Brussels: The EU is to cut relationships with Myanmar’s senior military chiefs to protest the “disproportionate use of force” against the Rohingya Muslims.
According to an agreement seen by AFP on Wednesday, the bloc has also warned it could consider sanctions if there is no improvement in the crisis, which made Rohingya flee Myanmar crackdown, after August 25. The UN compared the situation with the historic ‘ethnic cleansing’.
Approved by EU ambassadors, an agreement to be signed on Monday at a meeting of foreign ministry said the mass exodus “strongly indicates a deliberate action to expel a minority”, reported The Indian Express.
“In the light of the disproportionate use of force carried out by the security forces, the EU and its member states will suspend invitations to the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar/Burma armed forces and senior military officers and review all practical defence cooperation,” the agreement says that the violence should immediately stop.
The EU has currently banned the export of arms and equipment that can be used for “internal repression”, but said it “may consider additional measures” if the condition does not improve.
The already overpopulated and poor Bangladesh saw another addition of 11,000 Rohingyas on Monday. However, in the previous weeks, the influx was relatively less.