Myanmar should be excluded from ASEAN-EU free trade deal - EU parliamentarians
Thompson Financial | 2-October-2007
Myanmar should be excluded from ASEAN-EU free trade deal - EU parliamentarians
SINGAPORE (Thomson Financial) — Myanmar should not be included in the free trade agreement (FTA) between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU following the Yangon military regime’s crackdown on mass protests last week, according to members of the European Parliament visiting Singapore.
"It is not in the interest of [the] EU to sign an FTA with ASEAN that includes Myanmar," Glyn Ford, a member of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, told journalists after meeting Singaporean officials.
Singapore, currently the chairman of ASEAN, needs to take a firmer stand on the Myanmar issue and possibly look into economic sanctions if need be, said international trade committee vice-chairwoman Corien Wortmann-Kool.
"The European Parliament is very worried about the situation in Myanmar. Political pressure has to be stepped up for the Myanmar government to reform," she said.
"Actions need to be taken," Wortmann-Kool said.
She declined to say whether sanctions should include freezing the assets of Myanmar leaders rumored to be keeping assets in Singapore banks.
Besides Myanmar, there are other contentious issues that are holding up the signing of an FTA between the EU and ASEAN.
"Under the current situation, Myanmar could be a problem. Singapore is another key area. Singapore is being held up because of Singapore’s refusal to move on the banking secrecy law," Ford said.
Another issue that needs to be settled with Singapore is the uneven treatment of European products.
"You can bring in Italian ham to Singapore but not Spanish ham," Ford said.
The EU also wants the same privileges given by Singapore to the US under their FTA.
"There are all kinds of advantages given to the the US. We want the same kind of advantages," Wortmann-Kool said.
