SOLYMONE BLOG: WORLD CONDEMS SUU KYI VERDICT

WORLD CONDEMS SUU KYI VERDICT

Labels: myanmar's suu kyi

Leaders and protesters from around the world have condemned the verdict against Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's pro-democracy opposition leader.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said he "strongly deplored" the decision to keep Suu Kyi under house arrest for another 18 months, and called for her immediate release.
"Unless she and all other political prisoners in Myanmar are released and [are] allowed to participate in free and fair elections, the credibility of the political process will remain in doubt," he said.
But members of the UN Security Council failed on Tuesday to reach an agreement on the wording of a draft statement concerning Aung San Suu Kyi's conviction and sentence.
The European Union has vowed to bring new sanctions against Myanmar following the verdict, saying it would "respond with additional targeted measures against those responsible for the verdict".
"In addition, the EU will further reinforce its restrictive measures targeting the regime of Burma/Myanmar, including its economic interests," the Swedish EU presidency said in a statement.
An EU said the 27-nation bloc had launched a "written procedure" to boost sanctions, which will come into force on Friday, as long as EU capitals do not oppose the move.
The bloc first imposed sanctions on Myanmar in 1996, banning arms exports, imposing visa restrictions on junta allies and families, limiting diplomatic contacts and freezing officials' offshore accounts.
In 2007 it banned European firms from importing wood, minerals, gems and metals, following a government crackdown on Buddhist monks' pro-democracy protest.

Source: Al Jazeera

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