senior government officials, including the Burmese foreign minister, but decided to maintain its economic sanctions against Burma. "We want to engage with the regime at the highest level," the EU representative for the region, David Lippman, told RFA last week. "To help facilitate that, we reduced the visa restrictions on some ministers-especially the foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, who is expected to be the main interlocutor in any future dialogue," he said. Sham elections Although the elections in November last year were regarded by rights groups and opposition leaders as a sham, many diplomats in Europe believe that small changes have occurred and that the process needs to be encouraged. Lippman was at pains to point out that the lifting of the visa ban on nonmilitary ministers and a suspension of an asset freeze-for the next 12 months-represents only a small change in policy, introduced in order to engage the authorities. "Any future changes will depend on the new government's performance," he said. Not unexpectedly, the release of political prisoners and economic reform are high on the agenda, he confided. About 2,200 political prisoners still languish in Burmese prisons, and Burma's new government has not responded to a deluge of calls from foreign governments and rights groups to show seriousness in introducing political reforms. Lippman insisted that the EU policy is not a carrot-and-stick approach. Humanitarian aid and other financial assistance will continue and increase on the basis of need, he said, adding that political and economic changes will certainly improve the relationship. Well received Cooper, a veteran British diplomat who knows the region well, is expected to be well received in Naypyidaw, Burma's capital. More than a decade ago, Cooper made a relatively secret visit to Burma where he met Aung San Suu Kyi while he still worked as diplomat for the British government. During the upcoming trip, he is expected to meet the opposition leader, representatives of the national minorities, and government ministers. The Burmese foreign minister is likely to be his host, but he hopes to meet a range of other ministers including those responsible for commerce and planning. Whether he will make a call on Burmese President Thein Sein is still unclear. If he does, this may be a sign that the visit will be more successful than many European diplomats believe. Thein Sein and his hard-line vice president Thira Aung Mying Oo are believed to be locked in a personal power struggle, and experts believe that Burma's political opposition and the international community should look for ways to strengthen the president's hand without tipping their own. "Nothing will come out of this trip," said a central European diplomat based in Bangkok who is also responsible for Burma. "The best we can hope for is that it is the start of a process of dialogue and engagement." New EU special envoy? It is also unclear if the EU will replace Fassino with a new envoy now that the United States has appointed an envoy and the U.N. is considering a top-level envoy of its own. This will be Fassino's first trip to Burma-and possibly his last, as he is set to become mayor of the Italian city of Turin. At present, Lippman, the EU representative in Bangkok, seems to be running the show, eager to visit Burma once a month and meet Aung San Suu Kyi on those occasions. Although Aung San Suu Kyi may be free and able to celebrate her birthday with family friends and supporters, this is a critical time for her. She plans to make her first trip up-country to Mandalay in the coming days, and all eyes will be on how Burma's government reacts and what kind of reception she gets. Aung San Suu Kyi's youngest son Kim Aris is also due in Rangoon from Britain in the next few days to be with her on her birthday. He has already picked up his visa. This will be his third visit to Burma since his mother was released from house arrest nearly seven months ago. Reported by Larry Jagan for RFA's Burmese service. Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. 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