the European Union supports an arms embargo and says it is ready to toughen its sanctions

After the United States, the European Union in turn is raising its tone. Lhe head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced Thursday, December 30, supporting the imposition of an international arms embargo on Burma. The EU has also declared itself ready to toughen its sanctions, following a massacre blamed on the army in which around 30 civilians and two members of the NGO Save the Children were killed in Kayah State, located in eastern Burma.

“Faced with the escalation of violence in Burma, additional preventive actions are needed at the international level, including an arms embargo” which could be enacted at the UN level, said Josep Borrell in a statement. Brussels is already blocking the sale of arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, as well as the ban on the export of dual-use goods intended for the army and border police.

The United States, which has long restricted arms sales to the Burmese military regime, on Tuesday renewed its call for an international arms embargo on Burma. “Targeting civilians and humanitarian professionals is unacceptable, it is a flagrant violation of human rights and international law”, also indicated Josep Borrell.

Since the military coup of February 1 and the repression that followed, Brussels has blacklisted nearly 30 people and six entities. They were punished with a ban on entry into the EU and an asset freeze. Brussels has also decided to continue blocking financial aid intended directly for the military government, no longer providing strictly humanitarian aid to Burma.